Ow!

[Thomas]

[gotbeer]

That's my biggest fear is losing sight.  I can't understand why any hockey player wouldn't have a visor.  

[NJHalo]

I hope he is OK. Brings back memories of Bryan Berard.

 

Agreed, visors should be mandatory

 

Mark Staal has been nails for the Rangers this year, and would be a huge loss.

[LBHalos17]

There is talk now of making visors mandatory.  Current players would be allowed to finish their careers without a visor if they choose.  I don't think visors should be mandatory.  I agreed with mandatory helmets, as that can be a life and death issue like motor cycle helmets.

 

Mandatory visors will change the game.  As of now, players who instigate with a visor on get the extra 2 minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.  In my experience, guys with shields (full or half) are more reckless with their sticks.  Some might say, "Just take the helmet/visor off before fighting"... Well, that's just not realistic in every situation.  Fights don't always evolve as slowly as in "Goon" or "Youngblood."

 

I agree with some players that the league is being hypocritical.  They say they want the players to be safer, but they also know that there will always be a need for enforcing.  My league is the same way.  Fighting gets a player a two-game suspension (in a 20 game season), with season-suspension for the second fight.  High-sticking penalties are only dealt at face value; there is no consideration for how many games the cut player might miss.

 

I remember a few years back when one of the Dallas Stars almost had his nose ground-off by his visor.  There have been other incidents where a glancing blow from a high stick got caught under a visor and caused more damage than it would have. 

 

I have been cut many times on my face, and tried a full shield and half-visor.  I even tried a half-cage visor, but I'm more comfortable without.  We are adults like NHL'ers, and are still given the choice.

[bucbrett]

I also believe that at the very least, visors should be mandatory for players just entering the league. I can see the league doing something similar to what they did with helmets where the rule is grandfathered in. I remember (as I'm sure NJ Halo does as well) Craig MacTavish being the last nutjob skating around without a helmet. I'd think that the PA would only agree to something like that rather than having them immediately mandatory for all players.

[LBHalos17]

Yeah... I won't even practice or play pickup without a helmet.  We aren't "allowed" to check in my league; I'm amazed more guys heads weren't crushed in the MacTavish days.    

I did like watching Duguay flyin around with his mane blowing in the wind tho...

[Tank]

if we're talk about dudes with manes blowin' in the wind, gene carr of the kings in the mid 70s was THE MAN. 

 

mactavish was a punk. couldn't stand that manslaughtering clown.

 

i played my entire college career without a helmet. got hit in the face once with a puck. it came to me tumbling, like it was in slow motion. hit me right in the lip, which swelled up to the size of a small midwestern town for about a week. wasn't terribly painful, but was always very thankful it wasn't from a slap shot.

 

got hit by my eye once playing street hockey from some idiot who was trying to dig a hockey ball out of the grass with this crazy wild shovel motion. another inch to the left and i would have been severely injured. came out of it with a couple of stitches and a shiner.

[HaloCory22]

Playing with or without a visor isn't a huge difference. You eventually don't even notice you have the visor. Just another pad as far as I'm concerned.

[Kenny]

That's a scary thing to watch.

Visors probably should be mandatory. And if you fight with them on you still get the extra penalty. It's not that hard to pull your helmet off after throwing your gloves down.

[angelduck]

Visorless Getzlaf>>>Visor'd Getzlaf

 

I wish he'd just play good with a visor on LOL

[Punk]

Visors should be mandatory.

[NJHalo]

I also believe that at the very least, visors should be mandatory for players just entering the league. I can see the league doing something similar to what they did with helmets where the rule is grandfathered in. I remember (as I'm sure NJ Halo does as well) Craig MacTavish being the last nutjob skating around without a helmet. I'd think that the PA would only agree to something like that rather than having them immediately mandatory for all players.

 

Yup, I remember when Dino came to the Rangers in 94, he was the last one without a helmet. I thought he would have done a better job with the Oilers when he retired.

 

My last league required half visor, half cage. Playing on D, it did not bother me as much as some of the forwards. The cage on the bottom helped me keep a few teeth.

[Thomas]

Playing with or without a visor isn't a huge difference. You eventually don't even notice you have the visor. Just another pad as far as I'm concerned.

 

Mine would always fog up.