Useless visor design

brooklynhabfan · Guru

Useless visor design

beakermania · Senior Member

They only way to really fix the design is to go with the full shield style visor. But with the resistance to even the half shields its gonna be a long time before we see those in the NHL.

The Kahuna · Guru

beakermania wrote:

They only way to really fix the design is to go with the full shield style visor. But with the resistance to even the half shields its gonna be a long time before we see those in the NHL.

Agreed. A visor on Berard likely would have saved his eye, but who knows. The design is useless for sure, but it's what the players want. Most non NHL players have been wearing full cages or the full cage visor combo for years. But with the Don Cherry mentality in the NHL it's more macho to risk your vision. Take a look at the goalie masks with the Cat Eye cages. I beleive they're banned in most leagues except the NHL. Doh, it's the only cage I've ever been able to see out of too

beakermania · Senior Member

In our mens league visors are not required. However i always wear a full cage. I have always worn a cage, you get used to it quickly and it does not impair my vision at all. Its about 50-50 though guys with cages and visors vs no cages, with a few half visors thrown in but not many.

I do not understand the machoness of this, too many sticks and pucks that can take out an eye, tooth, etc... and i have to work in the morning. I'll never understand the mentality. It is easy to fight with a cage/visor, all you do is remove your helmet after dropping the gloves, if both guys really want to go, they do it.

Desi · Senior Member

The visor as it exists now offers such limited protection. A head-on blow will get blocked, but anything from underneath can get up there and wreak havoc. In those cases, the stock can even get stuck up there and cause more damage than it would if there no visor.

A better design would be one that covers the eyes but also prevents a stick from getting in beneath the lower edge of the visor. But this could create fogging issues.

My son had a real bad eye injury playing street hockey that's left him with only 20% of his vision in one eye. He compensates for it well, but has to wear goggles under his cage or use a polycarbonate cage. The poly cage fogs up and so do the glasses, especially when outside temps and humidity are high. It's a real pain, but necessary to protect the one good eye he has left.

All these injuries can be totally prevented by cages, but I think the Kahuna is right. There's a macho side to it that isn't going to be legislated away. Maybe as more college players move up they'll have the sense to stick to the cages they wear in college. I hope so.

Les Canadiens sont la