I’ve been a hockey fan my entire life. Some of my earliest memories of growing up in Alberta, Ontario and BC involve playing in the snow on Saturday afternoon until my Dad called us inside to watch Hockey Night in Canada.

This is such an exciting time for Canadians – playoffs kick off this week and the Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators are ready to battle! No matter which team is your favourite, there’s nothing like the roar of the crowd at an NHL arena during the playoffs.

At the hockey game I went to a couple of weeks ago, my experience working at Connect Hearing made me think ... how loud can it get in the arena?

I asked one of our audiologists, and her answer was amazing. Crowd noise at sporting events can reach over 120 decibels! That’s louder than standing next to a jackhammer or a jet engine during take-off.

Here are a few tips if you’re planning to take in a Stanley Cup playoff game live, or even at a local pub or restaurant:

• Carry earplugs with you and put them in when you’re in a loud environment. You’ll still be able to hear and they will protect your hearing from permanent damage.
• Make sure that you take hearing protection for the kids, too.
• If you have a smart phone, download an app that will measure decibel levels and alert you when noise reaches over 80 dB.

An interesting fact  ... in any loud environment, it’s easier to understand your companions who are speaking at a normal volume when you’re wearing ear plugs to muffle the loud background noise. Next time you’re in a crowd at the stadium, give it a try. You’ll hear better and protect your ears.

Have fun watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs!