Congratulations to Avon Old Farms -- members of The Messier Project -- for winning the New England Division I Prep Championship! The team wore the M11 helmet throughout the tournament.

The St. Francis Xavier University women's ice hockey team has joined The Messier Project as the team will now wear the M11. Best of luck to the X-Women this season!

NHL veteran Aaron Ward -- a member of The Messier Project -- was recently traded from the Carolina Hurricanes to the Anaheim Ducks, just before the League's trade deadline. Ward will continue to wear the M11 on his new team. Best of luck to Aaron in Anaheim!

In a great segment on WCCO-TV (CBS) Minneapolis, which ran during the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament, reporter Mike Max profiles The Messier Project and the M11 highlighting the newest member of The Messier Project, Brent Burns, as well as the many high schools throughout the state wearing the M11, including Jefferson High and Hill Murray. To tune in to the full segment, visit:

http://wcco.com/video/?id=75489@wcco.dayport.com.

In his "Straight Edge" column for The Hockey News, Ryan Kennedy reports on the new products and technologies at the recent Let's Play Hockey Show in Las Vegas. Ryan features three products that offer better protection for players with a heavy focus on the M11.

Kennedy writes that "the sport itself will stand to benefit from some of the products being pitched" and that "naturally, concussions were covered off in a variety of ways and companies are really bringing the science."

Of the M11, Kennedy writes that the helmet is "already well known in hockey circles" and that "The Messier Project has the ear of a lot of folks, including Hockey Canada and the GMs of the NHL." Kennedy quotes Mary-Kay Messier in regards to The Messier Project's mission to change priorities in the sport and encourage a conversation about head protection.

To read the full article, visit: http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/31108-The-Straight-Edge-Hockey-show-displays-newage-protection-for-players.html.

In his Inside the NHL column, Buffalo News columnist Bucky Gleason writes about The Messier Project and the M11 helmet as "former NHL great Mark Messier" is working with Cascade Sports to help "produce stronger, safer helmets" and "better distribute impact."

To read the article, visit: http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/940869.html.

As a sidebar to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune feature on Brent Burns, The Messier Project and the M11 this past Saturday, Michael Russo also filed a great article on how the state of Minnesota has rallied behind The Messier Project, with more than 18 high school and prep schools wearing the M11 this season, including "Bloomington Jefferson, Hill-Murray, Spring Lake Park, St. Paul Johnson, St. Thomas Academy and White Bear Lake in the metro, and two youth hockey associations (Eastside Junior Gold and Rochester)." As Russo writes, "compared to Minnesota, no other state or province is as well-represented."

To read the full article, visit: http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/83088597.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsZ

In Saturday's Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Wild beatwriter Michael Russo profiles The Messier Project and its mission as Wild star Brent Burns "got on board quickly with the M11 and swears by it as the NHL confronts an uptick in concussions."

Russo writes that Burns, "who returned last week, is doing everything in his power to avoid a third (concussion). The biggest is his switch to the groundbreaking...M11 helmet -- a collaboration by Cascade Sports and Hall of Famer Mark Messier."

Says Burns, "personally, I don't think a helmet, mouth guard or anything would have protected me from any of the (concussions) I had. I think it's more making sure I can do everything I can to help prevent another."

Writes Russo, "after several test runs, Burns has worn the M11 helmet the past four games. Burns says the M11 is "super comfortable. It feels way better than any other helmet. For comfort, nobody can touch it. Every helmet designer says that their helmet is the top-testing one... but when you see and feel this helmet, the insides are the best."

As Mary-Kay Messier of Cascade Sports says to Michael Russo about The Messier Project's mission to change head protection standards and address the issue of concussion, "this is about awareness. This is about what we can do to help reduce the risk of head injuries."

To read the full article, visit: http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/83088072.html?page=3&c=y.

As Brent Burns of the Minnesota Wild continues to wear the M11, Wild fans and bloggers are taking notice. The Wild-Puck blog, which follows all Wild-related news, recently posted an item on the M11 and Burns' debut in the helmet. You can read the full post at: http://wild-puck.blogspot.com/2010/01/m11-makes-appearance.html.

In a story that ran in both the Albany Times-Union and The American Chronicle, sportswriter Pete Dougherty profiles the concussion issue in hockey with a specific focus on how "concussion injuries are changing hockey's stay-on-ice mentality."

The Messier Project and the new M11 helmet are included in the article, highlighting how Mark and Cascade Sports joined forces to create the new M11 helmet, "designed to reduce direct energy transfer at the point of impact directly to the head, instead spreading the force throughout the helmet."

To read the piece via The American Chronicle, visit:

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/140270047