Pro stock helmets: yeah or nay?

[wrangler 157]

Not necessarily. With the apparent policy in conflict with the language of the rule, it would be nice to get a letter from USA Hockey addressing all the elements in watchgreat's post, and clearly stating what they are mandating.

[the iceman 132]

Aside from the branding and the approval stickers, what are the differences between a retail helmet and a pro helmet?

[wrangler 157]

Doesn't that depend on the particular helmet, and what customization options were ordered?

[Monty22 835]

Aside from the branding and the approval stickers, what are the differences between a retail helmet and a pro helmet?

The interior padding can differ from retail, like thin VN foam, or VN foam in a normally EPP padded shell etc..

[Chadd 916]

The interior padding can differ from retail, like thin VN foam, or VN foam in a normally EPP padded shell etc..

And when you put VN in a shell that normally has EPP, you will get a very different fit in most cases.

[scorer75 9]

Not necessarily. With the apparent policy in conflict with the language of the rule, it would be nice to get a letter from USA Hockey addressing all the elements in watchgreat's post, and clearly stating what they are mandating.

The reality is this. If a player is on the ice without a sticker on his helmet, as long as the helmet is recognizable as a standard HECC approved helmet, you don't need to do anything. If he has an expired sticker, you "should" alert the player and/or coach, but again, you would not disqualify the player from playing. The only time you would disqualify a player is if the helmet was modified, or it was some strange helmet you had not seen before and it is not approved.

From the current USA Hockey rulebook:

Current HECC helmet stickers have an expiration date. What should the Officials do if they notice that the helmet or facemask certification has expired?

The Referee should alert the player and coach to the expiration of the equipment. Rule References 304.

Note: HECC recently started placing an expiration date on the stickers of helmets and facemasks that are for a certain time after the date of manufacturer. This is done as a reminder to players and parents that equipment must be up-to-date and checked on regular basis. The expiration date is not something that the officials should actively look for and the practicality of doing so is prohibitive.

The onus is on the player to wear the properly certified equipment.