Helmet cams used to suck because the technology wasn't ready for them, and every time a player would move his head the screen would get scrambled like a porno station on basic cable. (R.I.P. porno channels, incidentally.)
But now that companies like GoPro have mastered HD helmet cams for extreme sports, we can get glorious footage like this, as see through the eyes of an inline hockey player. (NSFW language warning here and there.)
YouTuber 'fthamilton89' has a full channel dedicated to these clips, with many originating in Ventura County, Calif. It's like climbing into a hockey-centric "Being John Malkovich" portal, minus the existential crisis and grating performance by Cameron Diaz.
Here's another clip from this summer; check out the unintentional high-stick in the first minute that results in a gash that needed five stitches to close according to the video summary. (Again, NSFW language warning here and there.)
At next week's NHL Research and Development Camp, they'll be testing overhead and net cameras, as well as robotic cameras that hopefully will bring "coverage closer to the ice." But it appears helmet cams aren't on the menu, which is a shame.
Again, there's simply no reason why helmet cams shouldn't be mandatory for players in the shootout, if you're going to require players to wear helmets. It'll just add to the television-friendly kinetic vibe of the skills competition. As we've said before: You're already handing out points in the standings with a carnival game ? why not increase the fun factor with more gimmicks?
s/t to Reddit Hockey for the video.
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