out of date helmet?

[jmiro 55]

So I got a heck of a deal on an out date helmet. S17 new with tags shipped to my door for 20 bucks. The date on the back of it says 2013. The helmet is still newer than the CCM 852 I am using. I know guys that have been using the same helmet for the last 20 years. I am not playing high level ice or a check league. Do these things spoil like eggs now. What is the deal?

[AIREAYE 248]

Helmet's don't 'expire' like food does. The white HECC dated sticker is only applicable with USA Hockey sanctioned play and is irrelevant in Canada. At the same time, I've never heard of a ref removing a player from play for having an outdated sticker, which they are technically allowed to do.

[Vet88 673]

The S17 was a good helmet but is should come with a warning -watch out for the letters they glued onto the side. Over time they start to lift at the edges, are razor sharp and can slice your finger/hand open in the blink of an eye as you reach into your bag to get something and brush across them. I've seen it happen to others a number of times and even got caught myself once.

afaik the only thing that can deteriorate in a helmet over time is the memory pads / gel in the newer helmets. I've seen these go hard or break down over time in helmets like the 9900 and S19. Other than that everything else should last till it literally falls apart.

[jonesy9020 77]

If it's new and wasn't stored in a bad environment, you're fine. And when I say bad environment I mean like wet and really hot, so you're fine. I don't know much about the S17, but in addition to memory gels slipping around, VN foams in traditional helmets tend to absorb sweat and harden over time, making your helmet less comfortable and arguably less protective after a few years of use. You can minimize this problem by wiping out sweat with a towel a few times throughout practices or games and as you're packing up.

[rawkstar 45]

I think the expiration dates on helmets are more like reminders like hey if you got it when it was made and you're still using it by such and such date it has probably gone through enough abuse and wear and you should probably look into getting a new one.

[AIREAYE 248]

I think the expiration dates on helmets are more like reminders like hey if you got it when it was made and you're still using it by such and such date it has probably gone through enough abuse and wear and you should probably look into getting a new one.

Not at all.

Different levels of play and contact.

[rawkstar 45]

I'm not sure what you mean by that statement lol. If I were to guess its that you are disagreeing with me, but are then basically saying the same thing. Different levels of play and contact deteriorate the helmet at different rates, which basically means the expiration dates are completely arbitrary.

There's nothing in the helmet that deteriorates to the point of being unusable in the expiration time IF the helmet is not used. USE of the helmet is what deteriorates the helmet, but there's no way to predict how much use the helmet gets so the expiration date basically means nothing. The way I look at it is as just a reminder that hey its been x number of years and you've probably used this helmet quite a bit, maybe its time to get a new one because it may no longer be as safe as it once was.

[jmiro 55]

I work in the medical feild. Everything from medications, band aids, and urine cups have expiration dates. I highly doubt that a urine cup expires. So I get it. I was wondering why its on there. Even food expiration dates are arbitrary in most cases. That for another debate.

The S17 was a good helmet but is should come with a warning -watch out for the letters they glued onto the side. Over time they start to lift at the edges, are razor sharp and can slice your finger/hand open in the blink of an eye as you reach into your bag to get something and brush across them. I've seen it happen to others a number of times and even got caught myself once.

afaik the only thing that can deteriorate in a helmet over time is the memory pads / gel in the newer helmets. I've seen these go hard or break down over time in helmets like the 9900 and S19. Other than that everything else should last till it literally falls apart.

Yea the only thing I hate about this helmet is a) doesnt soak up sweat and b) it looks like a bill board. I am contemplating the best way to remove the EASTON from each side.

UPDATE: Easton is gone from the side. A razor blade and WD40. Really liking this helmet. Now for a sweat band.

[beedee 224]

One of my buddies on my beer league team still uses a Cooper SK2000 helmet from when we played Midget hockey back in...........1992.

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

I think the expiration dates on helmets are more like reminders like hey if you got it when it was made and you're still using it by such and such date it has probably gone through enough abuse and wear and you should probably look into getting a new one.

This is exactly what the CSA sticker is for. The HECC sticker date means the helmet may not be used for USAHockey sanctioned events.

[jmiro 55]

So with my newly gained knowledge I went to Dicks and Dunhams today. It seems they have a lot of "out of date" helmets on the self. I would imagine if you asked for a manager you could get them discounted. To bad the mission inhaler at dicks was still in date.

[fcalog 58]

The expiration date on the HECC sticker has NOTHING to do with the helmet other than the certification of it. Once the sticker expires the helmet has to be re-certified, hence an added cost and keeps the re-certfication industry going (US only).

[IPv6Freely 2087]

Can't say I've ever heard of re-certification of a helmet... Can you please post a source for information on it?

[TPRO 1]

I know they re-cert football helmets. Here in the states, they use 2 stickers. The HECC sticker has a month / year expiration date. The CSA sticker appears to have a year of production date. I think they also re-cert lacrosse helmets. Cascade had a recall on a newer model of lacrosse helmets that were able to be reworked and received an updated sticker. That might of been NOCSAE though.

