It’s time for the NHL to make a change that gets the people going. We’ve seen various times how the media and fans take to an extraordinary performance from a specific player. For example, the entire hockey world recently had their eyes glued on Leon Draisaitl when he scored 13 goals in his first eight Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Now, imagine if he was doing that all while wearing a shiny golden helmet, which he would have been awarded for his exceptional play.
That is exactly the premise of the golden helmet (Kultainen kypärä), which debuted in Liiga (Finland) in 1987. The top scorer of each team wears a golden helmet for their club’s games.
If a teammate surpasses them, the helmet then gets transferred. Finnish hockey fans have the ability to make the helmet a central part of their discussions, adding another exciting element to the already-exciting sport of hockey.
This was also implemented in 3ICE, the professional 3-on-3 summer hockey league that started up in 2021. They put a twist on it:
“Akin to the Tour de France and the yellow jersey worn by that race’s current leader, the top scorer in 3ICE will wear The Golden Helmet for that weekend’s games. At the point that another skater takes over the league lead in goals scored, the helmet will be passed on.”
via 3ICE.com
That is probably closer to what the NHL would do if they chose to implement such a system.
Having only the league’s highest scorer don the helmet would add a great spark to conversation amongst fans, as well as some additional bragging rights for that team’s fanbase. It would also keep the helmet from being too Harlem Globetrotters-like and maintain its seriousness, like it’s viewed in Finland.
Picture this: Connor McDavid and David Pastrnak have been swapping the golden helmet back-and-forth all season. The Mar. 5, 2024 contest between the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers arrives, with Pastrnak’s 43 goals edging out McDavid’s 42. Pastrnak wears the Golden Helmet all game. However, in typical McDavid fashion, he scores a goal to tie it in the third period and then wins it in overtime – his 44th goal, surpassing Pasta’s 43. In each of the teams’ next contests, McDavid is sporting the gold helmet and Pastrnak is back to his regular helmet.
That would get the whole hockey world going crazy.
Related: NHL Hat Tricks History & Fun Facts
Or this: Connor Bedard gets off to a smoking hot start for the Chicago Blackhawks – notching an opening night hat-trick against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nobody else in the league has more than two goals at that point, leaving Bedard to wear the golden helmet for Game #2. An 18 year-old Bedard would be skating around NHL defenders with a shiny gold helmet, adding to the instant awe of his first few days in the league.
Implementation in the NHL
It would be important for the NHL to implement something like the golden helmet in a way that does not hinder the experience for fans or players. There would likely have to be extensive research and polling before actually approaching something like this. Here are three main ways that the golden helmet could be added into the league:
- IMPLEMENTATION #1: Like mentioned above, the helmet would be given to the league’s leading goal scorer. It would be pretty cool to see one player run away with the helmet and wear it almost the entire season. This would likely be the most popular approach.
- IMPLEMENTATION #2: The NHL would give the helmet to the highest points scorer for that past week. It doesn’t matter if it’s a recent waiver wire pickup or a perennial All-Star. If they had a good enough week, then they deserve it. This could definitely add an element of fun into it, while still keeping it highly-regarded. If two players are tied, members of the PHWA (Professional Hockey Writers Association) – or maybe even fans – could vote based on things like how clutch/timely their goals were, whether they were even-strength or not, etc. to decide a winner. There could also potentially be two winners each week: one from the east and one from the west.
- IMPLEMENTATION #3: Each team’s leading scorer wears a golden helmet at all times. Players like McDavid, Jack Hughes, and Jason Robertson would likely become accustomed to only ever wearing gold, barring injuries. This would certainly devalue the importance of the golden helmet though. If it were last season, Andreas Athanasiou (40 points) would be getting the same award as McDavid (153 points).
There’s obviously no set rulebook. There’s always an opportunity to put a twist on these to come up with something that NHL fans will appreciate. In the National Leagues (Switzerland), the leading scorer on each team wears a jersey with a flame design that says “TOP SCORER” in big letters. They also wear a “flaming helmet”. In my opinion, that’s overboard.
It is truly up to the viewers to determine whether this is something that is worth approaching in the NHL. Is it too childlike, or is there some legitimate entertainment value in the golden helmet? If you do think it’s a good idea, which implementation above is the best idea? Or do you have a different alteration to make it work? Let’s hear it.