Ice Hockey Helmet History

When people started playing hockey they didn t wear helmets.

Ice hockey helmet history. After that art ross engineered a new helmet design and when the boston bruins took to the ice in a game against the ottawa senators most of the players donned the new helmet. He started wearing a helmet when he was traded to toronto in 1960. In december 1933 shore a punishing defender for the bruins viciously checked toronto s ace bailey sending bailey s unprotected head crashing to the ice. While the first hockey player to don a protective helmet remains open to debate boston s eddie shore became the first high profile national hockey league star to wear a helmet.

Aug 1 1979 helmet become mandatory jan 1 1928 first player to wear hockey helmet sep 1 1996 last player to not wear a helmet jan 1 1979 players used their head to keep it safe. Without gains in helmet design over the last few decades national hockey league players would be subject to the same tragedy that befell minnesota s bill masterton who during a game on january 13 1968 struck his head on the ice and never regained consciousness. Hockey helmet were invented in the 1928 by george owen to try and stop concussions. No other player thought about a helmet until december 12 1933 when toronto s king clancy tripped boston s eddie shore.

Most bruins players didn t wear the helmet after the game with the exception of eddie shore who wore it the rest of his career.