[fcalog 58]

OR I do not know if you or I can do it but all the majors pay for a re-certification every time they produce a previous model helmet.

The LAX Cascade/Warrior helmet re-cert was NOCSAE issue, that's another can of worms.

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

The expiration date on the HECC sticker has NOTHING to do with the helmet other than the certification of it. Once the sticker expires the helmet has to be re-certified, hence an added cost and keeps the re-certfication industry going (US only).

You can not re certify a HOCKEY helmet. (In the US or in CANADA) In order to do so that means that batch would have to be tested as per HECC standards. And seeing as most would not pass as well after 6.5 years they would have to scrap that batch.

Once they expire they are expired, However it has gone from 5 years to 6.5 years to take in account of shelf life in some stores warehouse and so on.

[fcalog 58]

OTG28 the shelf life/life span of a helmet is not so easily determined. Too many factors go into determining it's 'life span' as you are well aware, time and type of use, storage, maintenance. The HECC sticker has nothing to do with the shelf life or the life span of the helmet but an arbitrary time limit which you pointed out has increased from 5 to 6.5 years. That time limit is associated only with the length of certification. The CSA sticker has no "expiration" and applies to Canada only. The HECC applies only to the US. The CE sticker to the European Union. All 3 use the same standard for certification. Much of the confusion seems to arise because of the expiry date on the HECC sticker which many equate with life span/shelf life.

[norwood 1]

I play in the Tier 1 USA Hockey Adult Nats every year in Tampa. Lots of ex pro players, 1/2 of them wear Gretz Jofa's . USA hockey only cars about the kids not adults

[fcalog 58]

I play in the Tier 1 USA Hockey Adult Nats every year in Tampa. Lots of ex pro players, 1/2 of them wear Gretz Jofa's . USA hockey only cars about the kids not adults

Then they are playing, if in a Hockey USA sanctioned league, with Illegal helmets. Those are the rules. It becomes a question of enforcement, insurance, and liability.

[norwood 1]

Then they are playing, if in a Hockey USA sanctioned league, with Illegal helmets. Those are the rules. It becomes a question of enforcement, insurance, and liability.

That's what I'm saying USA Hockey dosen't enforce helmet rules in USA Hockey Adult National Tournaments nor in any USA Hockey sanctioned SR. League that I have ever played in. That's a fact and this goes back to the 80's and check tournaments when 1/2 of our team wore jofas. My current helmet is a CCM HT-2 but manyy of my teammates still wear the Jofa. Being that we are know an over 50 group all the tournaments are no-check so that might mean something. Just saying.......

[IPv6Freely 2087]

Then they are playing, if in a Hockey USA sanctioned league, with Illegal helmets. Those are the rules. It becomes a question of enforcement, insurance, and liability.

Actually not true. USA hockey does not require HECC certified helmets for adult divisions.

USA Hockey rule 304[c], if you want to look it up.

So it's not that they aren't enforcing it for the adults, it's that it's simply not required for adults.

[fcalog 58]

Actually not true. USA hockey does not require HECC certified helmets for adult divisions.

USA Hockey rule 304[c], if you want to look it up.

So it's not that they aren't enforcing it for the adults, it's that it's simply not required for adults.

I trust you. I sit corrected. I find it odd that they have certificate expiration date on the sticker but apply it in chosen situations.

[MThockeydad 469]

Lanny McDonald still wears his Jofa around here! :)

There's nothing in the helmet that deteriorates to the point of being unusable in the expiration time IF the helmet is not used. USE of the helmet is what deteriorates the helmet, but there's no way to predict how much use the helmet gets so the expiration date basically means nothing. The way I look at it is as just a reminder that hey its been x number of years and you've probably used this helmet quite a bit, maybe its time to get a new one because it may no longer be as safe as it once was.

Plastic does deteriorate. Heat, UV, and sunlight will all leach out the plasticizers that make the plastics pliable.

Plastic gets brittle with time, but the 3 above will accelerate the process much faster than the calendar.

So with my newly gained knowledge I went to Dicks and Dunhams today. It seems they have a lot of "out of date" helmets on the self. I would imagine if you asked for a manager you could get them discounted. To bad the mission inhaler at dicks was still in date.

Not as much market for "out of date" helmets when the market for youth/parents buying current cert helmets is driving a lot of the industry. Definitely worth asking a manager!

[hawkeyfan 36]

What is missing in this discussion is that the expiration stickers changed. They used to be a 4 year life and they have changed to being now 6 or 7 years of life, if you have a fresh helmet.

My view is they have based a time line on the components inside the helmet and the glue that holds the foams in place.

I've seen guys just inserting the loose foam into a helmet in order to wear it...scary IMHO.

[IPv6Freely 2087]

What is missing in this discussion is that the expiration stickers changed. They used to be a 4 year life and they have changed to being now 6 or 7 years of life, if you have a fresh helmet.

My view is they have based a time line on the components inside the helmet and the glue that holds the foams in place.

I've seen guys just inserting the loose foam into a helmet in order to wear it...scary IMHO.

I wonder if that just means the materials and manufacturing has gotten better.