Tag Archives: hockey

With the shortened hockey season nearing its halfway point, we need to take stock of the reality of the game today. The game used to be played in a much more physical fashion, and hockey was known as a brute’s sport. Incredibly, hockey helmets were once an optional piece of equipment for players.

A recent sports science report from ESPN shows that though helmets are no longer an accessory, they may not be doing enough to prevent injuries. The report revealed that although NHL players are about 20% smaller than NFL players, NHL hits can be 17% harder than hits from NFL players. Due to the shape and coverage of regulation helmets, hockey players are not adequately equipped to deal with the impact of multiple hits.

The results of these findings coincide with the current events in hockey. The NHL has been rocked by concussions (11 in just the past two weeks), according to the New York Times. Brendan Shanahan, the NHL’s VP of hockey and business development and head disciplinarian, has made it clear that players will be held accountable via suspensions and fines, for hits targeted towards other players’ heads, but many concussions stem from legal hits to the body. The game, as well as the equipment requirements will have to be reevaluated soon. At the rate it’s going, it’ll need to be done sooner rather than later.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.

A fair amount of chatter recently has been dedicated to the mythological “concussion-proof helmet,” that elusive piece of safety equipment that can perfectly protect the brain from harm. In response, various “solutions” to the sports concussion problem have been popping up in the form of protective products.

So, to clear up the issue from the get-go, we’ll state the facts: there is no such thing as a concussion-proof helmet. Contact sports will always have some modicum of danger involved for the brain. The second someone tries to sell that, run the other way.

The brain’s movement within the skull causes concussions, not the impact itself. According to the Mayo Clinic, “A violent blow to your head and neck or upper body can cause your brain to slide back and forth forcefully against the inner wall of your skull.” It also states that sudden acceleration or deceleration can have similar effects.

So the issue is what happens when the head is moving swiftly in one direction (which happens during running, skating, or bicycling) and then suddenly stops or changes directions (as in an impact or another abrupt change). First, the brain sloshes forward, hits the front of the skull, and then over-corrects and subsequently hits the back of the skull before finally settling. There’s nothing that can stop the brain from moving around in the skull, so there’s no way to completely protect against concussions.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.