Earlier this season, Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov was handed a 2-minute minor during the first game of this season for wearing his visor too high. A new rule that prohibited a visor style which players such as Komarov, Carl Hagelin and Niklas Kronwall have been wearing since they debuted in the NHL. After the 2 minute minor, the referees required Komarov to either wear his visor properly or to take it off entirely. Komarov and Head Coach Jon Cooper protested the penalty before ultimately deciding to take the visor off.

The league had instituted a mandatory visor rule back in 2013, requiring players with less than 26 games of NHL experience prior to 2013 to wear a visor after New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal suffered a scary eye injury after taking a slapshot to the face. Since returning, Staal has transitioned to wearing a visor during every game. This summer, the NHL began cracking down on how players wear their visors by implementing 2-minute minors for visors deemed illegal.

However, even with visors, players aren’t completely puck or stick-proof. Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon left the October 13 tilt vs. the Ducks after being hi-sticked in the eye. MacKinnon crumpled to the floor clutching his bloody face and skated off the ice with the assistance of medical trainers. Fortunately for him, he escaped any serious injury.

If the league wants to make player safety a priority, they should look at college and the lower ranks of hockey, where full masks are mandatory. A full mask rule will be hit with heavy opposition from the players, such as when the league initially mandated helmets back in 1979. However, a full mask would ensure protection for a player's face from any sticks and pucks. Hockey helmets aren’t safe in their own right, but that’s a conversation for another day.