Over the summer the CKHA Board of Directors & Player Safety Committee came to an agreement that more stringent guidelines regarding youth protective equipment would be in place for the 2019-2020 hockey season. USA Hockey provides recommendations in some cases and rules in other cases, but we at CKHA are committed to the protection of our youth and feel it is in the best interest of all of our members to implement and enforce the following rules:

1. All player helmets must have HECC certification and be current (not expired). 
2. All players must wear a mouth guard when on the ice.
3. All players 2005 birth year and younger must wear neck protection when on the ice. 

There are obviously many details that could be discussed regarding each of these rules, but these are the rules going forward, plain and simple. We are not specifying brands, models, ratings, etc., and if you have questions, we suggest you consult your coach or a retailer that specializes in ice hockey equipment. We are also providing informational links below for your convenience.

The Board and Player Safety Committee realize that we live in Lexington, KY and that protective ice hockey equipment is not readily available, so we are issuing a deadline for players to become compliant. All players must have and wear required safety equipment by practice on Thursday, October 10, 2019. Failure to comply with safety equipment rules after October 10, 2019 will result in the player being removed from the ice until they are in compliance.

Please also note that USA Hockey has required certified helmets and mouth guards during game play for several years. Any teams or players competing before October 10 will need to comply with all USA Hockey guidelines.

For more information:

Helmets

• Helmet Expiration: https://www.purehockey.com/c/do-hockey-helmets-expire
• HECC: http://www.hecc.net/

Mouth Guards

• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10910-mouthguards
• https://blog.sisuguard.com/best-ice-hockey-mouth-guards

Neck Protectors

• https://usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-09/guarded-response
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-neck-guard-hockey-1.3924633
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tUow4IBP5

USA Hockey Rule 304 - Protective Equipment

• https://www.usahockeyrulebook.com/page/show/1084402-rule-304-protective-equipment

Online Vendors

• https://www.purehockey.com/
• https://www.hockeymonkey.com/
• https://www.hockeyworld.com/

Thank you in advance for your cooperation in keeping our most valuable resource, our kids, safe on the ice.