yzerman wil ask players to wear visors

[puck_it]

Interesting news, yzerman will ask his players to wear visors. Last I heard, his eye still wasn't right from the injury he sustained at the end of his career. I wonder who will balk at it. Lecavalier seems on board, malone, not so much...

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2011/04/05/yzerman-will-ask-all-lightning-players-to-wear-visors-next-year

[livinthedream]

I think this is wise and I hope JR follows suit. If the league's not smart enough to mandate it, then perhaps the GMs can start mandating on a team-by-team basis. Or at least grandfather it in. I think most younger players now wear one anyway so it may naturally happen as a matter of course.

That being said, as has been previously established, it's hell on the photographer.

ETA:

Unless I missed someone, here are the players on our current roster that don't wear a visor:

Allen, Gleason, Staal, Joslin, Harrison, LaRose, Stillman, Corvo


Players that do wear a visor:

McBain, Ruutu, Sutter, Tlusty, Bowman, Pitkanen, Cole, Jokinen, Skinner, Samson

[SoCalcaniac]

Good link puck_it. I had heard a little chatter & saw a couple tweets about it, and I think if anyone can 'convince' players, it would be Yzerman. I'm sure it was prompted by that Lecavalier eye injury the other night, but I agree someone needs to take a stand.


What confounds me is that they play this game all the way through JR's, college, etc. and they're wearing them, then they get drafted and take the darn things off. I know they're probably more of a hassle than anything, they fog up, blah, blah... but they've got to do all they can to protect themselves.

Manny Malhotra's injury is the Bryan Berard injury of the post lock out era. We don't know if he's going to be able to resume his career, the docs are happy with the way the surgery went, but there is still this post surgery healing period. He could be done and that will be a terrible way for his career to end.

I hope the players at least consider the grandfathering thing- but I think personally, if you're over 30 you can request an exception. Anyone under has to put one on. I know it won't fly, it's just my wish.

[kermelbar]

they fog up

There's a Hint from Heloise (I think) about using shaving cream on your bathroom mirror to prevent it from fogging. Wonder if the same might work for the visors?

[SoCalcaniac]

They do have that "fog spray" that you'll see the equipment guys using on guys visors on the bench.

I think for me, it's something you end up getting "used to" most players will have that as an excuse to throw out there. It's not convenient, like most things that are for your own good.... BUT....

[Guyute]

I don't really get it either. I know it's easier to not use anything. But damn, not like you can just swap out an eye. Obviously guys don't care about teeth, but you'd think they'd care about their eyes.

And yeah, you do grow up playing with a cage/visor on, I don't know why there's a need to drop them once you hit the ultimate level, and have even more a chance of injury. /shrug.

[superdave]

For the life of me, I can't see why this isn't at least grandfathered in at the league level. I'd wear every piece of safety equipment available.

[livinthedream]

Of our players, Staal is the one that I think surprises me the most by not wearing one, of course after that high stick in the Caps game (that was apparently caused by his own stick - /eyeroll) perhaps he'll reconsider for next season.

Interestingly enough, none of his brothers wear visors either.

You all will recall that Ruuty switched over at the beginning of the 09-10 season (after trying out that god-awful fishbowl looking thing at training camp). He's about as messy a player as you can find in terms of being sweaty, falling on the ice, fogging up the visor, hitting, and parking in front of the net. I figure if he can make the switch to a visor, anybody can.

[nccanes]

Cole also went from no visor to visor a few years back.

[superdave]

I really think it's a kahunas thing. Real men don't need them (in their eyes).

[StormChaserBH]

As a sidebar, it's interesting to me that the visor or cage is not required at the adult beer league level either; only a hockey helmet with chin strap is required by USA Hockey. I know there's no (not supposed to be) checking, but it's still a some-contact sport, there's the occasional slap shot, and worst of all there's a lot of idiots out there carrying their sticks high.... Quite a few guys I've played with and against have gone bare face, but there's no way I'd step out there without my cage.

[ButtersSaysNo]

Different sport, but when I played football I wore the visor shield. Made it a heck of a lot hotter in the helmet, but I was not getting poked in the eyes by fingers.

