Hockey is a sport where warriors and legends are made. Hockey at its purest form is just a game where the objective is to put the puck in the opposition’s net. Hockey is a physical sport entailing contact. The interaction of bodies and sticks can result in injury. The game that is played at the professional level has rules and regulations that govern the safety of the player on the ice. Last week Chris Pronger received a stick to the face. As a result, when he returns he will be wearing a protective visor. Once it was announced the whole hockey world started to ask the question: should visors be mandatory on the NHL level?
The Canadian Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League, and American Hockey League state visors are mandatory for players. Mike Milbury, a hockey analyst for CBC and NBC, points out that visors change the game. On his weekly appearance on the CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, he talked about visors. Milbury said, “A visor changes the game.” He feels that if there is a league wide mandate on visors there will be less fighting in the game of hockey. The panel was talking about preventable injuries and the elimination of fighting. Milbury’s comment was part of this discussion and his statement on changing the game is true. Yet, many players feel that visors hinder their vision and affect their play on the ice.
The league and players association have tried to educate the players on the safety of wearing visors. Should the league require visors, the players who do not wear visors hope the NHL will have a grandfather clause. This league would make an exception like they did with the group of players who did not wear helmets. International hockey mandates that players wear visors. But, the issue is will visors cut down on the preventable injuries to the face. However, there is no rule at this time, and the choice to wear a visor is still the player’s choice. Many players in the league still have the macho mentality. Meaning if they wore a visor that shows they are not a tough guy. Many players had the same feeling towards helmets, but protecting the head became mandatory.
Find 2011-2012 NHL Hockey Tickets
Pierre McGuire, a hockey analyst as well for NBC and TSN, said, “The players need to be protected from themselves.” He feels that visors should be mandatory. There are some players who are tough and still wear the visor. Players like Jarome Iginla and Dion Phaneuf wear visors. But, when it comes time to fight and get physical the visor comes off. There are people who may think of visors as being totally protective. There is still enough room for a stick to get in between the plastic and the helmet. Any protection to reduce injury may be better than none.
A player must wear face protection from youth hockey all the way up to the AHL. The NHL is the only institution where visors are a choice. Some players like the visors, some feel it hurts their vision or it fogs up too much. There will always be two sides to any debate. But how you play the game of hockey will determine what side of the visor debate you are on. More and more the safety of players and the ability to reduce injuries is in the best interest of hockey. There will always be players who resist change for better or for worse.