Bedard tied Hall of Fame centre’s mark of 31 career points at men’s under-20 event. Check out Why does Connor Bedard wear a full face mask.

Why does Connor Bedard wear a full face mask ?

The gruesome sight of Dan Hamhuis on the ice with his legs flailing made fellow NHL players cringe.

Why does Connor Bedard wear a full face mask ?

A shot like the one that cracked the Vancouver Canucks defenceman in the face could happen to anyone.

Hamhuis is out two months after surgery to repair facial fractures. That’s why, Connor Bedard wear full face mask. 

Full face shields could become mandatory for Junior A hockey players by mid-December, according to Hockey Canada.

Even though he wears a visor like a vast majority of the league now, it couldn’t save him when a slap shot from the New York Rangers’ Dan Boyle hit him squarely in the jaw from close range.

Only a full-face shield or cage could have prevented that injury. The league and Players’ Association only two years ago mandated visors for incoming players, but there could be a day in the distant future when full facial protection like in youth, college and women’s hockey, is commonplace in the NHL.

“It’s probably the next step,” San Jose Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “No one thought helmets were coming in and they did, and then no one thought visors were coming in and they did. I’m sure there will be a day down the road one day here where it is (normal). I think it’s a ways off. It’ll get here one day.”

Why does Connor Bedard wear a full face mask ?

One Eastern Conference executive said no matter the rules on visors there will always be an outlier injury that occurs and doesn’t think it’s an immediate problem that needs to be addressed.

Ian Laperriere had his playing career ended by a puck to the eye that caused a concussion, but the Philadelphia Flyers assistant doesn’t believe face shields are necessary.

“It’s something that the game is faster and the puck’s flying out there,” Laperriere said by phone Thursday. “But if you think about it, if you look at it, it doesn’t happen that often.”

By Rishabh

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *