The effectiveness of a special ice hockey helmet to reduce head injuries in college intramural hockey

Abstract

The threat of head injury in ice hockey at the professional, collegiate, and high school levels is still evident even after repeated attempts to introduce head protection. One area in which head protection is not mandatory is that of college intramural ice hockey. This study reports on the effect of introducing a new type of ice hockey helmet into college intramural ice hockey games. The effect of this new helmet to reduce injuries is demonstrated by the significant reduction in head injury rate from 8.3 head injuries per 100 games played to 3.8 head injuries per 100 games.