Helmet

How To Buy A Helmet

You wear a helmet to protect your head from injury, but you won't get the maximum protection unless it is properly sized with a snug, aligned fit. The information below is designed to guide you in achieving a safe, secure helmet fit. All levels of hockey, even the NHL, require players to wear a protective helmet when playing. There are a large variety of helmet types available. To assure their safety compliance the Hockey

Equipment Certification Council (HECC) for the USA and Canadian Standards Association (CSA) for Canada certify helmets and facemasks. Look for the HECC and CSA Seal of Approval on your helmet purchase. 

Helmet Sizing and Fit

Helmets come in a variety of sizes and are usually measured in inches (see chart below).

Helmet Size - Adult

Size S M L One Size Fits All

Inches 20-21.75 22-22.75 23.25-24 20.75-24

Centimeters 51-55 56-58 59-62 54-61

Helmet Size - Youth

Size Toddler S/M M/L One Size Fits All

Inches 18.5-20.5 20.5-22.5 22.5-23.75 19.5-22.5

Centimeters 47-52 52-57 57-60 50-57

To ensure a player's safety it is important that his/her helmet fits properly.

The helmet should sit squarely on the head with the front of the helmet low on the brow to protect the forehead.

The padding should exert firm, uniform pressure all around the head so that the skin on the forehead moves as the helmet is rotated from left to right and from front to back.

Chin Strap

If the chip strap isn't correctly adjusted, it's possible for the helmet to be knocked off or out of place.

The chin strap is correctly adjusted when:

The helmet sits squarely on the head with the front low on the brow to protect the forehead.

The front and rear straps form a "Y" just below and forward of the ears.

There is no slack when the chin-strap is fastened.

Facemasks Selection

All juniors through college level players are required to have a facemask on their helmets. Facemasks

are either sold as part of the helmet or sold separately. There are three kinds - wire cage, face shield,

and combination masks.

Wire Cage

A wire cage covers the entire face area.

Wire cages provide more protection and do not fog up like face shields.

Face shields

These are generally a high impact-resistant plastic that covers the front of the face.

Some players choose face shields because they offer better overall vision with no wires getting in the way.

Face shields are generally made with fog-resistant coatings.

Combination masks

Some manufacturers now offer the best of both designs - a plastic face shield to

protect the eyes and upper part of the face, and a wire mesh to cover the lower jaw

and to add ventilation.