Not In The Face!: Is it time for mandatory visors?

It was a scary sight on Monday night: an errant high stick, the agonizing yell of a grown man, and his immediate rush of hands to grasp his face.

In a matter of seconds, an injury that could have been avoided sidelined Philadelphia Flyers Captain and defensive stalwart Chris Pronger for what GM Paul Holmgren has said will be a period of two to three weeks.

And then, it began.  The old debate, reopened.  No, not fighting, something that was covered just last week.  This is the visor debate.  However, this debate is much simpler than tackling what has become a very touchy subject in fighting.

When it comes to facial injuries — those the likes of what Chris Pronger encountered and that which sidelined Manny Malholtra and put his career in danger — could have been avoided by the use of a visor.  NHLPA statistics state that 68% of players in the NHL currently wear visors (via James Mirtle), but what’s more is that it seems to be primarily the younger generation.  This is no coincidence.

An article in The Hockey News in January of 2010 found that 65% of NHLers under 30 chose to wore the facial protection.  Less than half of their elder statesmen, the 30+ category, chose to wear a shield.  This can be well attributed to the younger generation being more aware of incidents of eye injuries akin to what Bryan Berard suffered that threatened to end his career.

As well, those younger players who don’t make the immediate jump into the NHL and go the developmental AHL route have been mandated into wearing a visor.  In 2006-07 the league legislated the use of visors for all players, regardless of age.

Chris Chelios, at 46 years of age, wearing a visor for the first time in his career with the AHL's Chicago Wolves.

But what about fighting?

There are many that believe fighting will drop significantly if visors are made mandatory for all players, but the evidence just isn’t there to prove this.  If you’ve looked through article written last week on fighting, you would realize that fighting numbers in the leagues that have made facial protection necessary is higher than the NHL.  In fact, while many point to visors possibly creating a situation where players remove their helmets prior to a fight and leave themselves vulnerable, it’s simply not the case.  The Western Hockey League, which is statistically the most fight heavy junior league in Canada, has put in a place a rule where it is illegal to remove a helmet before a fight.  Last season?  There were over 1700 fights in the WHL, roughly one per game.  The helmets and visors were far from a deterrent.

There will be those who point to Rule 46.6 of the NHL Rulebook and determine that the face shield will be the end of fighting.

For those wondering, Rule 46.6 states, “If a player penalized as an instigator of an altercation is wearing a face shield (including a goalkeeper), he shall be assessed an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.”  The instigator penalty on top of the unsportsmanlike conduct, nine minutes in penalties over five, would create quite a stir amongst those who make a living with their stone hands.

Could there be a middle ground?  A way to both legislate in mandatory visor use and expel any fear of the additional infractions in any fight?

The Bauer X100 Visor. Patented "Quick Clip" shield removal technology can be seen.

There is.  It has been available for years now and it’s used by the players in most junior leagues.  That answer is the Bauer X100 visor.  The ability to easily remove the visor with two clips puts an end to the clunky use of tools and the premeditation of taking it off well prior to a fight.  It would become the new throwing down of the gloves.  With the X100, two parties wanting to engage in a fight would be able to toss off the gloves, quickly unclip and toss the visor, and throw.  It’s simple and it’s right in front of the NHLPA.

However, the inherent issue in using the Bauer visor is sponsorship and all that is attached to it.  While the AHL and CHL are sponsored by Reebok-CCM and it is the most visible sponsor, the WHL has integrated the use of the Bauer visor.  The logos, while visible, are small and not easily discernible while watching the game.  It wouldn’t truly hurt companies.  As well, the NHL could surely strike some sort of deal with Bauer to use the visors without the logo if need be.  The technology, currently patented by Bauer, would eventually be adopted in some way, shape, or form by the other manufacturers, make no mistake.

The use of a visor isn’t really a question anymore.  It’s not a matter of how many, who, or what will the rules be surrounding them, it’s just a matter of when the NHLPA and the NHL step forward and begin protecting their players.  The solutions for the NHL and NHLPA are there, they just have to be willing to take that extra step and put their foot down.

