Fansided

NHL Will Require Visors for All Incoming Players Starting in 2013-14 Season

By Josh Hill

Mar. 5, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal (18) skates off the ice with a trainer after getting hit in the face with a puck against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Rangers won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
Mar. 5, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal (18) skates off the ice with a trainer after getting hit in the face with a puck against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Rangers won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Nov 10, 2011; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (44) adjusts his visor before the game against the Minnesota Wild at HP Pavilion. San Jose defeated Minnesota 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 10, 2011; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (44) adjusts his visor before the game against the Minnesota Wild at HP Pavilion. San Jose defeated Minnesota 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-USA TODAY Sports /

The recent rash of eye injuries to stars in the NHL has prompted the league to begin grandfathering in the use of visors starting in the 2013-14 season. According to Darren Dreger from TSN, the league has agreed to mandate visors to al incoming players starting next season as well as other changes like making the nets more shallow and testing out a new form of icing.

The biggest change is the one being made about the use of visors. Sidney Crosby and Marc Staal, two very high profile players in the league, suffered injuries during the season caused by taking pucks directly in the face. Staal took a direct hit to his eye which somehow didn’t blind him but caused severe damage that has yet to fully heal.

Moving to  mandate visors is not the first time the NHL has made a drastic change to the way players look. Prior to the 1979 Draft, the NHL made a similar decision regarding the use of helmets as all incoming players had to wear helmets while players currently playing had the option of remaining helmet-less. Craig McTavish was the last player to every play an NHL game without a helmet when he retired following the 1997 season.

The NHL has been criticized for it’s player safety and mandating visors is a move that will only help make the game safer. Most of today’s popular players like Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin all wear visors which has helped with younger players to choose to use visors as a fashion statement. But it’s no longer a choice and the NHL will likely be a slightly safer game now that the use of visors has been mandated.

Home/NHL