Considering there are pucks and sticks in hockey, no way in heck I would not be wearing a visor.

[SoCalcaniac]

I really think it's a kahunas thing. Real men don't need them (in their eyes).


Yep you hit. It also speaks to the Don Cherry School of Thinking and that whole North American vs European player thing that was very pervasive in the old "cold war" USSR days when all of those Russian players wore visors and it was the belief by many that they were somehow less than, because they wore them. Cherry has somewhat softened, (Likely because some of his Good Canadian Boys wear them) but that mentality is still out there.

I was talking about this with a friend who we sat with in 121 and we chat with before games now that we've moved over. She and I had always bellyached about #12 not wearing a visor, and were talking the other day about that "he high sticked himself" dealio from WSH; We were thinking back to his rookie season, when he got tagged in the face and at that time he was as ya'll recall, baby faced, but not Skinner Baby Faced; and he's gonna look raggedy not boyish by the time he's 30, hehe; her thought was that he's got that fair skin, and fair skin always shows worse than a medium or dark complexion and if he wasn't careful it'd get worse. Well I think we can all roll off the number of interesting cuts he has sustained, and it almost seems like his face is a target, lol. It's probably just more noticeable due to his fairness. After this recent high stick incident, you'd think he'd at least consider it.

I hope the conversation gets louder- but I'm sure the PA will have plenty of input in this.....

[KaniacFever]

I remember when Gleason had to wear a visor two or three years ago after he got that nasty cut above his eye in Phoenix after a fight. I remember him beatching about it. I think he will go down fighting on wearing one.

But that goes with Superdave's comment and his kahunas

[Darkwing]

they don't fog up as bad as people ***** about -- at least my oakley one doesn't fog up. based on how careless people are with their stick and lack of ability to keep a shot low in beer league though, i'm probably going to go a full cage at some point..just not worth it for rec league.

[Guyute]

I wear a full cage. Considered visor, but heat was a big concern. Fog too, but mainly heat.
No-check hockey is true for us older folks... but yeah, I've been hit in the face a few times with a stick already, and I'm just playing pickup. People are careless, why would I risk my face? Stupid.
IMO, if that's how you prove you have balls... you need some help.

[IceSun]

IMO, if that's how you prove you have balls... you need some help.

Seems if you wanted to prove that you have balls, going without lower body protection would be the fastest way to that - and no one seems in a rush for that... (although at some point, people were probably debating the merits of that!)

I do see where players could have issues with the vision/rink-sense thing until they get used to it - but Cam is covered in full head gear and seems to use his peripheral vision pretty well to spot 90-100 mph pucks coming at him.

[Jay]

I wore a visor in my "beer league" (it's ball hockey, so, yeah) -- and it was annoying, I was thinking of removing it when, during a pickup game, I took a stick which, had I not been wearing a visor, would've nailed me right on the crown of the nose -- that's when I decided that my face mattered more than being able to see a little better while playing.

I want to see players wear visors. I don't pay for season tickets to see the star of the team out with a broken orbital bone, or similar BS, because he was too macho to wear the damn protective equipment!

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Seems if you wanted to prove that you have balls, going without lower body protection would be the fastest way to that - and no one seems in a rush for that... (although at some point, people were probably debating the merits of that!)


No they weren't.


;)

[puck_it]

Not wearing a visor used to be about retribution... you used to get hammered for being a ***** and wearing a visor. there's an element of machismo.

You do get better vision, w/o. and it steps down the line from none to visor, to cage...

Fighters wont want them, because you can break your hand on it. so, they'll ditch their lids during fights, which is another issue entirely.

i'm ok with a grandfather rule, to be quite honest.

To echo what scBH said, in usa hockey and hockey canada for adults, only the helmet is required.

[puck_it]

I do see where players could have issues with the vision/rink-sense thing until they get used to it - but Cam is covered in full head gear and seems to use his peripheral vision pretty well to spot 90-100 mph pucks coming at him.

if he has to use his peripheral vision, he's out of position.

