The debate over whether coaches should wear helmets on the ice in practice just got a big armful of fuel thrown on it. Strathmore UFA Bisons AAA midget assistant coach Ron Ebbesen fell and hit his head on the ice during a practice last week, and apparently passed away in hospital yesterday. (For WHL relevance here, amongst the players on that team are some top WHL prospects like Ty Rattie, Jason Swyripa, etc)
Thanks to a reader for pointing out this story to me.....I'm almost embarrassed to say I had not heard the story until now. Ebbesen's is not a new name to Calgary-area minor hockey followers.
So this begs the question, again: why don't coaches have to wear helmets on the ice during practices? Sure, they're not skating hard and doing the drills like the players are (not usually anyway) but accidents happen - they can lose their balance, or get accidentally hit by a player, or by a puck, or whatever. And now somebody has died....is it time for Hockey Canada to take this issue seriously and mandate that coaches wear helmets during practices? I think so.
7 comments:
Alan
Happened recently in Medicine Hat too.
http://www.medicinehatnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41976&Itemid=110
I am starting to see more coaches wearing helmets now. Funny thing though, helmets aren't mandatory at public skating with lots of kids racing around??
Coaches have been required to wear helmets by USA Hockey for a couple of years now. They weren't thrilled initially but the furor has died down.
if you want to wear a helmet you can so why so we tell people what to do?
Hockey Canada has mandated this in Quebec & Ontario already ( i believe ) and it is making it's way WEST. Calgary Hockey ( ZONE 9 in Alberta ) mandated it for the beginning of this season and ALL minor hockey community Assoc., including all quadrant teams - it is mandatory for all team coaches + guest coaches to wear helmuts while on the ice not. This unfortunate accident will only serve to show why this should be mandatory everywhere as soon as possible.
I'm shocked the coaches don't wear shin pads too. I saw Kyle Gustafson take a puck off the shin (not a hard shot by any means) and he dropped like a rock.
Why don't we all wrap oursleves in bubble paper? Better yet, maybe we can roll around in actal bubbles!! Then nobody will ever get hurt again.
This is an unfortunate accident but we need to keep in mind that it was an accident. They happen all the time. Best quote was that people slip and fall in the shower and nobody has banned those yet.
I don't think the coaches should have to wear helmets. Way way more people die in car accidents from head injuries! Do we all have to wear helmets to drive in the future?
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