No description available.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether ice hockey facial protectors can decrease overall head acceleration during blunt impacts as well as to identify if attenuation differences exist between visors and cages. Commercial models of three cages and three visors were assessed. Blunt impacts were simulated permitting the measurement of peak accelerations (PA) within the surrogate head form. Results indicated that indeed face protectors in combination with helmets substantially reduced PA during blunt impacts within threshold safety limits (below 300 g's). In general, cages showed lower PA than visors (p=0.004). Differences between models were also observed during repeated impacts and impact site (p=0.0001, p=0.007). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that facial protectors function beyond their role in preventing facial injuries, complementing the role of the helmet in attenuating head deceleration during impact. Consequently, the utilization of facial protectors may reduce the severity and incidence of mTBI.

Shell geometry is one of the many variables that can influence the way energy is absorbed by the helmet during impact. The purpose of this study was to gain knowledge in how shell geometry affects the performance of the shell relative to liner structural characteristics and impact conditions. Samples, representing a section of a hockey helmet, consisted of a shell with one of nine geometric formations (width and angle), and a liner (Dertex or EPP). Each sample was impacted three times at three different levels of energy using a monorail drop test. Significant differences were observed for all main effects and two-way interactions for both liner types. Overall the 90 degree angle and 16mm width performed the best. It was found that geometry influences the elastic properties of the shell in a very specific way. It was also found that geometry can improve energy absorption by 4-35% depending on the combination of other variables involved.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of puck mass on shot velocity of female ice hockey players. The contributions of upper body strength and skill level to shot velocity were also examined. Female varsity and recreational players (n = 29, age = 21.3 yr) performed shooting tests on ice. The participants shot 20 light weight (5 oz) and 20 regulation (6 oz) pucks, using 4 different types of shots (standing wrist shot, standing slap shot, skating wrist shot, skating slap shot). The on-ice tests were followed-by 3 musculoskeletal tests; predicted 1 repetition maximum (1 RM) bench press, hand grip, and sit-ups. The light weight puck resulted in a significantly higher velocity compared to the regular weight puck (P < 0.05). The average shooting velocity was 1.4 km/h higher with the light weight puck compared to the regular puck (69.8 vs. 68.4 km/h) based on overall means (4 shots x 2 pucks). Positive correlations were found between overall shot velocity and musculoskeletal tests of hand grip (r = 0.81), predicted 1 RM bench press (r = 0.77), and sit-ups (r = 0.48). These results are discussed in relation to literature on the women's ice hockey and physiology.

This study evaluated the mechanical durability of ice hockey helmets for multiple impacts at defined energy levels. A monorail drop testing apparatus was used to conduct controlled impact tests according to the CSA standard (CAN/CSA-Z262.1-M90). Five ice hockey helmet models were tested, for a total sample of 45 helmets. All helmets were impacted up to 50 times at each of in four different locations (i.e. front, right side, back, and crown), at one of 40, 50 or 60 J of kinetic energies. In general, by increasing the impact energy, the impact acceleration attenuation properties of the helmets was decreased significantly (from 4% to 80%). Although all the helmets meet the CSA standards, attenuation properties were found to be substantially reduced beyond three repeated impacts and above 40 J impact energy. In particular, all helmets showed effective multiple impact attenuation properties at the crown, front, and rear sites; however, poor multiple impact attenuation durability was evident at the side.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between international certification standards for ice hockey helmets. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and International Organization Standards (ISO) protocols were compared. Only the impact testing methods at ambient temperatures were examined. Four helmet models, currently available to consumers, were used for testing. No significant differences (p $<$ 0.05) were found between the standards in a rank order comparison. Further analysis of differences, with peak linear accelerations separated by impact locations showed significant differences (p $<$ 0.05) between all standards, at five of the six defined impact sites, with no differences being found between standards at the rear site. Post-hoc pairwise multiple comparisons also showed significant performance differences (p $<$ 0.05) between helmet models.

No description available.