Researchers at the McMaster Injury Biomechanics Laboratory are making sport safer by evaluating the protection of hockey neck guards – an overlooked area in the sportswear industry.

The group, led by faculty of engineering associate professor Cheryl Quenneville, is pioneering new ways to assess how much neck guards protect against puck impact.

They’ve partnered with Niko Apparel Systems, whose AEGIS Impact Interceptor neck guard is unique in the arena of hockey equipment; it’s the first of its kind to be designed for impact attenuation. The equipment is primarily designed for slicing injuries, which leaves a huge gap in protection.

“There have been injuries due to puck impact with really devastating outcomes. There are currently no standards in the hockey apparel spectrum on how to evaluate most equipment – with exceptions such as helmets – meaning a commercial-wide reliance on chunky padding. The long-term goal is hopefully to change the field of hockey apparel so that not just helmets and face guards are part of impact test standards,” Quenneville said.

Data showed the AEGIS Impact Interceptor neck guard performed over 30 per cent better in attenuating than other big-name brands – an amount that can have a substantial effect on an individual’s health outcomes, Quenneville said.