Are The Smaller Pads Helping To Reduce Concussions?

from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail, Kris King, the NHL?s senior vice-president of hockey operations, said even though the league and the NHL Players? Association mandated soft-cap elbow and shoulder pads, with at least half an inch of padding over any hard plastic caps, over the last several years, and reduced the size of the shoulder pads, efforts are continuing to make the shoulder pads smaller yet. The NHL made soft-elbow pads mandatory in 2003 and did the same with shoulder pads for the 2010-11 season. The CHL introduced them this season as part of a strategy to reduce concussions.

King said the NHL?s statistics show the number of concussions from blows by elbows to the head is ?enormously reduced? since 2003. However, he said the statistics for those hits plus shoulder hits to the head that result in concussions will not be made public until the NHL?s annual general managers meetings in March.

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Source: http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hockey/comments/are_the_smaller_pads_helping_to_reduce_concussions/

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