Those masks are meant to see head on, each mask/cage style has it's own quirks, too. For instance, Cam can take a but end or a stick black to the eye, there are cages that prevent that, but he opts for more visibility...

Anyway, like i said, peripheral vision is less important, because he's supposed to be square to the puck... and he doesnt have to worry about being checked. If you remove the danger of chopping out peripheral vision, (east west hits) like they're trying.... it may be more accepted. You're going to have to remove head shots before visors willingly come into play, IMO

[puck_it]

I believe lecavalier was already sportig a visor last night.

[nccanes]

Didn't Vinnie get hit with a stick (or puck) in the eye recently? I was presuming Yzerman's request came after that.

Not saying Yzerman's not the reason he's wearing one, but just wondering if it's due to his own injury to begin with.

[puck_it]

The request followed lecav getting hit in the eye, yes. Whether he's wearing the visor because of the request or the injury, I'm not sure. I'm leaning toward the former, since he talked about wanting to evaluate it over the summer. I doubt he will remove it even if he's cleared, it'd be a big statement to his team to be an early adopter

[Kat]

As a sidebar, it's interesting to me that the visor or cage is not required at the adult beer league level either; only a hockey helmet with chin strap is required by USA Hockey. I know there's no (not supposed to be) checking, but it's still a some-contact sport, there's the occasional slap shot, and worst of all there's a lot of idiots out there carrying their sticks high.... Quite a few guys I've played with and against have gone bare face, but there's no way I'd step out there without my cage.

Not to mention, most C-leaguers I know don't always have good control over their stick/balance/etc.

I have seen a guy without a shield fall down in a heap with another guy, and wind up having his mouth cut completely open by a skate (20 stitches).

they don't fog up as bad as people ***** about -- at least my oakley one doesn't fog up. based on how careless people are with their stick and lack of ability to keep a shot low in beer league though, i'm probably going to go a full cage at some point..just not worth it for rec league.

I wear a full clear shield (visor + plastic cage), rather like they make them wear if they have a lower facial injury in the NHL. It's hot as hell and it fogs but I would rather not have scars/lack of vision. The spray helps.

[cmw00]

I wear a full clear shield (visor + plastic cage), rather like they make them wear if they have a lower facial injury in the NHL. It's hot as hell and it fogs but I would rather not have scars/lack of vision. The spray helps.

They don't have some sort of tiny fan for this style face shield? When I was into playing tournament style paintball, you could by small fans that mounted in your mask. I always just used the spray stuff and never had a problem with fogging. Paintball masks are sealed to the face tighter than hockey visors. I'm surprised to hear that fogging is even an issue for hockey players who just wear the visors.

[Kat]

They don't have some sort of tiny fan for this style face shield? When I was into playing tournament style paintball, you could by small fans that mounted in your mask. I always just used the spray stuff and never had a problem with fogging. Paintball masks are sealed to the face tighter than hockey visors. I'm surprised to hear that fogging is even an issue for hockey players who just wear the visors.

I have never seen one with fans? It's vented around your mouth, of course, and they also make them clear on top and black cage on bottom.

Granted, even if they made one with fans, I am far from pro (ha!) and would be unlikely to plunk down the cash for something like that.

FWIW, I have never seen an NHL player wear a shield like mine, or a cage for that matter, unless they are recovering from a major facial injury.

It seems to me that I have often players (NHL and rec) with visors who have to wipe it down, too.

[puck_it]

FWIW, I have never seen an NHL player wear a shield like mine, or a cage for that matter, unless they are recovering from a major facial injury.


In professional hockey, you may not wear full facial protection unless you have a doctors note.

[puck_it]

They don't have some sort of tiny fan for this style face shield? When I was into playing tournament style paintball, you could by small fans that mounted in your mask. I always just used the spray stuff and never had a problem with fogging. Paintball masks are sealed to the face tighter than hockey visors. I'm surprised to hear that fogging is even an issue for hockey players who just wear the visors.
Its an issue for those that don't take particular care of their visors, but even so, its inevitable. Sweat can get on it, ice spray, any number of things..plus the cooler environment causes heat and moistire coming off the body to condense easier