Youngsters ditching the visors

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

I've noticed that some of the young guns have ditched the visors this year. Zach Bogosian, Jamie Benn, and Davis Drewiske are 3 guys off the top of my head. Good to see the youngsters kickin' it old-school

Anyone noticed any other players that have switched?

[rick zombo 3,739]

I've noticed that some of the young guns have ditched the visors this year. Zach Bogosian, Jamie Benn, and Davis Drewiske are 3 guys off the top of my head. Good to see the youngsters kickin' it old-school

Anyone noticed any other players that have switched?

I haven't noticed, no. But then again I'm blind. I lost both eyes to high sticks because I wasn't wearing a visor.

[BigWillieStyle 662]

I haven't noticed, no. But then again I'm blind. I lost both eyes to high sticks because I wasn't wearing a visor.

The NHL is looking for some new referees. It would seem as though you would fit their current profile of refs that they are using these days.

[rick zombo 3,739]

The NHL is looking for some new referees. It would seem as though you would fit their current profile of refs that they are using these days.

Hey.

[titanium2 867]

Can't wait for someone to bump this thread when an injury to the face happens to someone.

Hopefully not a Red Wing. Pleeeeeeeeease?

[Nev 1,085]

Yep. And then like Cleary and Draper and Lidstrom, that player will probably start wearing a visor too.........

[soultrain 43]

i say f*** visors! who needs eyeballs anyways!

[seeinred 1,488]

I definitely understand. The day I could ditch my cage, I did. The day I could ditch my visor, I did that too. It just feels better to me.

[LidstromIsASuperhero 29]

I ditched my cage... for a while. Then some moron turned and blindly fired a puck right at my face from his own corner and I wound up with 9 stitches in my cheekbone and a permanent strange tingling feeling in my right temple whenever I touch it. Point is, even if you do things right when you aren't wearing a visor, you can count on some other idiot screwing things up for you.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

[howeaboutthat 22]

i say f*** visors! who needs eyeballs anyways!

Visors aren't the answer to everything.

David-Alexandre Beauregard betrays no sadness when he tells his tale. He doesn't curse the event that changed his life, nor does he dwell upon it. Beauregard, 23, is pleased to be an outstanding left wing for the Flint Generals in the United Hockey League (UHL) and proud that the 51 goals he had scored in 67 games through Saturday was the second-best total in the low-rung circuit. Beauregard indulges in few fantasies of what might have been. Even in his dreams, he says, he has only one good eye. "That's who I am," he says. "I can't remember how things looked when I had full sight."

In the fall of 1994 Beauregard, then 18, was a premier sniper for the St. Hyacinthe Lasers of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He had been the 11th-round pick of the San Jose Sharks the previous June.

Swift and nimble with the puck, Beauregard was on a breakaway in a Lasers game against the Granby Bisons on Oct. 16, 1994, when Bisons winger—Xavier Delisle lunged and tried to stop Beauregard with his stick. In a horrifying accident Delisle's blade rode up Beauregard's body, slipped beneath his visor and gouged his left eye. In an instant Beauregard was blind in that eye.

The stick blade had punctured Beauregard's eye, draining its humors and severing crucial blood vessels. The eye sagged, not unlike a deflated balloon, and Beauregard underwent surgery in which a soft plastic ball was sewn into his eye to reaffirm its natural shape.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1015562/index.htm#ixzz12oOH2E6a

He currenty plays for Nottingham Panthers in the EIHL and is slotting them away quite nicely, 8 goals and 7 assists in 12 games.

The daft thing over here though is that league rules mean everyone has to wear a visor, including enforcers (Beauregard BTW wears a full cage).

[Third Man In 2,091]

Pointing out a freak injury involving a player wearing a visor makes about as much sense as pointing out a freak injury that occurs because someone was wearing a seat belt. I understand cages and visors are annoying and restrict vision, but they prevent many, many more injuries than they cause.

[PROBIE4PREZ 58]

Cages are annoying

Clear full masks fog up

Any visor besides the 1/3 looks dorky as s***tttttttttttttttttttttttt

1/3rd Visors get stratched and dont cover nearly enough.

Im my rec league I see more high sticks catching mouths then I do eyes anyways.

cage or nothing imo

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

To be honest I haven't noticed...Most players in the league today wear the visor.

Facial injuries happen regardless - even with the visor.

Yeah - I couldn't stand the cage, nor the half-shield...I too kicked it "old school", and felt I could see the ice, and my surroundings 100 times better.

I'd say about half wear a shield and half don't in the NHL today. I still say Lidstrom, Cleary, and Draper don't look right with the visor on.

[jollymania 162]

Cages are annoying

Clear full masks fog up

Any visor besides the 1/3 looks dorky as s***tttttttttttttttttttttttt

1/3rd Visors get stratched and dont cover nearly enough.

