Concussions in Hockey

Concussions in the NHL have nearly doubled this season, affecting more than 10 percent of the league's players. From the NHL to minor hockey, there is public outcry for action. Is the standard hockey helmet insufficient, or is it the player’s careless disregard of their opponent's head?  I asked some of the guys down at Gunzo’s Hockey Headquarters, and this is what they had to say:

“The helmets are more than adequate for safety’s sake. What needs to happen is a crack down on bad hits.”

“No helmet can prevent your brain from slamming into your skull, but a properly fit helmet can help reduce the impact. The biggest problems that cause concussions are ill fitting helmets and dangerous hits which include but aren’t limited to: blindside hits, head-shots, elbows, sticks, punches, etc. I believe that concussions aren’t fully preventable but as hockey players we can lower the risk by playing smarter. Keep your head up, pay attention to your surroundings, and ease up on players in a vulnerable position.”

“They should always be trying to improve the helmets, because they could always be better. A lot of the hits aren’t hits to the helmet; they’re hits to the face where you wouldn’t be protected anyway. Change out all the seamless glass because its harder and less giving.”

“Changing the design of helmets will do little to prevent concussions. The size and speed of today’s’ players’ combined with the post lock-out rule changes (eliminating the two-line pass rule, to crack down on obstruction) is the cause of the increase in concussions. The only thing that will reduce the frequency of concussions is for the players to show more respect for each other. That being said, hockey by its nature is a fast, physical, and sometimes violent game, which inherently lends itself to the possibility of injuries. No amount of changes in equipment or rules can change this fact without changing the game completely.”