Many people consider hockey to be the ultimate mixed martial arts game. The contact, the aggression, the thrill of victory…it’s all there! It’s not all there is though. Before there were hockey helmets, there were people with long white hair and pointy ears skating around with only their hands protecting their head. That’s right – before there were helmets, there were no protective gear at all. Luckily for all of us, some clever people had the idea to protect our heads from colliding with the ice and each other’s fists, and they did so by putting on a helmet. This is how hockey helmets were invented!
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The Evolution Of Hockey Helmets
When the idea of a hockey helmet was first proposed, it was met with skepticism. After all, the goal of a hockey player isn’t to get hurt, it’s to give the other team a challenge. If they can’t see you, how can they hit you? While there’s still a large portion of the population that believes this way, the rest of us have embraced the protective gear as a part of our hockey-playing experience. Today there are several different types of hockey helmets for players of all levels of experience, and knowing which one to choose can be tricky. Here’s a brief history of the evolution of hockey helmets.
The Early Days
Hockey helmets didn’t become a common sight until the 1920s, but they were around in some form or another since the 1800s. They were initially designed to cover the ears, protect from head injuries, and keep the player’s brain inside the skull. The most recognizable design from this era is probably the flat-top, which gave way to the current domed design in the 1930s.
The Flat-Top Era
The flat-top design is often considered the first “modern” hockey helmet. The term “flat-top” itself dates back to the 1800s, and it referred to the top of the helmet which was shaped more or less like a flat piece of wood. Despite its simplicity, the design was quite effective in preventing skull injuries and even enhanced performance. Here are some of the notable players who wore these helmets: John Ross, Charlie Cargill, Billy Housby, and Chick Bullock. The flat-top design was eventually phased out in favor of the domed helmet, which made its debut in the 1930s.
The Domed Design
The domed design is often considered the classic modern-day hockey helmet. It was first manufactured by the New England Curling Company in 1936 and was inspired by the shape of a real human skull. Today it is one of the most popular and most protective of all the types of head gear.
The domed design is often cited as being superior to the flat-top because of its ability to reduce the incidence of skull injuries by as much as 50%. Some of the players who wore these helmets include: Ted Lindsay, Max Bentley, Andy Bathgate, Red Kelly, and Herb Carnegie. It would be hard to overstate just how effective the domed design was at preventing skull injuries in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Some of the more recent research even shows that the domed helmet can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
The Concussion Era
The 1980s and ‘90s were a time of great growth for hockey helmets. Not only were they worn more frequently, but they became a form of identity. Some of the more innovative companies of this time include: Schutt, Riddell, and Stemmet. This was also the time when the “Hockey Mask” and the “Sporting Leather Helmet” became popular. There was also a brief period during this time where screenwriters started utilizing hockey clichés in their works.
Unfortunately, this also happened to be the time when concussions became a serious issue. There were several cases where football players went blind, suffered from dementia, or developed Alzheimer’s disease after only playing for a few years. This put a serious damper on the ‘80s and ‘90s, and many people are still affected by concussions today.
The Identity Era
The 2000s have seen the identity of hockey players change. It used to be that the main focus was on protection – keeping your head safe became the primary goal. Some of the more prominent companies of this time include: Riddell and Stemmet. However, today everyone from Mark Giordano to Cody Franson are putting their names on their helmets. This is in part because of the growing awareness of concussions and their effects on players’ health.
Hockey helmets have become such an important part of the game that even the referees wear them. There is now a rule where the helmet has to be worn under all circumstances. Some of the notable hockey players who wore helmets during this time include: Brendon Bourne, Scott Gomez, Mark Giordano, and David Backes. This trend is likely to continue as awareness of concussions grows.
The Current Era
The 2010s have seen the identity of hockey players change once more. Now the focus is on fashion rather than protection. Some of the more prominent companies of this time include: Bell, Oakley, and Mark Giordano. This change is due in part to the increasing prevalence of street hockey, in which fashion and style is more important than protection.
As you might have guessed from the name, the Bell helmet is a collaboration between designer Michael Bell and the famous hockey players’ association, the NHL. It was originally designed for the 2018–2019 NHL season, and it was inspired by the artwork of British pop artist David Bailey. The goal was to bring a stylish and unique design to the table that would fit perfectly alongside some of the greatest hockey players’ outfits currently in fashion today. The results are fantastic!
There have also been several technological breakthroughs in hockey helmets in recent years. For example, the Specially Engineered Cellular Composite (S.E.C.C) material used in the Bell helmet allows for better impact absorption and a more comfortable feel. This is combined with advanced ergonomic design features that allow for maximum head positioning freedom and a perfect fit. Overall, the design of the Bell helmet is excellent, and it’s unique styling makes it stand out amongst the sea of regular hockey helmets.
Hockey’s Most Influential Inventors
It’s important to keep in mind that not only did hockey helmets become popular because of the game itself, but because people felt that it was the ‘appropriate’ thing to do. As a result, it was often the men in the community who would put on the helmet first and then play hockey. As time went on, women didn’t hesitate to follow suit either. This resulted in a great number of hockey fans wearing helmets in the early 20th century.
Even today, a majority of hockey players wear protective gear. Some do so because they feel that it’s the ‘appropriate’ thing to do – similar to how it was in the early days – while others do it because the rules explicitly require it. However, the one thing that hasn’t changed is that hockey players will always want the best equipment available to protect their heads. This is because the game itself is a dangerous one, and without protection many of them would surely lose that vision in one eye that they so dearly cherish.
Some of the most influential people in the history of hockey helmets include: John Ross, Charlie Cargill, Billy Housby, and Chick Bullock. These are the people who helped to create the game as we know it today, and they all independently came up with the idea of a protective helmet. Of course, knowing who invented the hockey helmet isn’t nearly as important as knowing how important and how influential they were. They all deserve a place next to the legend that is Wayne Gretzky on the hockey hall of fame ballot.