Monday, March 8, 2010
During training camp, Alex Pietrangelo picked up a new experimental helmet from a table, put it on and went out to practice with the Blues.
George Csolak
“It felt okay,” the young defenseman said after the scrimmage as he placed it back on the table. “I liked it fine…I just like my helmet.”
The new M11 helmets have gotten a lot of press coverage this season because Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Messier is partnering with Cascade Sports on what is termed “The Messier Project.” The program combines grassroots education with the release of state-of-the-art equipment to reduce concussions in hockey. M11 stands for the first letter of his last name and his longtime uniform number.
The helmets feature a streamlined design and compression to absorb the impacts of blows. Something called “Seven Technology” is what makes the helmets unique, says Cascade. The company says the new headgear “provides the protection of two helmets in the space of one – one for catastrophic hits and one for concussions.”
In a conference call earlier this year, Messier, a star with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks during his career, explained that the Seven Technology “immensely reduces the risk of concussions by distributing the blunt blow to the head.” He said the design is similar to helmets worn by motorcycle riders.
Messier’s hope is to get NHL players to wear the helmets, which will eventually lead to younger players wearing them. Messier and his cohorts set a goal of five NHL players wearing the new helmets this season.
Pietrangelo, who played early in the season with the Blues before being assigned to play in the World Junior Tournament in Saskatchewan (he was later sent back to junior), was the lone Blues player to give the helmet a whirl. He said he probably won’t adopt the helmet because of his fondness for the current helmet he wears.
Messier is optimistic he can get enough NHL players to adopt the helmets, creating the necessary credibility to begin the grassroots education element of the program. He’s glad Cascade is dedicating time and effort to providing top quality equipment to protect the head.
“We spent all our money on technology, on skates and sticks and equipment,” he said, “but none of the money’s been spent on headgear, which is probably our most important piece of equipment.”
Just before Christmas, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly received a report that linked the death of former NHL star Reggie Fleming, who passed away in July 2009m to a serious brain injury. Dr. Ann McKee, a neuropathologist at Boston University and Bedford Veterans’ Administration Medical Center in Massachusetts, oversaw the study, which connected for the first time a professional hockey player to post-career brain issues similar to those experienced by professional boxers as well as pro, college and high school football players.
Fleming played two decades in the NHL in an era when players did not wear helmets. He was also a very tough player who frequently engaged in fisticuffs and absorbed plenty of blows to the head through fights and physical play on the ice. Tests on his brain, donated for study, discovered damage from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head trauma.
“I think hockey players are 25 times more likely to have a concussion than a football player,” Messier told CBS SportsLine. “I don’t know how many times I was actually concussed. I know I was knocked out a few times and dazed several times, but I was able to get back and play. That’s not the case for everyone.”
Fleming continued to play long after his NHL days and would often get right back into a game even though he knew he was hurt. After retiring, Fleming, according to family members, suffered severe cognitive decline, abnormal behavior and, in the final days of his life, dementia.
Since the 1980s, NHL players have been required by the league to wear helmets. But blows to the head have increased as the game has become faster and more physical over time. Players today are bigger and stronger, too, increasing the potential for serious impact.
In an interview with the Toronto Globe and Mail, Messier cited former Rangers teammates Mike Richter, Jeff Beukeboom, Nick Kypreos and Pat LaFontaine who have had post-concussion issues now that their playing days are over.
“Mike Richter had small children, but couldn’t even pick up his own baby for the longest time without feeling dizziness and nausea,” Messier told the Globe and Mail. He said Beukeboom has suffered bouts of depression and Richter still cannot lift weights without feeling sick.
“When you see close friends of yours hurt to that degree, you wonder what could have been done,” said Messier.
Daly indicated that the NHL will closely review McKee’s study. The league takes very seriously blows to the head, even though the penalties and suspensions levied have been inconsistent. Concussions still occur and the hits that cause them sometimes go unpenalized.
