Messier builds case for mandatory face masks
Veteran's message is 'it's cool to be protected'
Garth Woolsey --- Nov 10, 2008 04:30 AM
Mark Messier broke into the National Hockey League in 1979-80, the same season that the league finally made the wearing of helmets mandatory. Now 47, Messier says it is only a matter of time – finally – until the NHL takes the next logical step and makes facial protection compulsory, too.
"I see the exact same thing happening with face masks," he said yesterday before stepping on to the ice at the Air Canada Centre for the Hall of Fame Legends game wearing a new, possibly safer, line of helmets that he is endorsing. "I would recommend any player that grows up playing with a face mask not to take it off when he turns pro."
Never mind leaving the decision to individuals, he adds. Make facial protection, whether full cages or visors, mandatory.
When Messier speaks on such matters, hockey people tend to listen. He played 25 hard-knock years in the NHL, one of the toughest ever, taking part in more games than anyone but Gordie Howe, plenty long enough to bear witness to everything the sport has to offer, good and bad, the latter including countless head injuries.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Messier wants face masks to be manditory.
Former NHL great Mark Messier is making the case for the NHL players to wear the full cage. First off, I don' think the players union is going to go for this idea. I also think it is a matter of personal rights, if a player chooses to not wear the face shield and or face mask it is their decision and theirs only, do they really need the league telling them what they have to wear. So you’re getting into a personal rights issue. Also, some have made the case that the face masks causes concussions as well... Here is one the helmet that article was talking about.
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In some cases the visor can actually cause more damage. If a stick gets in between the visor and players face it is gonna tear up your face. I've seen it happen. I don't wear a visor but I used to. The only thing it was good for is when some pond rocket who shouldn't be on the ice fires a puck at the bench you can just look down and your face is protected.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Messier on this. I think cages are the safest bet. In this day of D-Men blocking as many shots as they do it's only a matter of time before one of them gets a slapshot in the face. And with the composite sticks launching pucks like missiles the damage could be deadly with the shot directly to the face.
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