Should NHL Make Facemasks Mandatory?...

[KillerKat]

I always thought that they should wear the full clear plastic facemasks like pictured above. I never understood the whole "macho" attitude towards not wearing them. I think it has nothing to do with how tough you are, but a matter of you wanting all your teeth while you're older and being able to see out of both eyes. Here is a article that I found. It's old, but I share the same view.

There are going to be two camps on this argument. One side is going to be all about safety and how it's important that all athletes, even the extremely tough NHL players, are protected at all costs. The other side of the argument are going to be the people that are "old school" or "traditionalists" that think NHL is man's sport and this kind of thing is just part of the game. Zednik can just throw a band-aid on that cut and get back out there.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/609511/should_nhl_hockey_players_wear_masks.html?cat=46

[Mesmer]

No.

[lightsout]

If you're gonna have facemasks, I don't think they should be much different than football helmets. The problem is, less vision and your peripherals are gone if you do this. In hockey, having huge vision is important. Should they be mandatory, no. If you have multiple facial injuries or concussions, I do think that the NHL should say "for our security, you must wear a special helmet in order to play" just to avoid any fatal situation with that player. We don't want to see any player die on the ice. It'd be like watching Dale Sr. in the 2001 Daytona 500 all over again for me.

[KillerKat]

The clear facemask wouldn't hurt peripherals. There is also a cage type facemask but I think that one would mess with peripheral vision even if very slightly.

[lightsout]

I think the first helmet shown would mess with peripherals more than the the 2nd due to the bar running down the side. It is clear, but it would effect it. The 2nd one would just be a nuisance due to the amount of bars. lol. I just don't see enough serious injuries to demand any mandatory face masks.

[KillerKat]

I think the eyes go past that bar.

[KillerKat]

here you go. finally found the pic of the usa player wearing it. although its the women, the men have someone wearing it too.

[WildBill559]

Possibly on the extended visors that you see a lot, but not like the ones posted above.

[Darth Biscuit]

I'm not a hockey fan but watch occasionally...I've always wondered why you wouldn't want to wear some sort of face protection... Football facemasks don't harm your vision... you don't even see them when you're playing.

[Ncstatefan]

No, masks impair vision simple as that.

[KillerKat]

No, masks impair vision simple as that.

If this was true no one would wear them. However almost all high school, college, womens leagues and olympics, and other leagues other than the NHL wear them. They do not impair vision. At least alot of NHL players have gone to the eye visor which doesn't impair vision. A facemask basically is just like that except with an added cage at the bottom of it.

[Happy Panther]

Are face injuries/concussions common in hockey?

[Mesmer]

There are plenty of players who would not be the same if this was made mandatory.

Choice of gear will evolve with time. Wearing a helmet used to be a big deal, then visor, etc.

As more youngster's learn with visors, etc. you will see more players at the NHL level using them, because they learn the game with them. Forcing it upon players? No.

Just ask Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice. His eye was injured by a shot and had to stop playing. He still agrees that visors and all should be optional and up to the player.

Dany Heatley's eye is all fugged up, and he started wearing one. I don't see what's wrong with player choice, rather than forcing people to wear some huge cage they're not used to.

And just FYI, Tim Gleason wore one of those masks when he got hit in the face with an Ovechkin shot and came back into the game later.

[DirtyMagic97]

I played hockey growing up, and was forced to wear some type of face protection. For a few years I wore the cage, then I switched to the full face clear visors. Your vision is moderately impaired, and while it may just be a feeling, it feels as if you can breathe better without one. When I turned 18 and started playing men's leagues, I quit wearing the face mask and went to a short visor. It is far superior as far as playability, but it really is less safe. I took a puck that had deflected of a stick and wasn't going that fast to the cheek bone. Extremely painful.