NHL: Will Visors Soon Be Mandatory?

We've all seen it a hundred times—the inevitable high-stick. Often, it'll catch a player in the neck or face lightly without injury and earn the high-sticker two minutes in the sin-bin.

When blood is drawn, however, it'll result in a four-minute double minor. As the number of high-sticking injuries climbs yet again, the age-old debate must be brought up yet again: Should the NHL make visors mandatory?

The general consensus among former players and executives is yes.

Too often, key players have been affected by such an injury. Notably, Mats Sundin, Steve Yzerman, and Dany Heatley have all been shelved by an injury to the eye.

Perhaps the most startling injury was the one suffered by defenseman Bryan Berard, who lost vision in 80 percent of his left eye after taking a Marian Hossa stick to the eye back in 2000.

Berard was never the same. His vision was at a 20/600 scale, but after receiving seven eye surgeries and contact lenses (which brought his vision up to 20/400), he was allowed to play in the NHL again. Berard was unable to find a solid home, bouncing to five different teams in the following six seasons. He currently plays for the KHL in Russia with Vityaz Chekhov.

Although the visor does help, it doesn't automatically mean your eyes are protected. While playing in Europe, Ottawa Senators star Dany Heatley caught a puck in the eye while wearing a visor, resulting in him having a permanently dilated left eye.

One case against the use of visors is the players' problems experienced with them. Eric Lindros, a former six-time all-star had his own personal complaints against wearing visors. He felt that he couldn't see as well, a common problem experienced by players who attempt to wear the visor for the first time.

Another case against visors is the hockey players' mentality. It's often viewed as a sign of weakness by fellow players, thinking that one player is "hiding" behind his visor.

Sean Avery's comments about Denis Gauthier only reinforce that line of thinking: "I think it was typical of most French guys in our league with a visor on, running around and playing tough and not backing anything up."

Even most NHL referees have obliged to wear a visor after their colleague Rob Martell was struck in the face with an errant puck. Wearing a visor has even become a mandatory policy in the AHL, implemented in the 2006-'07 season. It states that the well-being of the players is in the league's best interest.

It appears the AHL's best are adjusting well to the rule; many of them are opting to keep the visor when they receive the call-up to the NHL.

The NHL's newest victim of a high-stick injury was the Bruins RW Michael Ryder. Ryder took an Antoine Vermette high-stick late in the third period of a game against Ottawa. The injury required surgery for three small fractures in his face. He must now wear a cage or visor for the rest of this season and possibly his career.

"I was just lucky it wasn't my eye," an optimistic Ryder said following yesterday's practice. Bryan Berard is living proof, Michael; you are indeed very lucky.