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.