The History of Hockey Helmets

[@AndrewSmith-vr8kd]

I remember one person saying the JOFA helmet was only good for keeping all the parts of your skull together while they took you to the hospital.

[@Vinterfrid]

Must have been an ignorant North American saying something stupid like that.

[@irvingfive7955]

Bravo, Monsieur! You didn't miss a beat! 😊

[@daveblock4061]

I always called the CCM Pro Standard the 'Henderson Helmet', and sure enough that is your picture. Also reminds me of Mike Bossy. You should also mention Goring wore the SAME helmet home and away and repainted it every time. That is why the weird blue in the Islanders shot.

[@kylek29]

@5:59 or in Gordie Howe's case, an exemption for players who were old enough to be a grandfather ... ;) I still see guys rocking Jofa helmets. The refs never enforce the helmet rules -- A) it's not allowed period and B) it's obviously expired (some plastic has a shelf life until it's more likely to be brittle and crack/shatter).

[@caseythompson2000]

Very well done. All accurate info and great production value. My new favourite channel.

[@stratovani]

Back when i played in the 1970s I had some cheap Cooper helmets, but when I started working and earning I went out and got the helmet that Guy Lafleur, Stan Mikita, and Lanny McDonald wore. It gave good protection and was solidly built.

[@760Miramar]

The worst helmet I had was a Bauer 5100 L with cage . Its shape wasn't fitting me correctly and it was just large itself. The next one I had was the Bauer 2100 with cage. I loved the ear protectors that were built in and the color matched the helmet instead of being clear. I had it for 3 seasons then had to turn it in with he rest of the gear that isn't mine. Today my current use is the CCM 7100 M, I prefer the Faceshield and its great. The fit and visibility I get form the shield over the cage. I bought 3 of the helmets and now unfortunatly CCM discontinued this one. For me I mainly would start with the fit, then I would go with what color do I want it. I was at a AHL Gulls game and a player took a puck to the face and he was out for a bit. I think it is time for the NHL and AHL to mandate full face protection on all players. Its already mandated in college levels and and below. Who cares if it looks silly, It'll protect the eyes, face, and such. Look at Drew Miller from detroit.

[@Fapaljack]

This was awesome, i love this style of video. this one and the goalie one were super informative!

[@LuffyLuffa]

Nice we got the history of hockey helmets, now we just need the history of hockey jocks and we'll have covered the two most important pieces of protection

[@BDUBZ49]

The Cooper SK2000 and CCM HD2 were the helmets of choice when I played.... sans ear protection. I couldn't imagine wearing that Lemieux/Selanne bucket.

[@Leafsdude]

Who's the Flames (?) player in the top left at 9:40? I can figure out all the others (Secord, Duguay, Snepsts and Lafleur, then Doug Wilson, Brad Marsh, Carlyle, Langway and, of course, MacTavish), but I'm not sure who that one player is. Sweater must be a Flames one (no one else had that tri-colour neckline with red), but the middle yellow/orange seems almost too white, so I'm not confident on that, and no players on the 92-93 Flames failed to wear a helmet in the regular season (the patch means it must be from that season). Perhaps it's from a preseason game?

[@attan5127]

It's Greg Smyth.

[@Leafsdude]

@@attan5127 Huh. So it is. What a weird story. Bettman really did a lot of weird things in the 90s.

[@faunbudweis]

When Jagr retired from the NHL and returned to the Czech league, he chose to wear the old JOFA Gretzky shell, got hit hard a couple of times and quickly switched back to his NHL helmet for the games.

[@michaelzilkowsky2936]

The Cooper SK300, worn by Bubbles who called it The Cooper Crash. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqOlkIt5pbynhZo The CCM HT1 (this is the first time I've ever heard the model number) is the perfect blend of style and substance. It is like looking at a 747 with that hump or an SD40-2 locomotive with the tree axles and that gigantic porch at the end of the long hood. Aesthetic perfection and more than adequate protection. Back when I played hockey into my mid teens, I had a green one because the PA Raiders were my favorite SJHL team and they had many good bench clearing brawls with my hometown Humboldt Broncos (who might have also worn green, I didn't notice.......). Back in those days the helmets also had a little foam pad with a white CCM sticker over the 2 screws on the side. Without question the most beautiful helmet design ever. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWm5pqeCnZWBZrM As with everything in modern life, designers have improved design into a failure. Modern CCM helmets are a joke, the designers probably have rainbow tape on their sticks and rainbow flags in their home; these modern designers stand on the shoulders of whomever designed the HT1 and they think they are flying. As for head protection from concussions, if the new modern rainbow designed helmets cannot provide 100% protection (and if 100% protection isn't the objective or the outcome, what is the point....?), then perhaps the answer isn't newer more ugly helmets, perhaps the answer is don't run your opponent into the boards at top speed, perhaps keep the stick down in the corner (like in the old days when guys didn't wear helmets to you didn't run at them). Perhaps the answer is smaller shoulder pads (like Shanahan displayed, look it up), smaller elbow pads. Kariya could have had a football helmet on when the neanderthal Stevens shoulder padded him in the head long after Kariya had passed the puck. The real answer is to bring back fighting with a vengeance, to pound into powder chippy players (and Bettman) who are protected now by armor and rules to make the game safer. If the game is safer, why the need for ever more hardened equipment?

[@skyborne80]

Ahh the SK-600, my first and only hockey helmet! (I never pursued hockey after my childhood)

[@Ryuuranger]

I remember Mario Lemieux wore a Nike Quest Helmet during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City

[@Baulder13]

10+ years ago everyone had a Bauer 4500 because they looked awesome. 2nd place were those Reebok helmets that looked alright. Absolutely no one wanted to be caught dead wearing a Cascade.

