Ear Protectors-Necessary for high school hockey?

[PondHockeyProdigy 0]

Hey guys, after searching my rule book I couldnt find anything regarding whether or not you have to have your ear protectors in your helmet or if you can take them out in HS hockey.

Any help would be appreciated!

[beerleaguecaptain 999]

Usually a local league rule.

I would also think it makes the HECC cert invalid so in that sense its possibly a violation of USA Hockey rules as well.

[interpathway 9]

If your team doesn't generate revenue, all of the equipment idiosyncrasies usually apply.

[CoachHealy 1]

DEpends on the league that you're in. They're NOT required in Prep School hockey in New England. But the rules do specify that equipment can't be altered from it's original state. So technically you have to wear them. I'd just ask your coach.

[PondHockeyProdigy 0]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll just stick it out with them.

[Chadd 916]

Any USA Hockey sanctioned league requires them. Removing them would be considered modifying the helmet and they would no longer be considered a certified helmet. I believe Hockey Canada/CSA is the same deal.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Any USA Hockey sanctioned league requires them. Removing them would be considered modifying the helmet and they would no longer be considered a certified helmet. I believe Hockey Canada/CSA is the same deal.

Well that's good to know for when the ringers show up during the playoffs in our league, none of them have earpieces.

[Captain Sane 2]

I've never quite understood my those are deemed necessary, when I was in high school I took a puck to the ear and the ear guard actually sliced through my ear. Sort of did more harm than good there.

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

Any USA Hockey sanctioned league requires them. Removing them would be considered modifying the helmet and they would no longer be considered a certified helmet. I believe Hockey Canada/CSA is the same deal.

This is 100% correct it would be a modification there fore no longer approved.

Of course Ref's shouldnt be allowed to do it either and I have seen a ton down there without them!

[xzzy 0]

If you consider what the injury could have been without the piece of plastic there however, it might make a little more sense. If you had an option between a cut ear and a fractured skull, which would you take?

If you google around, you'd discover that you can actually leak spinal fluid out of your ear if it gets smacked hard enough.

[strosedefence34 175]

If you consider what the injury could have been without the piece of plastic there however, it might make a little more sense. If you had an option between a cut ear and a fractured skull, which would you take?

If you google around, you'd discover that you can actually leak spinal fluid out of your ear if it gets smacked hard enough.

this kind of makes me want to put mine back on...

[IniNew 53]

Well that's good to know for when the ringers show up during the playoffs in our league, none of them have earpieces.

That does not count for Adult leagues.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

That does not count for Adult leagues.

Even the ones under USA hockey? Aw, too bad.

[Chadd 916]

Even the ones under USA hockey? Aw, too bad.

USA Hockey allows a number of loopholes for adults. The popular thing here is for guys to cut out some of the bars in their cages, but nobody ever calls that either.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

USA Hockey allows a number of loopholes for adults. The popular thing here is for guys to cut out some of the bars in their cages, but nobody ever calls that either.

Makes sense. I can almost guarantee that half the league has helmets that are WAY too old to still be certified :)

[hunterphfr 12]

If you consider what the injury could have been without the piece of plastic there however, it might make a little more sense. If you had an option between a cut ear and a fractured skull, which would you take?

If you google around, you'd discover that you can actually leak spinal fluid out of your ear if it gets smacked hard enough.

True you can leak spinal fluid from your ear. In 14 years working part time as a paramedic in the 6th busiest ER in the country (a level 2 trauma center) and 12 as a firefighter paramedic I have seen spinal fluid leaking from an ear a grand total of zero (0) times. Can it happen sure, they taught us how to check for it in paramedic school, it's called the halo test and then told us we'd never see it. It can even happen spontaneously with no trauma at all. But traumatically it requires a pretty catastrophic event resulting in severe head trauma and is very unlikely to result from blunt trauma to the ear from a hockey puck through a very small helmet opening. Most common cause of traumatic CSF seapage from the ear is temporal bone fracture. That's the bone covered by the chunk of plastic in front of the earpieces where the J hooks attach.

[IniNew 53]

Even the ones under USA hockey? Aw, too bad.

Under USA Hockey, 18+ games only require that the helmet be designated as a "hockey helmet". This specifically rules out the Jofa, Gretzky style helmet--it's considered a "broomball helmet" apparently.

The helmets do not have to be certified.

[All Torhs Team 0]

USA Hockey allows a number of loopholes for adults. The popular thing here is for guys to cut out some of the bars in their cages, but nobody ever calls that either.

I have never been able to justify this logically. I've seen it once or twice, I know what your speaking about. I just can't fatham why someone would think this is a smart idea.

If you get bumped the wrong way into the boards and fall this could be disasterous to your face. I'm not even go to imagine what could happen if someone got checked wearing one of these "modified bird cages"

[evh5150 0]

I don't understand people's desire to reduce their protective equipment down to or beyond the bare minimum required by their league. Pros can afford to do it because they make a LOT of money so they might be able to afford their career being cut short by an injury. Add to that, a hockey career isn't necessarily adversely affected by lost teeth, broken noses, cut up faces. For the rest of us, ESPECIALLY a kid in high school, it makes so much more sense to protect our bodies as much as possible. Get a serious enough injury in high school like deafness or brain damage just because you just couldn't stand that extra tiny piece of plastic most of us don't even notice come game time, kiss a worthwhile career in or outside of hockey goodbye.

All the parts on your helmet are there for a reason. Usually developed out of necessity because of recurring injuries. Look at hockey gear now compared to even 30 years ago. Much more protective all around. Kind of like how houses now are built better because of things learned from natural and unnatural disasters. Keep the ear guards.

[evh5150 0]

True you can leak spinal fluid from your ear. In 14 years working part time as a paramedic in the 6th busiest ER in the country (a level 2 trauma center) and 12 as a firefighter paramedic I have seen spinal fluid leaking from an ear a grand total of zero (0) times. Can it happen sure, they taught us how to check for it in paramedic school, it's called the halo test and then told us we'd never see it. It can even happen spontaneously with no trauma at all. But traumatically it requires a pretty catastrophic event resulting in severe head trauma and is very unlikely to result from blunt trauma to the ear from a hockey puck through a very small helmet opening. Most common cause of traumatic CSF seapage from the ear is temporal bone fracture. That's the bone covered by the chunk of plastic in front of the earpieces where the J hooks attach.

Just because that particular injury isn't LIKELY to happen, it shouldn't encourage someone to remove a part of his helmet. The ear protector can guard against ear drum rupture, which could happen if the puck made a nice seal against the ear, and the less serious, but aesthetically displeasing "cauliflower ear".

[forbs02 20]

A guy from the MN Gophers last year laid down to block a shot and he didn't have the ear protectors on his helmet. His ear got caught between the puck and the helmet and it cut part of his ear off. They were able to reattach it, but it was a close thing. I know the risk of something like that happening is rare, but the risk is still there.