Im my rec league I see more high sticks catching mouths then I do eyes anyways.

cage or nothing imo

i have an oakley visor and it works pretty well, it only blocks a tiny bit of my peripheral vision, i have had it for 3 years and it isn't scratched up yet, the only time i am glad i had it was when a goalie punched me in the face with his blocker, in which case my face was spared thanks to the visor

[Behind Enemy Lines in CO 11]

Hard to believe when I played high school hockey in the mid '70s (yes i am that old) we did not have any face protection. So when I started playing adult league hockey a few years ago I bought a cage because everyone else was wearing one. Hated it, so now have a visor.

In a game last year while playing defense I put my stick out to block a shot and the puck deflected up right into my chin. 8 stitches later I still wear the visor.

So who is the idiot?

[Din758 371]

do you guys expect the league will put in a rule in the future saying players must wear a visor?

may sound ridiculous now, but just think when they were talking about making helmets mandatory. that seemed to work out alright.

[achildr1 255]

Mine is all scratched up, ends up pushed up on my helmet to where its useless anyway. I pretty much don't like it anyway. That said, I don't trust these stick wielding hooligans nowadays and would probably wear one if I played competitively again.

The difference is huge though. Having nothing there makes it seem like you can see the ice so much better.

[martyrme19 73]

Visors can cause accidents too, and are not that uncommon. The edge of the visor can be pushed card against a players face, thus breaking their nose for example. As well, pucks and sticks can easily go under a visor because its those angles anyways that a player is most vulnerable against because its hard to see coming and is generally coming from an awkward position.

Weird concept i know....that a player usually gets out of the way when they can see a puck coming towards their face....

And i already know what you are going to say about the risk of quickly deflected pucks and sticks and how in large, this is the bigger picture....

And even though that is debatable, i would simply like to say that its just the players choice - no one should take one bit of concern about it. If there is a risk either way - then it should be up to the player to decide what is best for him. Much like why i think seat belt laws are bulls***.

[PROBIE4PREZ 58]

i have an oakley visor and it works pretty well, it only blocks a tiny bit of my peripheral vision, i have had it for 3 years and it isn't scratched up yet, the only time i am glad i had it was when a goalie punched me in the face with his blocker, in which case my face was spared thanks to the visor

How much did you drop for your Oakley visor?

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

It would have to be approved by the NHLPA as well.

Me thinks it'll stay optional instead of being mandatory.

Its definitely the player's choice. Absolutely ridiculous to even think they'd make visors mandatory.

[Din758 371]

Its definitely the player's choice. Absolutely ridiculous to even think they'd make visors mandatory.

Im sure much of the same talk was said when they were talking about helmets being mandatory, but that worked out pretty well.

I think that the change could help a lot though. The NHL is always talking about how to protect their players and this could be a pretty valid way to help that. Sure its not every day that an injury happens because of a lack of a visor, but what if a lidstrom type player lost an eye in his prime and could no longer play? What would you say then? Sure it would take some getting used to but if all the players had to do it, they would all share that disadvantage.

The NHL should do some hardcore research before they impose any such rule, but its definitely not something you can just ignore because of how it was done in the past.

This is all coming from a guy who plays with no cage or visor. Ya im a hypocrite i know.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

Im sure much of the same talk was said when they were talking about helmets being mandatory, but that worked out pretty well.

I think that the change could help a lot though. The NHL is always talking about how to protect their players and this could be a pretty valid way to help that. Sure its not every day that an injury happens because of a lack of a visor, but what if a lidstrom type player lost an eye in his prime and could no longer play? What would you say then? Sure it would take some getting used to but if all the players had to do it, they would all share that disadvantage.

The NHL should do some hardcore research before they impose any such rule, but its definitely not something you can just ignore because of how it was done in the past.

This is all coming from a guy who plays with no cage or visor. Ya im a hypocrite i know.

The big problem I see is like what happened last night. Bryan Bickell and David Backes (Both wear visors) decided to square off. Problem is they didn't bother to drop the shields before throwing. It hurts like a ***** when you punch a visor, believe me. You don't usually feel it right away, but when your adrenaline lowers, you feel it after the fight. Easy way to shorten your season by breaking your hand on a visor. I know a while back Jared Boll broke his hand in a fight where he punched a visor. Big issue in my mind. Does it protect guys eyes? Sure. Does it have its negatives? You bet. Ask Brian Burke what he thinks about mandatory visors in the NHL.

[Din758 371]

then just take it off then when you square up like most people do. also punching the side of a helmet hurts equally bad and nobody has a problem with that.

edit: im not trying to start a war, and im sure we could go back and forth all day like a couple of stubborn asses lol. im just sayin, theres two sides to every story.

Edited October 19, 2010 by Din758

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

then just take it off then when you square up like most people do. also punching the side of a helmet hurts equally bad and nobody has a problem with that.

edit: im not trying to start a war, and im sure we could go back and forth all day like a couple of stubborn asses lol. im just sayin, theres two sides to every story.

That's why I think there should be an additional minor for fighting with a visor on. I realize punching the side of a helmet hurts as well. I know you're not trying to start anything, and I'm not either. I just think it should be left to each individual player to decide whether he wants to wear a visor or not.