Should the NHL Experiment With Guardian Caps?

Once again, let us thank those behind this initiative – the real power is with all of you who continue to spread it like wildfire! At an NFL training camp this past off-season, Guardian Caps were hard to miss as mandated equipment for all positional players (excluding quarterbacks and special-teamers ). A Guardian Cap is an impact reduction device which wraps itself around an athlete’s helmet to cushion collision impacts between player collisions. Jeff Miller, an NFL executive, noted that caps had helped reduce head injuries by 50%; when two players wearing caps collide, collision impact is reduced by at least 20 percent. However, they’re no longer mandatory during regular-season games in the NFL; yet we should see something similar being worn during games in the NHL as it was specifically created to fit an NFL helmet design. Why can’t something similar exist for NHLers as well? Making modifications for hockey helmets should not be that complex. Goalie Gear Nerd on Instagram shared a post featuring an image of Cap and goalie helmet in late October – view original article to view embedded media! NHL players often take hard hits to their heads while goaltenders often get hit directly in their helmet with shots fired during games. NHL training camps could experiment with Guardian Caps in similar fashion as NFL did a few years back and assess its effects. Certain teams and players tend to hit harder than others and having one can provide extra protection when throwing bodies. Nashville Predators defenseman Jeremy Lauzon led the league last season with 383 hits and is already second this year with 69 in 14 games played. Florida Panthers delivered 28.55 hits per game last season, leading the league with 22 hits per game on average. When an NHLer goes in for a hit, their speed often outpaces that of NFLers. Owen Tippett of the Philadelphia Flyers achieved the fastest game speed last season when he hit 24.21 miles per hour during play, with all 10 of his fastest in-game skaters clocking 23 or greater mph speeds or faster. Even Lauzon managed 22.17 mph so far this year! As players move so rapidly and collide frequently, head contact is sure to impact players over time, leading to concussions being an all too real a part of NHL life; Nolan Patrick of Philadelphia being just one such victim who suffered concussion as recently as 2017. Patrick played in 222 NHL games over four seasons but suffered migraines and concussions that caused his absence since 2022. One of the faces of NHL, Sidney Crosby has experienced four concussions – most often early in his career – leading him to miss nearly 200 games as a result of these injuries. Crosby would likely amass many more points than his 1,612 already with such protection in place. Last March, 15-year NHL veteran Chris Simon committed suicide at age 52; upon further review by his family they suspected CTE may have played an influential role. Simon completed his career logging more than 1,800 penalty minutes and engaging in approximately 100 bouts. Guardian Caps may not be an all-encompassing solution, but they could be one way to increase player safety. Stay informed by the latest hockey news by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here, or sharing your own opinions by commenting directly below articles posted by us or joining one of our forums!