 

To The Fans of the Winnipeg Jets

I’m a Winnipegger.  Born there, raised there, and, until recently, had lived there my entire life.  The only live NHL game I have ever been to was around Christmas in 1996 — the visiting Chicago Blackhawks losing to the Jets.  I was, and still am, a Blackhawks fan and when the first brand of Jets went south to Phoenix, it didn’t hit me that hard.  I was seven-years-old, far more concerned with figuring out mathematics and when I could bring out the toboggan.  With fifteen years of support for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose after the Jets departed, I grew up knowing that Winnipeg is a hockey city — not by being told, but from experiencing it first hand.

The buzz surrounding the Jets return isn't contained to just Winnipeg (Photo by Andre Ringuette for the NHL via Getty Images)

I’ve written about this before on this blog, but I woke up late the day they came back.  In a move that is very uncharacteristic of myself, I called in sick to work — a lie — and headed down to the Portage and Main, followed by a walk to the Forks.  The NHL was back.  The city was absolutely buzzing; it still is.  It was something I had never experienced in Winnipeg.

Lost within the buzz was the reality of what was coming to Winnipeg.

On Fighting

Since I have been a fan of the game, I have been a fan of fighting.

We learned of it from video games, from Don Cherry’s Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em tapes, and from watching the warriors on the ice.  It was part of the game, it was part of the violence, it was part of what made it the toughest game on earth in a fans eyes.  There was nothing like it in any other sport, and maybe that is part of what drew us to it as fans.

The great Ken Dryden with a sprawling save on Jerry Korab

Weeks back — nearly three to be exact — Ken Dryden lent his vast knowledge of the game, and knowledge in general, to the project that Bill Simmons et al have taken up over at Grantland.  The article is not only a great piece of writing, something we have come to expect from Dryden, but astonishing in its ability to bring to light the issues we face today from someone who was present during expansion-era NHL play.  While many of the “old school”-ers from years passed would be reluctant to speak out on the issue, often chalking up the rough play to, “the way the game is,” Dryden faces the issues head on and takes a stand voicing the need for change.

CDL Season Preview Series: Columbus Blue Jackets

The Cycle Down Low Season Preview is a feature where we look at the chances for your favourite team in the 2011-2012 NHL campaign.  AND WE’RE GOING TO VEGAS!  With the new season upon us, a mere 30 days away, the CDL Season Preview Series will take you right up to game one of the new season.  Is this the year they surprise everyone and take the Cup?  Are the great expectations placed upon them too much?  Here you’ll get the scoop on what is to come for every team from both the Eastern and Western Conferences.  The breakdown will list the teams in six categories: Stanley Cup Odds (the actual odds from Bodog.ca and a breakdown of what you can expect), Lock (the best bet or biggest star on the team), Upset (the bust or player that won’t preform as well as many think), Pit Bosses (front office), Payout (the overall summary of the team), and CDL Bet (our bet at what the results will be for the team this year).

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STANLEY CUP ODDS: 75/1

In 2009, the Columbus Blue Jackets became the last of the four expansion teams to make the Stanley Cup playoffs.  The 8th place finish, however, set them up for a battle against the ever powerful Detroit Red Wings.  The Wings, the Western Conference’s top ranked squad, made quick work of the Jackets defeating them in four games, sweeping the series and sending Ohio’s NHL franchise packing.

However, for Jackets fans it seemed their fate was about to change.  Rookie goaltender Steve Mason played outstanding, carrying a heavy workload between the pipes for the Jackets.  Mason’s record of 33-20-7 with 10 shutouts was enough to earn him the Calder Trophy and a Vezina Trophy nomination.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have only tasted the playoffs once. Could this year be a possibility?

If there can be anything said about the Jackets up until that point, it was that their weakest position was easily goaltending and now they had a legitimate starter.

But, as is often the case, the sophomore slump hit Mason hard.  Since his breakout season in his rookie campaign, he has been unable to recapture that magic.  In the last two years, his combined record has been 44-47-16 with a .901SV% and GAA over 3.00, a far cry from the .916SV% and 2.29 GAA he posted in his first season.

To go along with the Jackets inability to remain stable in goal, they were forever searching for a legitimate top-line center to play along perennial all-star Rick Nash.

