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HECC Certified Masks Permitted

By Minnesota Hockey, 01/04/21, 2:00PM CST

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Minnesota Hockey has worked with the Minnesota Department of Health to validate the use of certain face masks or splash guards. These types of masks have also been approved by the Hockey Equipment Certification Council (HECC) during practice and game play.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and State of Minnesota announced Monday, December 28 that a face covering must be worn by all persons at all times during organized sport activities including practices and games. Types of face coverings include a cloth mask, disposable mask, neck gaiter, scarf or bandanna. These face coverings should be used whenever feasible, but the HECC certified masks below are now approved as well.  

HECC stands for Hockey Equipment Certification Council, which is the non-profit independent organization that certifies hockey equipment. Ensuring the integrity of a hockey helmet is at the core of HECC’s mission, and it is fully committed to evaluating products as manufacturers submit them, including splash guards. HECC-certified helmets are required for all USA Hockey sanctioned activities.

It’s important that parents, players, coaches and officials know that attaching anything to a HECC-certified helmet voids the certification, unless it is approved by the helmet manufacturer and verified by HECC’s validator. Wearing a cloth mask that is completely separate from your helmet has no impact on whether or not a helmet is certified by HECC.

As of January, 2021, Minnesota Hockey and HECC have approved the CCM Game on Mask and the Bauer Concept 3 Face Shield and Splash Guard combination, pictured below with links to the manufacturer's websites.

To view the full HECC statement on spit guards, visit http://hecc.org/spitguards.html. To find the most up-to-date list of HECC approved products, please visit HECC.org.

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