What is going on with Mr. Old School

[DarkStar50 680]

looks like he's still wearing the same helmet he received when he first got to the red wings though  :lol:

I thought the NHL required all players to use new helmets every season starting in 03-04.

I think it was a matter of each equipment manager supplying every player with a new helmet each season. However, the player could still choose to wear whatever they wanted.

i belive reaper is correct. some teams stock up on lids and hange on to them for many years. there is i as far as i know no rule that says each player must use a new helment every year. anderchuck(sp) i think still use a ccm that has vents above the forhead. the only helment that i say for sure that has been banned is the old jofa that gretzky wore. it had zero padding in it where as the nfl requires each team to replace or recondition helments so that they meet league standards.

I have heard that NHL equipment managers change buckets on the guys at least twice a year. They definitely do this for the road helmets. Believe it or not, when the teams fly the helmets are subject to the different air pressures from altitude and this effects the composition of the plastics. Add the air temp differences at 35,000 feet into the eqaution, and now the helmets are not as strong as day one. I know it sounds like bs, but I have heard this from NHL equipment managers.

Sure have seen a ton of Mission and RBK lids in two nights. Seemed like the Blues were Team Mission on lids and mitts.

[#96 0]

No it doesn't sound like BS at all. I have heard that same argument about the effects of rapidly changing air pressure on plastics and composites. I didn't hear it about helmets though, but did hear it about composite sticks. Air pressure was given as one of the possible reasons One Pieces were breaking so easily.