In 1996, Michael Farber wrote an in-depth article for Sports Illustrated on how, largely out of vanity, an alarming number of NHL players were wearing flimsy helmets that put them at risk of severe injury.

To read the SI article, visit:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1009320/index.htm.

Now 13 years later, as the mirror test is still a key influencer today, we asked Mark Messier about the parallels he sees between the game of hockey then and now, both from a player’s perspective and now, as the leader of The Messier Project.

Here is Mark’s reply:

“One of the biggest challenges we face not only with The Messier Project but also the M11 helmet is convincing the players that protection is performance.  As a former player that played for 26 years professionally, I feel I have a very good perspective of the players’ psyche in regards to protecting themselves.  In a game where we measure our players in terms of their bravado and courage, no player wants to give the impression that they are worried about safety or injury.  This attitude can be traced back long before I started playing hockey.  It seems strange to me that we as players continue to adopt this attitude with the number of head injuries that have crept into our sport.  Every other part of our game has evolved — the rules, the arenas, the athletes, the equipment — but for some reason we have neglected the most important piece of equipment, the helmet.

It is incredible to think that Michael Farber wrote this article almost 15 years ago over his concern with the helmets the players were wearing and how they were wearing them.  One of the most frustrating things I see and hear about with the players, especially players who have had a history of concussions, is their concern with the way they look in any particular helmet.  This is very troubling and confusing, with what is at stake, not only in terms of their careers but also for their own health and well-being, and beyond that, the message they are conveying as our game’s greatest role models.  This kind of attitude only makes my own resolve that much stronger to continue to educate hockey players around the world, young and old, about the responsibility they have not only to protect themselves, but to send a strong message to our youth as well.  This is the mission of The Messier Project, and we will continue the process until we have changed priorities within our sport and all our players are making decisions regarding their helmets based on the highest indicator of performance — and that is protection.

On a positive note, I am encouraged by our progress to date.  From the support of our players, GM’s and equipment managers at the NHL level to the overwhelming response at the amateur level, I believe that everyone is paying attention.  And the public is paying attention too.  To all the visitors to The Captain’s Blog, and all those who have emailed Cascade Sports directly, I’d like to say thank you for your comments and for your support of The Messier Project.

– Mark Messier”

Rich Boersma, a journalism student at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, is working on a story about the rising injury rates in the NHL and he had some really good questions for me and The Messier Project.  I asked Rich if I could share a few of my responses with you here on The Captain’s Blog and he was kind enough to agree.  Here are two of Rich’s questions and my reply.  Thanks to Rich for his questions; I invite all of our readers and visitors to join in the conversation by posting comments here at my blog.  I hope to hear from you.

Q:  Have you thought about expanding your line to different equipment?

“Cascade Sports have been leaders in head protection for more than 20 years.  It was their history of innovation and the company’s revolutionary Seven Technology that brought me to the table.  I knew that I could work together with Cascade Sports to bring a player’s perspective to the design and development of the new M11 hockey helmet.

While I have been working to protect all players in our game through changing priorities – so that head protection is number one – and in the development of the M11, my main focus is and always has been on the kids.  That’s why I’m very excited that The Messier Project will launch the M11 small size in February.

In regards to creating other equipment within The Messier Project line, I know Cascade Sports remains focused and committed to continuing their efforts to innovate and develop better head protection.  Cascade Sports has a long history of innovation on head protection – first in swift water rescue helmets and then in lacrosse.  In fact, Seven Technology was first used in Cascade’s Pro7 lacrosse helmet.  But as soon as I learned about Seven Tech and understood how it worked, I immediately recognized its importance and relevance to hockey.

For me, I like the fact that every dollar the company invests in research and development goes towards innovating new technologies and creating new products that improve head protection.  It is extremely expensive to design and build new products.  The opportunity is really to take this expertise and experience and bring it to more sports – because so many are struggling with the same issues as hockey, in terms of head injuries.

Applying the technology and innovation to multiple sports also helps to keep the costs of the products down, because Cascade Sports can leverage their investment across multiple sports.  When I first got involved with the company, I was very interested in the company’s ability to bring cutting edge technology and new products to the market at a price most hockey players can afford – that was extremely important to me..  If you check out the M11 compared to the other high performance helmets on the market today (in hockey), you will see how reasonably it is priced.

As the game of hockey continues to evolve, head protection and technology must continue to evolve in order to offer our athletes the best protection possible.  For now, The Messier Project will continue to focus on developing new and innovative head protection and on changing priorities in the sport of hockey.”

Q:  Do you think head shots and head injuries are the number one concern for hockey players?

“Concussions have crept into the game of hockey and I strongly believe we need to find a way to address the issue, which has become an epidemic.  For me, the mission of The Messier Project is very much about changing priorities.  The fact that we are still basically using the same technology in our helmets that we have used over the last three decades is horrifying.  Every single piece of equipment has evolved except for the helmet.

While I cannot say whether or not concussions are the number one concern for players, I can say that I feel it is an extremely important issue and one that needs to be addressed across all levels of our sport, from the pros down to youth.  While most players are aware of the issue, they just don’t go into a game, or practice for that matter, thinking they are going to get hurt.  Part of it is the mentality of an athlete (the confidence that is required), and part of it is the heritage of the sport – the expectation that hockey players are courageous and play through injuries.

