Hockey players wear a lot of equipment, but the helmet is by far the most important piece they wear. With that in mind, it’s critical that the helmets worn in youth, amateur and professional hockey provide the necessary protection needed during a game. Unfortunately, a recent study indicates that a large percentage of helmets aren’t doing their job.
A study provided to ESPN’s Outside the Lines indicates that more than a quarter of of hockey helmets aren’t safe. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University tested 32 helmets and of those 32, nine failed to earn a single star on a five-star scale and were labeled as “not recommended.” Only one helmet even received three stars while the others earned one or two stars.
Via the report on ESPN:
“In general, they’re low performers,” said Stefan Duma, the head of Virginia Tech’s department of biomedical engineering and mechanics, which spent three years and $500,000 developing the ratings. The study did not receive funding from the helmet industry.
Hockey players wearing the “not recommended” helmets risk incurring at least six concussions per season, and in some cases more than eight, according to Virginia Tech.
“We don’t think anybody should be playing in these helmets,” Duma said of the non-recommended models.
The ratings for all of the major brands will be released this week.
