In an article from the Des Moines Register, Mark Emmert raises an interesting question regarding hockey helmets and their ability to help prevent concussions. The context here regards a concussion suffered by a member of the Des Moines Bucaneers of the USHL:

The current helmets the Bucs wear, manufactured by CCM and patterned after the ones NHL players sport, have an inch of padding and more sophisticated jell packs that adhere to the contours of the head of the person wearing them.

“It just basically sticks to your head; it’s like another layer,” [defenseman Austin] Coldwell said.

But the hockey equipment hasn’t advanced quite as far as football helmets, [Dr. Ned] Amendola said. Those helmets actually have air pockets that allow for a tighter fit.

“The hockey players like to have loose-fitting helmets,” he said. “They like to be able to take them off quickly.”

I find two interesting issues here for hockey players – first, obviously, is whether there might be design improvements made to existing helmets to build off the experience from the world of football. But perhaps more importantly, there is a serious cultural issue among hockey players with regard to fit. Whether it’s a loose fit in order to remove the helmet at the start of a fight, or the loose chinstraps that remain all-too-popular, it seems like a disturbing proportion of players view their hockey helmet as a nuisance rather than the most critical piece of their protective equipment.

It doesn’t matter how much technology and innovation the equipment industry brings to helmets if players don’t use them properly. Education and culture are points where strong emphasis might pay off in immediate dividends.

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