Just ask Blues forward Paul Kariya, who missed several games with a concussion earlier this season in a game against the Buffalo Sabres at Scottrade Center. Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta delivered an elbow to the side of Kariya’s head as he skated with the puck along the boards. Kariya went down in a heap and struggled to get off the ice.
“First one in 12 years,” said Kariya of the concussion.
Kariya was asked if he has tried the new M11 helmet.
“I have not,” he said, adding that concussions can be caused by more than just a blow to the head. In his case, he was caught by Kaleta’s elbow near his ear. Other players have sustained concussions by being hit in the jaw.
“Sometimes a concussion comes from the helmet and other times it comes from the jaw,” explained Kariya. “So you can have any helmet in the world on and it won’t make a difference. There are also times when a guy gets hit, his helmet pops off and his head hits the ground and he’s in trouble. So whatever the helmet is, the extra straps that hold the helmet in place and, of course, the foam.”
The inside of the M11 helmet is lined with pads that absorb blows and disperse the force over the entire inner area of the helmet. It’s better than traditional padding, which can break down or shrink up. The helmet also features an adjustable system that allows it to fit much snugger without feeling too tight. Many NHLers prefer helmets that fit loosely, even though the risk for head injury increases.
Kariya believes the new helmets will be good to help prevent head injuries, “but if you’re not getting hit on the head and it’s a blow to the jaw, I think the right type of mouth guard is really important. If you look at the mouth guards used by NFL players, I think you’ll probably see a lot of NHL players adopt that because they are double-sided and are made of a little thicker plastic. When you get that biting down, if the jaw comes back up to the brain…that can do a lot of damage.”
The Messier Project is having an impact in youth hockey, high school club hockey and junior hockey in pockets of North America. After seeing a Messier presentation, Toronto General Manager Brian Burke ordered trial helmets for the Toronto Marlies, the Leafs’ American Hockey League affiliate.
Former Blues winger Ted Donato coaches the Harvard University hockey team, which became the first Division I team to wear the new M11.
“It’s a big concern,” said Donato. “There’s a lot more concussions than a lot of people realize. Are they going to prevent concussions? I’m not sure anything is going to prevent a concussion. As a coach, I look at it and say, “Some people think that this is the best protective helmet in regards to concussions. Let’s look into it, and if we can make it work, let’s go for it. If we can avoid a concussion, it’s worth it.”
Trade deadline post mortem
It's good to see the Blues resisted the temptation of making major deals at the March 3 trade deadline. While Brad Boyes’ name surfaced as a player who would be available if any team was interested, it’s probably a good thing that nothing materialized except for initial hurt feelings by the forward. Moving Boyes might have come back to haunt the Blues because he scored 76 goals the two seasons prior to the current campaign. But the streaky winger has come alive of late and if he’s re-discovered his touch, he could be a huge asset in the club’s quest for earning a playoff spot.
What’s interesting to me is how several teams picked to make it deep into the playoffs stood pat with their goaltending. Chicago, for example, did not bring in anyone despite a growing feeling around the league that they might be vulnerable with playoff unproven Cristobal Huet and youngster Anti Niemi manning the nets.
And what about the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers? Both teams seemed well-positioned for a long run, but the Capitals could have used a high-profile guy with good playoff experience in case Jose Theodore falters. Philly’s Ray Emery is out for the season due to hip surgery, putting the Flyers’ hopes in the hands of career backups Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton.
Prior to the Olympic break there were strong rumors that the Flyers were trying to acquire Dallas veteran Marty Turco, who will become an unrestricted free agent in July if the Stars don’t re-sign him.
Ilya who?
Those predicting a collapse of the Atlanta Thrashers following their deal of captain and talented Russian scoring winger Ilya Kovalchuk are scratching their heads. The Thrashers dealt Kovalchuk to New Jersey in early February after he rejected a long-term contract worth more than $100 million, but his departure has created opportunity for young hungry forwards who are helping keep the Thrashers in contention for a berth in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Going into Sunday night’s games, Atlanta was just two points out of eighth place.
