Neck Guards In Hockey

1597 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Pros and cons of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in football

OUTLINE

Thesis: Although most hockey athletes believe that by wearing required equipment keeps them safe from injury, however I believe that these regulations should be stricter because of the severity of recent and past injuries.

Introduction: Are equipment regulations enough to keep our hockey athletes safe?

I. Injuries

a. Richard Zednik

b. Clint Malarchuk

c. Bill Masterton

II. History of Equipment

a. Pre 1950

b. 1960-1970

c. 1970-1980

d. 1980-1990

e. 1990-2000

III. Current Equipment regulations

a. Neck Guards

b. Helmets

c. Goalie masks

IV. Neck Guard Debate

a. Pros

b. Cons

Conclusions: Will it take a death to make NHL officials change there minds on the policies regarding neck guards like they did with helmets after the death of Bill Masterton.

Are current equipment regulations enough to keep our hockey athletes safe? I ask this after the life threatening injury that recently occurred here in Buffalo. However this isn’t the first time that the NHL (National Hockey League) has seen injuries of this magnitude. What were these injuries? How did they affect the NHL rules? What kind of rules are in place today? What is the NHL doing about neck guards? These questions and more will be answered as we take a look into NHL injuries, the history of equipment regulations, current equipment regulations, and the debate over neck guards.

It was Sunday, February 10, 2008 here in Buffalo at the HSBC Arena. The Buffalo Sabres were playing the Florida Panthers. Thousands of spectators cheered as Buffalo took a 4-3 lead. The puck flew down the ice to the corner left of goaltender Ryan Miller. Players from both team rushed after the puck, 10 minutes and 4 seconds into the 3rd period Florida forward Olli Jokinen...

... middle of paper ...

...es another player have to meet death before the NHL will change their minds on neck guards? Were Clint Malarchuk and Richard Zednik injuries not sever enough? How many more players have to meet this fate before something is done? I think that Florida Panthers head coach Jacques Martin said it best in a press conference held at Richard Zednik’s release from the hospital

Meredith

“In a situation like this you realize hockey is just a game, life is more important.”

Work Cited

Richard Zednik Hockey Throat Cut. Video. Http:// www.break.com/index/richard-zednik-hockey-throat-cut.html. 2012

Press conference with Richard Zednik and Jacques Martin. Video. ESPN. 2012

“NHL Rulebook.” March 2012, March 2012

“Ruff on neck guards: ‘I would endorse them.” Buffalo News. 11 Feb. 2012.

“Hockey for Dummies” March 2012.

“NHL Equipment.” March 2012.

Show More
Related

  • Its Time To Think About Visors Summary

    545 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Its Time to Think About Visors,” Dryden exposes the fact that the stereotypes of risk in sport have pushed athletes to continue to compromise safety even with advancements in equipment worn. Dryden first explores this while talking about players from the minor leagues who have worn visors for all of their lives reaching the NHL and then stopping, stating, “Then most decide to play as they had never had before, with no facial protection at all.” This shows that even with athletes that have had this safety all of their lives they decide to stop when they reach the NHL because they see the stereotype created by the fans watching that push these players to risk their safety in order to bring a new excitement to the game. Even though the new rookies have been protected by visors the amount of influence of the huge fans of hockey pressure into danger that before they were safe from. In addition to this Dryden adds how there is appeal towards the dangers of life expressing, “People are attracted to risk. Near misses are thrilling.” This demonstrates that audiences don’t want to see players seriously injured but instead the close calls that come with sport and the smaller injuries that some equipment has gotten rid

    Read More

  • Checking Should Not Be Banned in Hockey

    906 Words  | 2 Pages

    In modern time medical science has gotten the ability to heal all injuries that occur in sports. It has given us variety of medicines and health care practices by which we can prevent the injury that could happen to the player in any sport. Medical science has advanced so much now that it can recover almost anything; therefore hockey injuries are not a big deal. 58% of injuries are from the lower body and upper body, and 42% are head, and also almost 82% of the times it is a minor injury. Study has now advanced and can help a player heal from an injury quickly, easily, and in less time.

    Read More

  • Sport Safety: Should headgear be made mandatory for all contact sports?

    787 Words  | 2 Pages

    Injuries are common in most sports that have a contact component attached. Whether it’s at a professional level, or a school level, injuries are always bound to occur in contact sport. This analysis will look into the role headgear could, should and would play, and debates whether it should be made mandatory. Olympic sports such as Ice Hockey, Bicycle Riding and Baseball are just some examples that currently require athletes to wear a form of headgear. However, Australian contact sports such as AFL and Rugby give the option for players to wear headgear for protection. In 2011, 14 year old Ben Robinson was hospitalised after being treated 3 times in a game for head blows in a rugby game . In 1994, professional boxer Bradley Stone died from head injuries whilst boxing against Richie Wenton . Examples like these show the brutality of contact sports. Because of this, my paper will look at the issue of headgear in contact sport and will particularly look at this issue at junior sports level.

    Read More

  • Evolution of Goaltending in the NHL

    2638 Words  | 6 Pages

    were set by some of the great goalies in the past. Also, the rule changes that the NHL

    Read More

  • Head Trauma In Athletes

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    The goal is to achieve and to attain certain knowledge of concussions and proper helmet safety and to propose new suggestions to help decrease the incidence of sports-related concussions.

