In all of your opinions do you think the NHL should make it mandatory for all its players to wear a visor. The AHL started doing it this season, and there have been talks about bringing it it the NHL as well. Your thoughts?
2006-12-13 03:03:00 · 22 answers · asked by hockeydude25 4 in Sports ➔ Hockey
no, i believe that helmets should be mandatory but visors should not be. visors are either loved or hated by players, so if a player hates them, why should he have to wear them?
2006-12-13 03:19:31 · answer #1 · answered by Whit 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Head injuries and eye injuries started spiking almost immediately after the league made helmets mandatory. Does the league really think that adding visors is going to make the players any safer?
The problem is not lack of equipment. The problem is fundamental to the game of hockey, namely checking high with a stick in your hand and winding up 180 degrees to hit the puck. Guys with visors have had high facial injuries too.
Just as a sidenote, why don't NHL players wear goggles instead of a visor, a la James Worthy of the old Lakers in the NBA?
2006-12-13 13:36:13 · answer #2 · answered by jpspencer1966 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes and no...take the helmet situation in the 1970s.
Yes the mandatory helmet rule has decreased the number of injuries over the years, no question. However, much as I hate to agree with Don Cherry, the helmet has also caused a severe lack of respect with regards to the head area and we see a lot more high sticks than prior to that rule.
With the visor, I'm concerned about the same issue. Although it seems like a good idea, what side effects will we see in 20 years in the style of play when players are no longer afraid to hit the face?
2006-12-13 15:23:12 · answer #3 · answered by Gwydyon 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most definitely.
I can not believe the NHL-PA has not already demanded this of it's players.
Even more unbelievable, each player has insurance coverage for millions of dollars. What insurance company allows it's undersigned to do something so dangerous. After numerous players have been put out of the game, why would they continue to allow such non-sense,
Don Cherry says that most high sticking is committed by players who wear visors. THIS IS FICTION!! Although it is true that most visor wearing players are non-English, THEY ARE NOT THE ONES WITH THE STICKS UP.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2004/02/12/cherry040212.html?print
Two thirds of high sticking penalties are committed by players with no visor. These players have not given thought to eye injuries and are less careful with their sticks.
2006-12-13 15:36:47 · answer #4 · answered by Roadrunner 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well this issue is somewhat up in the air cuz everyone's answers seem to be correct and you really can't be wrong...
I myself might wear one but my concerns are about how players will approach the situation. For awhile many people in hockey generally feel that today's hockey player is "over equipped"....
almost built like robots these days, most players feel they are immune to injuries and at the same time will play recklessly without any concern for anyone else on the ice. Back in the early years players knew to pay attention on the ice and follow the play closely so as not to get hurt.
I worry with making visors mandatory, one might have to ask themselves is this really the answer or is this really giving the players unwritten permission to be careless with their sticks. Perfect example was the injury to Bryan Berard when the Ottawa player swung his stick wildly at the puck only to have missed the puck and struck Berard's eye. Did that Ottawa player know where Berard was?..did he know swinging his stick like that won't hurt anyone cuz they might be wearing a visor and does that still give that Ottawa player (Hossa I think?) the right to be swinging his stick in that manner?
my fear is the trickle effect it will have down into the youth hockey with how the hockey is played at the highest level...the league (NHL) and its players should definitely discuss the pros and cons to this issue for reasons like the effects of youth hockey.
Like I said before there is no right or wrong to wearing and not wearing one...but I feel the current solution is to keep those sticks down, elbows down and pay attention to the play so as to avoid flying pucks!
2006-12-13 22:14:15 · answer #5 · answered by goaltenderforhire 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO! its up to the players. Sundin last year went from a visor when he got injured early last year with the puck in the eye, and that same year he took it of cause he didn't like it. and who cares what the AHL rules are this is the NHL the best sport in the world.
GO HABS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
2006-12-13 20:20:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course. It would cut down on eye injuries quite a bit. For example, the injury Bryan Berard suffered in 2000 when Marian Hossa hit him in the right eye with his stick could have been prevented, if not minimized if Berard had been wearing a visor.
2006-12-13 21:56:33 · answer #7 · answered by Stepher 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, some players don't like visors and I don't think that you should make them wear visors if they play best without one. If they are playing at the highest level in the sport, they should be able to make this decision by themselves.
2006-12-13 16:48:38 · answer #8 · answered by hockey=life 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, just the half visor though. It will save many eyes and maybe even some chicklets from the highsticks.
After Koivu's little run-in, I think half visors should be mandatory.
2006-12-13 14:15:41 · answer #9 · answered by Brad NotPitt 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
definetley
i wouldnt go out there without a visor. i play double a with a cage and its still scary at sime times. i agree with the first person they shiuld all be doing it voluntarily. especially when your play the leafs. kilger gets the puck watch out (he broke the nhl record at the skills comp last week at a speed of 106.6
2006-12-13 11:38:46 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