[@edwardburek1717]

This is a great vid. I'm rather surprised - and pleased at the same time - that the venerable Cooper SK100's are still available for GAA hurling players. Mind you, if I'd be mad enough to play a game of hurling, I'd rely on my Bauer 5000. I still use it, as a cycling helmet. That Jofa VM lid that The Great One wore, to my mind, is good enough for one purpose only - as a colander. I wonder if that gigantic helmet is still on the roof of their old factory.

[@SportAntic]

The helmet on the top of the Jofa Factory appears to originally be designed to mimic a Jofa 280 helmet... before it was repainted to look like a CCM helmet.

[@rileyjackfansmithandjones8238]

Loved the info.......can you do one for Old School Full Fiberglass Goalie Masks? You missed one style of Helmet and Cage.....which RULED American Collegiate Hockey , just before The Miracle on Ice....Pro Tec Helmets and Cages are largely forgotten but were the best from '77 to '84

[@FLYSLATERYDER]

My Bauer helmet is painful sometimes and IDK why

[@Aikisbest]

Maybe it somehow "grips" onto the sides of your head or something?

[@kw19193]

I'm for Utah Express - in honor of the state's connection to the Pony Express. Cheers!

[@jdbankshot]

stallions... or mustangs.

[@AnakinSANE]

I would have zero qualms about players wearing bubbles like Bedard, how would you like to get hit in the face with a puck/stick?

[@Delta_002]

WE NEED MORE HISTORY ONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@guydelorme8641]

I still have my Cooper SK100 helmet

[@chrisfricano18]

why does the background music go so hard though

[@ericwisniewski5651]

Own custom made composite cooper built like a tank with cat eye cage and kenesky chin protector custom With sheild it’s my goalie helmet I still own original cooper plastic shell neefs parts

[@Blak-zl1vj]

This one must been filled before the tragic Adam Johnson tragedy

[@grantearly3433]

I looked into the Virginia Tech safety ratings and was shocked that the $400 CCM Tacks X helmet is the worst performing helmet on the market in terms of safety. There's a large percentage of the NHL that uses that one. Just goes to show that the pros will continue to prefer comfort over safety.

[@petter5721]

I will never give up my JOFA helmet, the best ever made 👍🏻

[@Tyce3823]

Most concussions are body checks with no head contact. Tell that to Virginia Tech

[@PxThucydides]

I suspect that the Cooper people could have cared less about selling helmets to the 120 NHL players of the early 1960's- there were a quarter million or so of us minor hockey players who were all required to wear them. I had one of those SK 10s in 1969, as did everyone else. They must have done gangbusters business. Also: has anyone else been shocked by the prices on helmets lately? Three hundred bucks for a helmet and cage now? Holy smokes.

[@bloodfurypk666]

good video sadly virginia tech testing are not accurate for hockey . simple they have no shooting punk on the helmet , showing in your video goalie in the 80 and 90 use to be able using player helmet sk2000 , sadly today player helmet have a thin shell and can not take shot , mean you have 2 option using a mask or pay for custom made composite sk2000 , today helmet are all about lightweight and comfort , removing the real purpose of a helmet

[@jz7459]

Why don't hockey helmets provide ear protection ?

[@BDUBZ49]

They do... watch at 9:00. Ear protection is optional at the NHL level. The ear guards are clear, so they're kind of hard to see on tv.

[@3162AceTaffy]

I don’t know what they were thinking back then

[@seanlong9049]

The current hockey helmet market has gotten WORSE in the last couple of years, not better. Most of the 5-star VT rated helmets aren't even being sold any longer and can't be found even used in most sizes. Among the top 4 rated helmets, The CCM FL-500 was never widely marketed, is out of production, and was only ever available in one or two sizes that were too big for most young players. The Bauer re-akt 200, one of the best ever youth helmets for protection, versatility and comfort, has been out of production for a couple of years now and can only be found in clearance sales in the smallest youth size. The same goes for the Bauer re-akt 75, another fine helmet that is out of production and unavailable for purchase. The warrior krown 360 is also out of production, so not one of the top 4 helmets are in production and available. Bauer's current helmet product line doesn't come anywhere close to reaching a 5-star rating. The top currently available bauer helmet is their hugely overpriced $399 hyperlite 2 which only gets a 4 star rating and lands #18 on the overall ratings list. Their next highest rated current helmet is the 4-star Bauer re-akt 85, which is a mediocre #20 on the overall ranking list. The next available helmets are the Bauer 150 and 65, both of which have miserable 3 and 2 star ratings respectively. Of the top rated helmets, one of the best is the brand new Valor Axiom helmet however it's outer shell is not adjustable so sizing and fit is limited (it's much too wide for my 11U player who fits fine in most "medium" youth helmets).

[@Aikisbest]

JOFA

[@SurviveTheDay]

Good to see hockey helmets haven’t progressed much. Virginia Tech’s tests woke people up, but put on a modern hockey helmet and play a game in the NFL. That’s your real test.

[@aaronstark1969]

I don’t understand why hockey helmets don’t have a facemask visor combo like football helmets, no dumb looking bowl, no bars in your eyes, and nobody thinks football helmets look lame

[@dontaescisson7472]

They do have those for Hockey it's called a Shield.

[@Vinterfrid]

Football players don't use helmets - you can see them in that weird game the Americans insist calling "football" though.

[@aaronstark1969]

@@Vinterfrid I’m really glad you felt the need to point this out, I have no doubt you’re the life of every function and have an incomprehensible list of friends

[@brianhanley1903]

Dont forget, Fu##ing ads on helments. Out BH.

[@PEspositoCBNY]

1st