The skate+face incident in the stars v wild game today has folks talking about face and neck protection in the NHL. I want to share some info and a little good news for the future.
Based on the latest CBA, NHL players entering the league next season will be required to wear neck protection. It will be optional for players who played at least one NHL game before the 26/27 season. However, some younger players do already wear them - Ilya Protas is the example I'm familiar with, from his 4 games with the Caps this season. And many goalies have worn neck guards for years now. (Even knowing he survived, do not look up the Clint Malarchuk incident unless you have a strong stomach.)
Unfortunately the NHL is slow to change on these things, both for cultural reasons (including toxic masculinity) and labor rights. Everything players are required or prohibited from wearing has to be negotiated in the CBA between the NHL (league administration and team owners) and the NHLPA (the players union).
Face visors became mandatory in the 2006/2007 season in the AHL, then the 2013/2014 season in the NHL. Players with more than 25 games of NHL experience were grandfathered in. It took decades of gruesome eye injuries to get this into the CBA, and there were only five NHLers still visor-less in the 25/26 season. (Two of the holdouts are Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars and Zach Bogosian of the Wild; somewhat ironic given today's incident between their teams.) Many players who declined helmets were enforcers, because it shielded your face and was more plastic for the other guy to tear his knuckles on.
Helmets were mandated in 1979, with previously contracted players allowed to go lidless during games if they wished. As with visors, it took decades of head injuries to bring about the change. Craig McTavish of the Blues was the last to play without a helmet in 1997/1998.
I think we'll see full face visors within our lifetimes. But it WILL require a bigger change hockey culture than the other three have. It will fundamentally change fighting culture - and I don't say that to defend said culture, but we have to acknowledge the existence and prominence of fighting in hockey. The importance of fighting has declined in the last 20 years as the game has sped up, and I can see it continuing to decline enough that players are willing to forego it. We may not be there yet, but in 10-20 years I think it'll happen.
