In Saturday’s Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Wild beatwriter Michael Russo profiles The Messier Project and its mission as Wild star Brent Burns “got on board quickly with the M11 and swears by it as the NHL confronts an uptick in concussions.”

Russo writes that Burns, “who returned last week, is doing everything in his power to avoid a third (concussion). The biggest is his switch to the groundbreaking…M11 helmet — a collaboration by Cascade Sports and Hall of Famer Mark Messier.”

Says Burns, “personally, I don’t think a helmet, mouth guard or anything would have protected me from any of the (concussions) I had. I think it’s more making sure I can do everything I can to help prevent another.”

Writes Russo, “after several test runs, Burns has worn the M11 helmet the past four games. Burns says the M11 is “super comfortable. It feels way better than any other helmet. For comfort, nobody can touch it. Every helmet designer says that their helmet is the top-testing one… but when you see and feel this helmet, the insides are the best.”

As Mary-Kay Messier of Cascade Sports says to Michael Russo about The Messier Project’s mission to change head protection standards and address the issue of concussion, “this is about awareness. This is about what we can do to help reduce the risk of head injuries.”

To read the full article, visit: http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/83088072.html?page=3&c=y.

As Brent Burns of the Minnesota Wild continues to wear the M11, Wild fans and bloggers are taking notice. The Wild-Puck blog, which follows all Wild-related news, recently posted an item on the M11 and Burns’ debut in the helmet. You can read the full post at: http://wild-puck.blogspot.com/2010/01/m11-makes-appearance.html.

In a story that ran in both the Albany Times-Union and The American Chronicle, sportswriter Pete Dougherty profiles the concussion issue in hockey with a specific focus on how “concussion injuries are changing hockey’s stay-on-ice mentality.”

The Messier Project and the new M11 helmet are included in the article, highlighting how Mark and Cascade Sports joined forces to create the new M11 helmet, “designed to reduce direct energy transfer at the point of impact directly to the head, instead spreading the force throughout the helmet.”

To read the piece via The American Chronicle, visit:

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/140270047

Sportswriter Rachel Lenzi of the Portland Press-Herald recently wrote an excellent article on the impact of concussion in hockey and the newfound attention that the issue is finally receiving, both in the AHL and across the sport in general.

Lenzi interviewed Mary-Kay Messier of Cascade Sports for the piece and the two discussed the creation and mission of The Messier Project. Lenzi writes of The Messier Project as “an initiative to heighten awareness and promote education about concussions, smart play and protective equipment.”

To read the article, visit: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=309790&ac=PHspt.

The Messier Project has been featured in a special six-part series on the issue of concussion in hockey via Metro Group Newspapers, distributed in Buffalo and throughout West New York State.

Associate Editor Matthew Ondesko’s series discusses The Messier Project, Seven Technology and the M11, and Mark’s mission to change priorities in the sport of hockey and encourage safe play.

To read the series, visit: http://www.metrowny.com/blogs/archives/264-NHL-Great-Mark-Messier-takes-on-the-concussion-issue-75b0xw00d.html.

In Part Two of SB Nation’s Hockey Roundtable, live online today, top hockey bloggers discuss the state of the NHL and a variety of hot topics — including head shots and the issue of concussion in hockey.

Joe Fortunato, blogger at Blueshirt Banter, mentions The Messier Project and the M11 in discussing what the NHL can do to better protect its players from concussion.

Here’s the link:

http://www.sbnation.com/2010/1/19/1259131/trade-NHL-sb-nations-hockey-roundtable

Mark Messier conducted an interview with blogger Greg Caggiano of Metro Hockey earlier this month; the article, which features The Messier Project, the M11 and the issue of concussion in hockey.

To read the full article, visit: http://metrohockey.blogspot.com/2010/01/interview-with-captain-mark-messier.html.

Greg’s interview with The Captain grabbed some attention around the blogosphere and links to the article have since been posted on The Bleacher Report and Blueshirt Banter. To read, visit:

The Bleacher Report: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/327127-interview-with-the-captain-mark-messier.
Blueshirt Banter: http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/2010/1/18/1256116/metro-hockey-interviews-mark.