Visors Mandatory in AHL Next Season
June 28, 2006
The AHL Board of Governors voted today to make visors mandatory for ALL AHL players next season. There will be no ‘grandfather’ rule and even NHL players sent down for conditioning would be required to comply. The move to make the visors mandatory has been discussed for a long time and was probably brought to the forefront after several eye injuries last season. Maple Leafs center Mats Sundin missed several weeks of the season after being hit near the eye with a puck, but Jordan Smith, of the AHL’s Portland Pirates, was not as fortunate and completely lost vision in one eye from a puck deflection.
I was wondering how many more severe eye injuries would have to occur before hockey made this move. I think it will only be a matter of time before we see visors become mandatory in the NHL. A lot of players will gripe and moan, but I think its for the good of the game. My only concern is whether this will lead to a further decline in fighting.
Comments
Got something to say?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
