Quote:
Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef
Helmets help prevent concussions like seatbelts help prevent whiplash. They don't. Helmets like seatbelts can help you a great deal, but they can't do everything.
If they want to reduce concussions they need to do several things. Eliminate hits to the head. Soften equipment, a leather shoulder pad will cause less impact to the head than a a piece of body armor. Get rid of seemless glass (some arenas already have) and have more give in the boards.
It also probably wouldn't hurt to expand the ice surface as the players have grown but the ice has stayed the same, I'm not saying go to Olympics ice, but if players are 10% bigger than they used to be, then expand the ice 10% to make up for that.
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There are a couple of thoughts I have after reading you post:
Has hockey become more contact focused. I am old, but not old enough to comment, but I wonder. It appears there is a greater emphasis on making a big hit, was that around in pre-70/80's hockey. If there has been an increase in contact, has there also been a change in the type of contact. Are checks more of a collision than they used to be? An individual can get a concussion without any contact to the head. The hit can be clean and still result in a concussion due to a sudden stopping of the body/head, but a continued mov't of the brain.
It is an extremely interesting topic.