Avoid The Ouchies!

This winter, the men's hockey team could be keeping a few more brain cells.

Harvard recently announced that it will be the first team in the nation to test a new, state-of-the-art helmet made to decrease the incidence of concussions—a common injury in hockey, and one that can cut short a career.

The Crimson will be a guinea pig for NHL Hall of Famer Mark Messier, who is working to find out the best way to implement a similar helmet program in the NHL. Messier visited the locker room last week as the team tested the helmets for the first time.

With the team's heads protected, the only thing that remains to be seen is whether or not the new helmets can help bring Harvard back to the NCAA tournament for the first time in four years.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Duckhunter6424