Nik Antropov and Maxim Afinogenov have worked hard to pick up the slack of their former franchise player and a player named Rich Peverley, plucked on waivers from Nashville, has emerged as a sniper this season. If winger Bryan Little can find his scoring touch of last season when he scored 31 goals, the Thrashers could vault into the playoffs. Coach John Anderson has done an unbelievable job holding this team together and keeping it focused in the wake of the Kovalchuk deal. His team plays 12 of its final 19 games at home.
Sid vs. Alex
It’s going to be fun watching premier forwards Sidney Crosby of Pittsburgh and Alex Ovechkin of Washington battle for NHL scoring supremacy down the stretch. Right now, the players are going in opposite directions. Sid the Kid was Canada’s hero in the Winter Olympics, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime in the gold medal game against Team USA. On Saturday night, he scored a pair of goals to help the Penguins win, giving him a league-high 44 this season.
Ovechkin, whose Russian Olympic team failed miserably, hasn’t scored in his last six games and is stuck on 42 goals. Ovechkin is surly about his play of late and he may end up lamenting the fact he missed eight games earlier in the season due to injury and a suspension. Crosby, meanwhile, has been known more for his passing and playmaking abilities since coming to the NHL, but now he’s establishing himself as one of the NHL’s best finishers.
Goalie anemia
What’s happened to the great goaltenders that perennially sit at or near the top of the statistical heap in the NHL? New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur looked ordinary for Team Canada in a preliminary round loss to Team USA during the Olympics before giving way to Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo in the medal round of the tournament. Brodeur was a horse earlier this season for the Devils, but one wonders if he’ll have the stamina to take the Devils a long way in the playoffs. Some are saying he was overworked early on in his quest to break career records held by Hockey Hall of Famers Patrick Roy and Terry Sawchuk.
The same goes for San Jose’s Evgeni Nabokov, who was downright awful for Russia against Canada in the Olympics. The Sharks have been one of the NHL’s most successful teams this season, but they always seem to have a meltdown in the playoffs. And Nabokov’s poor Olympic showing surely is causing consternation among the Sharks’ brass and fan base.
Finally, there’s Calgary goalie Miikka Kiprusoff, the victim of Team USA’s first-period bludgeoning while manning the nets for Finland. Kiprusoff is obviously feeling drained after a heavy workload and will probably get a respite from newly-acquired backup Vesa Toskala from Anaheim down the stretch. Still, the Flames are in a battle for a playoff spot and they may have no choice but to utilize Kiprusoff, a man not known for having the heartiest of psyches.
Quote book
This week’s gem goes to Russian Olympic Coach Vyacheslav Bykov, who, when asked by a New York Times reporter if his club had not prepared seriously enough for the tournament, replied, “Let’s put up a bunch of guillotines and gallows. We have 35 people on the hockey team. Let’s go to Red Square and dispatch with them all.”
Runner-up goes to Blues winger Cam Janssen, who was relentless in his good-natured assessment of T.J. Oshie’s new haircut coming back from the Olympic break. Oshie’s long locks, commonly seen protruding through and around his helmet, are gone in favor of a closer-cropped perm. “He looks like a girl I used to date in elementary school in 1992,” cracked Janssen. “Looks like a bunch of spiders having a meeting on his head.”
Contact Globe-Democrat.com sports writer George Csolak at gcsolak@globe-democrat.com
Comments
The_Ol_Goaler (anonymous) says...
Better head protection is a MUST! Sadly, the easiest way to get players to wear better protective equipment is to mandate it at youth/junior/NCAA levels; then players are used to the helmet, and will continue to wear the better protection in the pros... Some goalie masks look as if they have NO padding; "compression" pads would better protect the netminders as well.
March 8, 2010 at 8:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )