At every level of hockey with the exception of the professional level, players are not required to wear just ordinary helmets, but ones with visors or face masks attached. The reasoning is simple: If the head is the most vulnerable part of the body, the eyes are just as vulnerable. One high stick to the eye area can lead to a permanent disfiguring injury or even blindness. The NHL may eventually make them a requirement in a manner similar to what they did with helmets--visors will be optional for players signed before a certain date and all players who signed after that date will be compelled to wear them in game competition. The NHL even has the data to justify a mandate: Of those players who have suffered facial injuries, about 3 out of every 4 were not wearing visors (or shields).
What to Look for
There is no hesitation from younger players when it comes to wearing visors--nearly all are required to wear full face masks. But among older players there are concerns that a visor will obscure the vision, a factor that would obviously impact a player's ability to play the game. However, today's shields provide extreme clarity and only impact a player's visual acuity for the positive. For example, in addition to providing protection from stray sticks and pucks, a good visor will also protect a player's eyes from the harsh glare of arena lighting. That allows a player to see even more clearly than if he was not wearing a visor. Another issue concerning visual clarity is the fog factor. Hockey requires maximum effort from the body at all times and one of the results is heavy breathing that could fog a protective shield. However, today's shields are made out of anti-fogging material to prevent this from happening, and anti-fog spray can provide further insurance that this will not be an issue.
Common Pitfalls
Visors can get scratched in games, in practice and even when they are not in use. Players will typically put their visor in their equipment bag when they are done with them and they will bounce around against skates, sticks and other equipment, thereby scratching the lens. In order to prevent this form happening, you should purchase a lens bag that will prevent the shield from being damaged. The shield itself can also endanger the player if it is not installed correctly. A shield is usually sold with spacers that attach to the helmet and provide an extra 1/4 to 1/2 an inch between the mask and the visor. This prevents the shield from cutting the user in the event of a hard hit to the upper body or head.
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