On March 5th, in a game between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers, Rangers defenseman Marc Staal took a deflected shot to the eye. This is old news- last month might as well be the 17th century in the information torrent of a hockey season- and, since it looks as though Staal will recover fully, is of little interest to anyone other than fantasy hockeyists and Rangers fans. It did, however, add some color to the recent Board of Governors meeting, where the subject of a mandatory visor rule was again revisited. Perhaps in light of Staal’s injury, certainly in light of all the other eye injuries that have befallen important visorless players over the years, the League came out with a strong statement in favor of mandating shields for all new players.
This statement received a wave of support from the hockey commentariat, among whom the mandatory visor rule has long been popular. But, as always, there’s a catch- despite favoring the rule, the NHL also stated that they wanted to work with the Players’ Association on the issue. The Players’ Association, as one would expect, promised only to put the matter to their membership for a vote.
Needless to say, the Association’s position was not popular among commentators. The PA has a history of supporting the principle of individual choice when it comes to equipment selection, and all previous votes on mandatory visors have reflected this. If history is any guide, the PA won’t support the rule and the BOG will drop the issue. Adam Proteau suggested, paradoxically, that giving players choice was evidence that the League doesn’t care about them. The astute Ryan Lambert wondered why, immediately after a prolonged, nasty labor dispute, the governors are so willing to play nice with the PA on safety concerns. If the owners are willing to f*&k the players for fun and profit, why not f*&k them for their own good and the good of the game as well? Our own Glorious Leader Bourne noted that teams put all sorts of regulations on their employees, and contended that visors should be no different. At the furthest extreme, Cam Cole waxed nostalgic for the good old days, when the NHL unilaterally imposed whatever rules it wanted without having to consult the players at all. It would be so much easier, so much better, if the League would just command the players to protect their eyes.
