Gruesome Eye Injury Revives Visor Debate in NHL

It was a horrible sight for anyone watching. New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal dropped to the ice to block an incoming shot. The slapper deflected off a stick and struck Staal in the region of his right orbital bone. As soon as it happened, Staal writhed in pain on the ice, legs flailing as blood gushed out.

Fortunately for Staal, he did not have to go to the hospital and the Rangers’ doctors are predicting a full recovery for him. For a while, though, the incident recalled injuries to Chris Pronger — who may be forced to retire soon — and Bryan Berard, who attempted a comeback after a stick in the eye detached his retina and slashed the sclera (the white of the eye). Berard wore a special contact lens, but he had to hang up his skates.

Now the question is: why isn’t every player in the National Hockey League wearing a visor? According to a poll conducted by the NHL Players Association, 68 percent of players wear eye protection, 10 percent more than a year ago. That means nearly a full third of pros are not.

Let’s not kid ourselves: the visors available now are not 100 percent foolproof. Pucks and sticks can, and have, occasionally managed to find their way under the eye shield and cause injury. Still, the point is that it is far more likely to protect against direct impacts of the types that Staal, Pronger and Berard have had to endure. Also, something like that has to be better than nothing — which 32 percent of players currently choose.

The players who are against mandatory eye protection dislike the inconvenience of wearing them. The shield fogs up from a player’s perspiration, and they are often seen on the bench with a towel clearing moisture off the inside of the shields. You know what? It’s also uncomfortable and inconvenient to wear athletic supporters (more commonly known as “cups,” “jocks” or “boxes”) but they’re there for a reason: anyone who has taken a direct hit to the groin knows the value of wearing one. Is it less painful to get in the eye than a shot to the genitals? Are eyes less important?

So perhaps it’s time to make players wear them on helmets. It’s a smart idea, just like wearing head protection. Did you know that it is no longer mandatory for players to wear helmets? The rule was quietly changed a couple of seasons ago, yet no player is stupid enough to not wear one. It should be the same with eye protection: the logic of it should be immediately obvious to everyone, yet apparently it isn’t.

Of course, some tough guys out there don’t want to wear a visor because they don’t want to be seen as “weak,” especially if their main job is to be an “enforcer.” Sadly, it would appear that with this issue, being “tough” and being stupid go hand-in-hand.