Nash, the Jackets first round pick — first overall in his draft year — in 2002, has been the face of the franchise since his arrival.  With a combination of size, speed, and strength, Nash is the prototypical power forward.  Think Eric Lindros without the concussion or injury issues, and you have Nash.

It is because of Nash that the Jackets are ever even spoken in the same breath as contenders, but with hockey being the ultimate team game that it is, it is impossible and improbable to believe that Nash himself could carry this team to a championship.

Bringing in the likes Antoine Vermette, Kristian Huselius, R.J. Umberger, and with Scott Howson’s smart drafting and the blossoming of top draft pick Derrick Brassard, the Jackets seem to have begun to take that turn towards consistent competitiveness.  But are they there quite yet?

CDL Season Preview Series: Florida Panthers

The Cycle Down Low Season Preview is a feature where we look at the chances for your favourite team in the 2011-2012 NHL campaign.  AND WE’RE GOING TO VEGAS!  With the new season upon us, a mere 30 days away, the CDL Season Preview Series will take you right up to game one of the new season.  Is this the year they surprise everyone and take the Cup?  Are the great expectations placed upon them too much?  Here you’ll get the scoop on what is to come for every team from both the Eastern and Western Conferences.  The breakdown will list the teams in six categories: Stanley Cup Odds (the actual odds from Bodog.ca and a breakdown of what you can expect), Lock (the best bet or biggest star on the team), Upset (the bust or player that won’t preform as well as many think), Pit Bosses (front office), Payout (the overall summary of the team), and CDL Bet (our bet at what the results will be for the team this year).

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STANLEY CUP ODDS: 75/1

Out with the old, in with the new.  Quite literally, that’s the way things seem to be going in Florida.

After years of the Panthers continuing their playoff drought — now reaching the decade mark — the Panthers have gone ahead and cleaned house.  Randy Sexton, the team’s GM in 2009-10, was let go and Dale Tallon, seen by many as the architect behind the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup winning team, was brought in.  This summer Peter DeBoer was let go after three full seasons as the team’s coach and replaced with former NHLer and coach of the AHL’s Portland Pirates, Kevin Dineen.

With the front office and bench boss positions filled, the re-shaping of the Florida Panthers began.  After trading away Nathan Horton, Gregory Campbell, and Keith Ballard, the Panthers went into the year knowing it was going to be one of those years.  The team struggled from nearly the opening faceoff.

Scoring was a struggle all season with the Panthers managing a measly 2.33 goals a game, good enough for — Oh, I don’t know — 28th in the league?  If that wasn’t enough, it seemed like every move Tallon made to add scoring fell flat on its face.  A trade for Niclas Bergfors, who was at one time a key piece in the Ilya Kovalchuk deal, didn’t quite work out as Tallon would have hoped as the talented prospect failed to get anything going and would register a measly seven points (1-6) in 20 appearances with the Cats.

It wasn’t only Bergfors that struggled, either.

Tallon would make a plethora of moves up front to make the offense blossom, but nothing would click.  Jack Skille’s 13 games in Florida were good for two points, off-season acquistion Steve Bernier only put up 15 points in 68 games, and even those he could count on regressed as Stephen Weiss’ point totals dipped after to two consecutive years at 60+ to 49 (21-28).

Not only were things going wrong on the ice, off the ice there was just as much negativity surrounding the team.

For the past several years the only redeeming factor for the Panthers has been their undeniable all-star between the pipes, Tomas Vokoun.  The clear cut team MVP year in and year out since his arrival in 2007-08, Vokoun has never posted a save percentage below .919 in a Panthers uniform, and it was clear what Florida’s intentions were: sign him, and sign him long-term.

As rumours continued to swirl about the back and forth, it became clear that there was very little chance Vokoun would be back in a Florida jersey, and the bad news seemed like it didn’t stop there for Panthers fans.

