I realize this injury happened years ago, but it’s one I still think about often. The high stick Pronger took to the eye didn’t just give him a concussion, it didn’t just ruin his career, it caused him serious daily pain and put him into a deep depression. Any light that hit his eye would leave it searing in pain. If players wore face shields like kids who play hockey do, this would never have happened.
I don’t see why the league doesn’t implement this. Is it too soft for them? Are they worried people are gonna think that hockey players are wimps for protecting their face? Football players do. They aren’t wimps.
The goalie who made a first goalie mask got benched for it. I love hockey but the whole tough guy thing is just plain dumb. Looking back on days of old goalies, we think they’re crazy for getting in front of the net without a mask. Why hasn’t that ideology transferred over to the players we love so much?
Neck guards and face shields should be worn by every player. There’s absolutely no need for any of these kinds of meaningless injuries to still happen in the game.
Let me know yalls thoughts.
28 comments
The wildest part to me is not that players don’t do it it’s that they literally can’t. A full face shield/cage is against the rules in the NHL.
I think every player wears a half shield now?
I often think of Bryan Berard when it comes to eye injuries in the NHL
It should be up to them
Since 2013, new players have to wear visors. They’re not optional. Only like 6 guys left who are still around who don’t have to. Most will be gone in a couple years. Full face is overkill. Let it go.
No
They should implement a rule requiring all players to wear a full suit of armor
Not a bad idea.
He didn’t have a visor. Unless you came into the league after 2005? 2006. Heck McTavish didn’t wear a helmet into the 90’s. He was still grandfathered in under the helmet less days
There’s like three players who don’t wear face shields, what a stupid post
Amazing I came across this post after seeing Zegras got hit in the face with a puck today
bro what are you talking about. 99% of the league wears visors and the guys who don’t will be retired soon
Face shields were mandated several years ago. They were grandfathered in (players who didn’t wear them and were already in the league don’t have to put them on) but there is only like 5-6 players left now.
I bet Philly hates this post.
Thing to remember is that under 18 it’s required for a full shield, now as for the adult leagues, their doing the visor via grandfathering in them, and I think they’re going to do full one day…..
You can always tell the people who have never played a competitive hockey game without a mask.
The amount of elbows, hands, and sticks that you don’t get to the head is amazing. When you’re surrounded by other players on the ice that also understand how things work and what they’re doing, there’s incentive to actually pay attention to keeping elbows down and your stick from flying all over the place.
The NHL isn’t like your men’s league when you get a stick blade across your cage 5 times a night from weekend warriors losing their balance near you.
Even if they did bring it in it likely would be like when helmets became mandatory – existing nhl players were grandfathered and only new players weee required to wear them. Personally, I’d like to see them mandatory so they could get rid of the stupid high sticking rule that is administered very badly.
Nope. They already wear visors.
2 questions OP when did you start playing hockey and what was the highest level you played?
It would be bad for fighting unless they get rid of the no taking your helmet off rule. Most players support fighting so idk if I’d want the league to go against their wishes
Should be the players choice.
No, I want them to go backwards to no helmet. So the mask idea I don’t like at all.
When you say “face shields” are you referring to Visors or the actual full cage/shield? Because Visors have already been grandfathered in and made mandatory. There only less than a dozen players in the league still not wearing them. Jamie Benn, Ryan Reeves, Ryan O’Reilly, and a few others.
If they choose to
There is a workaround for players that want to do it. They just need a doctor’s order for it.
Visor is enough Imo.
I think full face shields will definitely be here someday. It’s inevitable.
At least give them the option to have a cage