AHL approves facial protection

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=169862&hubname=nhl

[J-Shera 0]

Good, Its about time they start making the players wear them. Now lets hope the NHL follows.

[kosydar 0]

I really don't like this. If someone chooses not to wear a visor and loses an eye, thats a consequence for a decision he made. I've never heard anyone who got hurt in the face blame the league for not mandating protection. I understand why they do it in juniors, but if they eventually do it in the NHL it will be stupid.

[willcarlson 0]

these guys are big boys they should be abel to make the own decisions.

[teamriot38 0]

nothing wrong with making the players wear half shields. I like the idea of making it mandatory. Ask Saku Koivu if visors are necessary. Eye injuries like that strengthen my belief that half visors are necessary in the nhl and all hockey.

[Chadd 916]

This isn't about choice or preference. It's about teams protecting their investments by reducing the chance of major injury. NHL teams are hoping that the players will just stick with them when they come up from the minors and it's one step closer to introducing them at the NHL level.

[chippa13 1844]

nothing wrong with making the players wear half shields. I like the idea of making it mandatory. Ask Saku Koivu if visors are necessary. Eye injuries like that strengthen my belief that half visors are necessary in the nhl and all hockey.

Bad example, Koivu was wearing a visor. The problem sometimes isn't whether they wear a visor, but how they wear it.

[kosydar 0]

nothing wrong with making the players wear half shields.  I like the idea of making it mandatory.  Ask Saku Koivu if visors are necessary.  Eye injuries like that strengthen my belief that half visors are necessary in the nhl and all hockey.

Bad example, Koivu was wearing a visor. The problem sometimes isn't whether they wear a visor, but how they wear it.

Hell, Hossa was wearing a visor and that was damn near the sickest thing I've ever seen.

[chippa13 1844]

What happened to Hossa? Other than that he accidentally almost plucked out Berard's eye.

[Chadd 916]

What happened to Hossa?

Karma

[chippa13 1844]

What happened to Hossa?

Karma

Oh, come on, hitting Berard was a complete accident. But what happened to Hossa, I don't remember anything?

[kosydar 0]

He got hit in the face with a shot (pretty sure) and it completely shattered his visor. It was disgusting to look at, there was blood everywhere.

[Chadd 916]

What happened to Hossa?

Karma

Oh, come on, hitting Berard was a complete accident. But what happened to Hossa, I don't remember anything?

I never said it was intentional, but it was careless.

[chippa13 1844]

What happened to Hossa?

Karma

Oh, come on, hitting Berard was a complete accident. But what happened to Hossa, I don't remember anything?

I never said it was intentional, but it was careless.

He was just following through on a shot.

[Eazy_b97 1]

Hossa's visor shattered and ended up cutting his face. If you want to ask anyone about Visors, wouldn't Sundin be the guy? I'm not even sure if Berard still wears one.

If it's about protecting the players, why half ass it? Go with a full visor. The half-visor debate has always made no sense to me. Have it optional, or make full visors mandatory. If a player fights with a visor on he has to take it off anyways, so it's no different.

[J-Shera 0]

The thing is, alot of players dont wear a visor untill they allmost loose there vision. Guys like Yzerman etc. I think if they allways have to wear them then they wont have to have that bad experince to realize that they should wear them. I mean, being out for a month or two is bad enough, does it have to come to a few guys losing there eye completly before people start wearing them.

I know you can still get an injury with a visor, so its not 100% safe. But you can still get hurt with a seatbelt on. Same kind of thing.

[teamriot38 0]

my bad i forgot all about koivu having a visor. I got pegeed in the face a little over a year ago with a puck and I'm forced to wear a full cage now. Personally i don't mind it, cuz it only takes 1 serious injury before players start throwing them on. Aren't officials forced to at least have a half shield now?

[domileafs28 0]

i think it is a good rule. i don't understand why they don't wear them anyway... by the time you've made it to the nhl, you've played in a league that requires them so you're used to it anyway.

[kosydar 0]

i think it is a good rule. i don't understand why they don't wear them anyway... by the time you've made it to the nhl, you've played in a league that requires them so you're used to it anyway.

No. The requirements for major juniors are a relatively new thing. A lot of the older guys weren't forced to wear them.

[Chadd 916]

He was just following through on a shot.

He swung wildly at the puck, a normal follow through doesn't come 6' off the ice.

[ash_96 0]

Hossa's visor shattered and ended up cutting his face. If you want to ask anyone about Visors, wouldn't Sundin be the guy? I'm not even sure if Berard still wears one.

Is there a video of this anywhere? i cant imagine a visor shattering thats insane. did it hit it square on, or at the side?

[trucks 0]

first it was mandatory helmets, now mandatory visors, how long before mandatory fishbowls or cages? as koivus case proves visors wont stop the facial injuries from happening although it will definitely help. but in a few years i can almost guarantee that there will still be facial injuries that happen purely by accident and what will the nhl do then, make full cages a requirement. these are all grown men and im sure they can make their own decisions. if players choose to play without a visor and get injured as a result, change the contracts so they can no longer get paid as a result of their decision or something. then again the helmet was given a grace period so as long as they grandmother the rule in and only force rookies to wear visors from now on i dont think many people will complain but if you start to tell 15 year veterans they now need to start wearing visors there could be some disgruntled players.

[Chadd 916]

first it was mandatory helmets, now mandatory visors, how long before mandatory fishbowls or cages? as koivus case proves visors wont stop the facial injuries from happening although it will definitely help. but in a few years i can almost guarantee that there will still be facial injuries that happen purely by accident and what will the nhl do then, make full cages a requirement. these are all grown men and im sure they can make their own decisions. if players choose to play without a visor and get injured as a result, change the contracts so they can no longer get paid as a result of their decision or something. then again the helmet was given a grace period so as long as they grandmother the rule in and only force rookies to wear visors from now on i dont think many people will complain but if you start to tell 15 year veterans they now need to start wearing visors there could be some disgruntled players.

It's not just paying the players. What if you build your team around a couple guys and suddenly one of them goes down to a preventable injury. Now the franchise, as well as the other players, is screwed. It's a decision that ends up impacting more than just the guy with/without the visor

[RadioGaGa 162]

This same arguement keeps coming up....I like the mandatory visors....guys wear them right through Jr. without much complaint/issue being made.

But, as much as making visors mandatory, I'd like to see them say how they are worn, and what size they need to be.

I hate those little visor tilted way up...Koivu, Ribeiro, Crosby etc . If you ask me...everyone should wear them like Berard and Heatley. Wide and close to the nose.

[kosydar 0]

I think something that is being overlooked here, and is important to the players who choose not to wear them, is how they look wearing them. I don't mean how they physically look in them, but rather how others preceive them in comparison to how they play. I think it was Avery who made the comment about Gauthier being a pussy for wearing a visor and then taking runs at people. Not wearing a visor has a certain stigma of toughness attached to it. Its true even down in adult league. The guys who think they are tough, who play a rough game, who fight, and are gritty overwhelmingly choose not to wear visors. Its a way of separating yourself from the "soft" players in the league.