Just before the trade deadline rumours were sparked that Dale Tallon had made his voice heard about blowing up the entire roster and starting fresh, stating that there were almost no untouchables on the team.  Stephen Weiss, he was looking at you.  For weeks, even months, there was speculation about the chances of Weiss being moved, but nothing ever seemed to happen.  It was not until the trade deadline came and passed that people stopped the speculation about Weiss’ future with the team.All in all 2010-2011 was a year to forget for the Panthers.  Matter of fact most of the past ten years have been that way, but is there some light at the end of the tunnel?

Maybe, but it may very well just be a train.

CDL Season Preview Series: New York Islanders

The Cycle Down Low Season Preview is a feature where we look at the chances for your favourite team in the 2011-2012 NHL campaign.  AND WE’RE GOING TO VEGAS!  With the new season upon us, a mere 30 days away, the CDL Season Preview Series will take you right up to game one of the new season.  Is this the year they surprise everyone and take the Cup?  Are the great expectations placed upon them too much?  Here you’ll get the scoop on what is to come for every team from both the Eastern and Western Conferences.  The breakdown will list the teams in six categories: Stanley Cup Odds (the actual odds from Bodog.ca and a breakdown of what you can expect), Lock (the best bet or biggest star on the team), Upset (the bust or player that won’t preform as well as many think), Pit Bosses (front office), Payout (the overall summary of the team), and CDL Bet (our bet at what the results will be for the team this year).

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STANLEY CUP ODDS: 80/1

The good, and awfully wealthy, people at Bodog have the Islanders as the biggest underdog heading into the season, and it really comes as no surprise.  Toiling in the basement for several years — it has been four seasons since the Islanders last tasted the playoffs — the squad from Long Island has had a difficult time getting much to go their way.  Be it injuries, financial issues, or not being able to fill the building, the Islanders have certainly become every hockey fans punchline.  All that said, it does seem like this could finally be the time the team turns around.  Or not.

It really is as simple as that for the Isles.  After a season in which they lost their all-star defenseman Mark Streit right out of the gate, it was a harbinger of things to come.  The Isles lost over 500 man games to injury, a stat that would make even a Canucks fan shiver and shake with sadness and disgust.  The key injuries, the ones that really prevented the Isles from ever getting their season rolling, were to the Swiss Streit, their power play QB, Kyle Okposo, and — do I even have to say it? — Rick DiPietro.

The oft-injured DiPietro appeared in only 26 games, the highlight of which was pretty much the summation of DiPietro’s career thus far; a one-punch KO at the hands of Penguins backup goaltender Brent Johnson, the left hook sidelining DiPietro for 8 games with a headache/concussion-like symptoms.

On top of it all, Kyle Okposo going down with a shoulder injury in training camp didn’t help the Islanders cause.  When healthy, Okposo registered over half a point per game and some would say if entirely healed he could have done more.

Most will see the Islanders name and, not without reason, shrug the team off and move on, not even giving them a chance.  But the Isles were, for a time, one of the hottest teams in the league last year.  That said, they were also one of the worst for a stretch that last much longer, a 14-game slide putting them right in their normal position in the standings.  Though it seems obvious, the point I am trying to make is that if healthy, the Isles can make some noise.  They’re not world-beaters, but they can surprise some teams.

CDL Season Preview Series: Introduction

The Cycle Down Low Season Preview is a feature where we look at the chances for your favourite team in the 2011-2012 NHL campaign.  AND WE’RE GOING TO VEGAS!  With the new season upon us, a mere 30 days away, the CDL Season Preview Series will take you right up to game one of the new season.  Is this the year they surprise everyone and take the Cup?  Are the great expectations placed upon them too much?  Here you’ll get the scoop on what is to come for every team from both the Eastern and Western Conferences.

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As the introduction says, this year at Cycle Down Low, we’re going to try something a bit different — and bite a bit off of world renowned Puck Daddy’s season preview style — by throwing together a theme for this years season preview.  The theme?  Vegas and gambling.

Listen, we’ve all done it; you’re sitting around a table, you’re talking with a few of your friends, and someone makes an outrageous statement: “I guarantee you that this season, Lubos Bartecko is going to be an all-star! At least 45 goals!”* or, ”THIS is the year Jamie Storr goes off for 40 wins.  He’s going to do what Gretzky couldn’t and carry the Kings to a Cup, baby!”**

In those crazy bets, those outrageous statements, we are going to break down the league from bottom to top by the Stanley Cup futures odds that Bodog.ca has set up this season.