    Read More

  • America Needs a Motorcycle Helmet Law

    874 Words  | 2 Pages

    Helmets drastically reduce the tremendous number of deaths caused by head injuries as well as reducing the severity of any ...

    Read More

  • NFL Safety Rules

    750 Words  | 2 Pages

    The game of football has become safer over the past few years and is helping cut down the risk of injury. Not only are they safer during they play with the new safety technology they will be healthier after they play as well. Aikman praised the NFL for its recent decision to run baseline tests on all players in training camp so the league can later determine if their brains have been damaged from hits to the head.(“Aikman…”). With the new testing players be better equipped and prepared before and after their football careers. Many football players get brain injuries which is why they need to have better safety equipment. In any given season, about 20% of high school players suffer brain injuries (“Lanham”). The safety equipment is becoming way more advanced as well. Helmets are getting better, but it’s more effective at protecting the skull than the brain inside (“Death of Football…”). The Children’s Sports Athletic Equipment Safety Act comes in light of the fact that there are no federal guidelines for both new and used helmets that formally test against the forces believed to cause concussions (“Lanham”). The new safety equipment can’t protect everything thou...

    Read More

  • Head injuries in the National Football League

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Nfl try's and does the most they can. There will never be a way not to have head injuries because its just a way of life, the players should know what they are getting themselves into. Endless legal agreements

    Read More

  • Exploratory Essay

    518 Words  | 2 Pages

    Seeing how concussions have effected former players ties in directly with helment to helmet hits. If the NFL would have let players know more about how head blows could affect them later down the road, would they agree with an ejection? Having players who committed intentional head blows would have lessened concussions. Some former players say they wouldn’t even let their own sons play football. The equipment, and t...

    Read More

  • The Importance of Wearing a Face Masks during a Hockey Game

    1050 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nbcsports.com. National Broadcasting Company, 4 June 2013. Web. 01 Feb. 2014. Pelto, Corby. " NHL Should Require Facemasks."

    Read More

  • The National Football League

    1813 Words  | 4 Pages

    Even though the advantages of the helmet designs are extensive, the football players are put in dangerous and sometimes unexpected situations on the field. Players are running and hitting each other at full speed while not taking into consideration what they are doing, and considering the consequences. Sometimes with head related injuries, these players may not feel any symptoms until later on in the day, or even day...

    Read More

  • American Football: Technology and Regulation of Helmet Safety

    1969 Words  | 4 Pages

    American football is full of exciting competition, but do we realize the danger! Helmet safety in football remains an immense problem as the sport accounts for the highest incidence of concussions. Since leather football helmets, the technology for safer helmets has improved drastically and continue to improve. The development of newly designed helmets and technology has lowered the risk of head injuries for players. Furthermore, improvements in helmet testing methods have led to better understanding head injuries and the protectiveness of the helmet. In respect, football helmet safety still remains a challenge, such as a necessity of a proper categorization system to rank helmets and regulations to improve helmet safety. Regardless, standards and regulations attempt to address helmet safety through government intervention and a proper measuring system for football helmets. Despite the cultural perception of football, measures are taken to ensure safety, such as the reforms and education with regards to playing safer football. I intend to address the technological advances and regulation of football towards the discussion of helmet safety. Therefore the aggresivity in football’s culture should embrace stronger helmet standards and regulation that are promoted through improved testing methods and innovations because of the need to prevent further dangerous head injuries, especially concussions.

    Read More

  • Helmet In Sports

    1201 Words  | 3 Pages

    Across numerous sports in the world, helmets are a staple of safety. Assumed to be a benefit, most athletes do not consider the risks of a helmet; both mental and physical risks. Society tells us that no matter what; a helmet will be safer than being exposed to harmful elements. There is also the idea that helmets are beneficial, but the way athletes use them causes more injuries than if a helmet had not been used at all. This culture, using your helmet as a tool, encourages more risky behavior for helmet wearers. Adventure writer and pilot, Lane Wallace argues that football culture is to blame for current helmet use, and that helmets are beneficial in her article “Do Sports Helmets Help or Hurt?” In his article “Disposable Heroes”, Neurologist David Weisman reasons that the worst helmets might be a better solution than better helmets.

    Read More

  • Head Injuries Essay

    2061 Words  | 5 Pages

    Many reasons for this big change in sports related head injuries, mostly has to do with the protective equipment used and the regulation...

    Read More

  • Violence in Sports

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many casualties of violence and collisions/concussions in professional sports. The first common type of violence is body contact. The brutal body contact includes physical practices common in certain sports and accepted by athletes as part of sport participation. Examples of brutal body contacts in sports are collisions, hits, tackles, blocks, body checks, and other forms of physical contact that can produce injuries. In the NHL a hockey player on the Vancouver Canucks named Todd Bertuzzi hit unexpectedly a player on the Colorado Avalanche named Steve Moore from behind and then fell on him and pushed his head into the ice. Steve Moore received a concussion and he was motionless for ten minutes, and also fractured three vertebrates and facial cuts on Steve Moore’s face. The commissioner suspended Todd Bertuzzi

    Read More

More about Neck Guards In Hockey

Open Document