I do believe that everyone is paying attention right now, and I also believe most players feel it is time to change the mentality – and with that, we have a chance to change priorities.  Over the last several months, it has been very rewarding to see the game’s greatest influencers working to find a solution.  I am proud of the M11 and the mission of The Messier Project is very personal to me.  But I also recognize that this is just one part of a finding a real solution.

We need all the stakeholders – players, coaches, General Managers, trainers, equipment mangers and parents – to come together, evaluate the current environment and all the changes that have led to the current environment (from rule changes to player attitudes and equipment evolution) to determine what really needs to be done.  In order to address the issue of concussion in hockey, we have to get everyone pulling in the same direction.  We have to gain a unified commitment from the stakeholders to find a solution… and it all starts with the conversation.”

(1.)       Carolyn Buck of Springfield, NJ, the mother of a young squirt player, sent in a letter to The Messier Project on a very important subject – checking in youth hockey and teaching safe play in the game.  Carolyn asks what has been done in the past 10 years to change body checking and promote safe play, and she feels that 11 years old is too young to start checking.  Mark – what are your thoughts on checking in youth hockey, your thoughts on safe play and what we need to teach our youth players at an early age, and how safer checking and safe play in general can contribute to better protection against concussion and other injuries?

“Thank for bringing up this important topic, Carolyn.  Checking in hockey – especially at the youth level – is something I think about and speak about often.

The fast-paced, physical nature of hockey is what makes it exciting, and it is an integral part of the game.  But I think it is extremely important that we teach our kids at an early age how to hit, how to take a hit, and how to respect each other both on and off the ice.  It is part of our responsibility as youth coaches, mentors and stewards of the game to teach our kids this part of the game so that later on, as they move through the sport, they become responsible for taking their safety into their own hands.

We’ve changed the rules and many are working to eliminate checking and hitting to make the youth game safer.  But eliminating this aspect of the game, even at the youth level, does more harm than good in my opinion.  By trying to protect our kids with rule changes that define how we can hit, when we can hit and where we can hit, I think we’ve given our youth players a false sense of protection and in turn they have lost the protective instincts that are so important in the sport of hockey.  It is these protective instincts that must be fostered and taught at a young age.

I have perhaps a different perspective on this than most, likely because of the era I grew up and played youth and minor hockey in.  I grew up playing countless hours of shinny on the outdoor rinks in my hometown.  I grew up playing hockey knowing full well that I had to protect myself at all times.  You can’t expect everyone to play by the rules.  With this cemented in my mind at an early age, I moved through my career playing 20 years as a minor hockey player and 26 years as a professional.

Today, I think that by trying so hard to protect our kids, we have left them defenseless.  Our game will never be one that is danger free, but players don’t go in to a game thinking they are going to get hurt.  The speed at which the game is played, along with the power that is generated, has never been higher.  We need to arm our kids with the knowledge of how to protect themselves at all times, and in different situations.  The earlier we do this the better.  It is all about a balance between teaching safe play, protection instincts and making equipment decisions that best protect our players.

One of the missions of The Messier Project is to work with coaches, players, parents and the game’s stakeholders, across all levels, to encourage safe play.  While better equipment and new technology, such as that within the M11, do help better protect players, it is only one part of the solution.  Encouraging safe play is extremely important and I think that teaching kids how to give and take a check is critical.”

(2.)       Troy Traux, a visitor to The Messier Project.com and the Captain’s Blog, has raised an important point about chinstraps and how many players wear them very loose – which is dangerous.  Mark, can you share your thoughts on the importance of a well-fitting helmet, a properly worn chin strap, and how this all contributes to the safety of hockey players across all levels?

“Thanks for bringing attention to the chinstrap issue, Troy.  You are exactly right, even the most protective helmet can only protect you if it stays on your head when a collision occurs.

The correct way to wear the chinstrap is to have it securely attached to the helmet and adjusted for a snug fit.  In part because of the velocity that players are being hit these days, there is a tendency for the helmet to rise up on impact – so it is extremely important that the chinstrap be worn tightly so that the strap and the entire helmet fit snugly and ultimately stay on.

The Pro Fit system on our new M11 helmet is a dynamic contour system that creates a 360° degree fit for high comfort and performance. The ProFit draws the helmet in and around the head using a 15-point micro-adjustment system that sits low on the back of the head and eliminates pressure points and ensures a snug fit so that the helmet stays on.

It is imperative that we educate the players on protecting themselves, and the consequence of not doing so.  While players must take responsibility when it comes to protecting themselves in wearing their equipment properly and tightening their chinstrap, I think it is also necessary that we implement new rules that mandate a player must wear the equipment the way it made to protect them.”

A big hearty hello from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  I am here for the World Junior Championships, and if you ever get the chance to go and see these young kids play, I would highly recommend doing so.  The games are excellent, the town is completely overtaken with hockey fans from around the world, and the atmosphere is like a carnival.

With a new year upon us, and many challenges in front of us, we will continue The Messier Project campaign and our mission to evolve priorities within the sport of hockey with a goal of protecting our players better by addressing the issue of concussion.  We will continue to create awareness, lead initiatives and engage the hockey community to inspire conversation around creating solutions.

Change of any kind is always difficult.  However, we are confident in the feedback we receive from players, teams, coaches, equipment managers, trainers, mothers, fathers and many others in the hockey world who have joined The Messier Project team.  We look forward to continuing our conversation!

Here’s to a great big cheer for the tireless efforts of all our supporters and their belief in our mission.

Mark Messier