For those unfamiliar, a futures bet is a wager placed on an event that is going to be coming up in the future (Crazy, right?).  Often times these bets encompass all things pertaining to championships — in regards to hockey it would be division winners, conference winners, Presidents’ Trophy, and the Stanley Cup — and can also include things such as: final point leader, final goal leader, who will win which trophy, etc.

You can go to Bodog.ca to view the order or, better yet, visit Cycle Down Low each of the next thirty days as we break down the odds.

So, without further ado, Cycle Down Low is proud to present the NHL Season Preview with sportsbook style.

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*No one has ever said this.
**Or this.

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Follow Cycle Down Low on Twitter @cycledownlow and make sure to subscribe to the RSS feed for the latest from CDL as we preview the NHL season.

Free Agency 2011: The 5 Most Intriguing Goaltenders Available

While most teams have their goaltending set, there are a few where the position is in question; Colorado comes to mind, Washington has two young goaltenders who don’t seem quite ready to make the jump, and there’s a big question mark in Phoenix after the trade that saw Ilya Bryzgalov head to Philadelphia.

Ilya Bryzgalov was going to be the most sought after free agent goaltender, but Philadelphia secured his rights from Phoenix and signed him, taking him off of this list

Over the last few seasons, goaltending has become an interesting position in the way teams have addressed their situation.  In the past two or three seasons, there has been a culture shift towards the mid-priced, young player with high hopes that he’ll be able to get the job done, as opposed to overspending on that upper echelon player, like the money spent on Tim Thomas, Roberto Luongo, or the aforementioned Bryzgalov.

This year, coming off a playoffs that just saw the Vezina winning goaltender also hoist the Stanley Cup with a series victory over the Vezina runner-up, we could see that shift back.  Bryzgalov already started things off on the upper-end of the price scale, signing a nine year contract with the Flyers that will seem him get paid over $50 million throughout his tenure.  With a few other notables available, it could be an expensive year for a team looking for a starting goaltender.

Here is Cycle Down Low’s list of the Top 5 Most Intriguing Goaltenders:

Free Agency 2011: The 10 Most Intriguing Defensemen Available

Christian Ehrhoff is one of the brightest stars among the NHL Free Agents and could be looking to cash come July 1st

Yesterday, Cycle Down Low looked at who is available to help bolster your teams front lines in hopes of making a run at Lord Stanley’s Mug this upcoming season.  With the Free Agent market set to open on Friday at noon, there will be teams looking to solidify the backend of their rosters and fill the holes in their D-corps.

Unlike the forwards, the talent pool for defensemen is a bit deeper.  Most fans often want to see their team acquire a D-man who will give them immediate impact on the score sheet and completely overhaul their teams defense — a cornerstone defenseman.  This pool does offer some very good top pairing defesemen, but they will most likely get slotted in at the two-four spot on the teams depth chart.  Respectable for a player that you’ll merely have to throw money at, blindly, in hopes they turn out, right?  Right.

With that, let’s look at the ten most intriguing defensmen in the UFA pool:

Free Agency 2011: The 10 Most Intriguing Forwards Available

Pittsburgh fan favourite Maxime Talbot has most likely played his last game in a Penguins uniform, but where will he be next?

Throughout the middle of the week, Cycle Down Low will be taking a look at the pieces your favourite team may be after to bolster their line-up for the upcoming season.

While the Restricted Free Agent pool is home to some of the most amazing talent this year — Steven Stamkos comes to mind — the Unrestricted Free Agents have some players that could ultimately boom for the team of your choice.  Although 2011 seems to be a down year for free agents, which more often than not has a direct correlation to some of the potential pickups getting a vast overpayment, it does have several players that could have an impact.  While the cream of the crop is obvious, there are a few bottom-six players that could take a team from standing on the outside right into the thick of things.

Today Cycle Down Low looks at the Forwards who could bring the most to any club this year and put them one step closer to the Stanley Cup: