TORONTO – Ryan O’Reilly frequently finds himself in discussions with his family about adding a visor to his gear. The seasoned NHL center’s relatives consistently call or text, urging him to consider the safety measure. Throughout his career, O’Reilly has experienced several close shaves, with sticks scraping his face and pucks narrowly missing his eyes. Despite these near-misses and family encouragement, he remains unconvinced.
“Every time I get a little stick or anything, even a little scrape, they’re always looking at me,” O’Reilly shared. “But hockey players are creatures of habit. It’s just something I’ve been so used to.” At 34, now with the Nashville Predators, O’Reilly is among a handful of skaters in the league opting out of facial protection.
The NHL introduced a rule before the 2013-14 season mandating visors for players with less than 25 games of experience. Yet, some experienced players, like O’Reilly, Dallas captain Jamie Benn, Minnesota’s Zach Bogosian, and enforcers Matt Martin of the Islanders and Toronto’s Ryan Reaves, continue to play without visors. Martin hasn’t played since mid-January due to injury, and Reaves was recently moved to the American Hockey League after clearing waivers.
Benn admits his mother frequently advises him to don a visor, but he remains unmoved, stating, “But I’m not going to change my ways.” Incidents of severe eye injuries, such as the one suffered by Bryan Berard of Toronto in 2000, underline the risks associated with playing without a visor. Berard, without facial protection, was inadvertently high-sticked and suffered near-blindness in his right eye, although he made a return for seven more seasons.
Bogosian maintains his stance, stating he wouldn’t know any different without his unobstructed view, a sentiment echoed by former players like Predators coach Andrew Brunette, who only adopted a visor partway through his career due to some alarming moments.
The transition to visor-less play is peculiar, given that players in junior leagues, the NCAA, and the AHL are required to wear visors or full cages. Ryan Reaves recalled his initiation into the NHL when teammates advised him against wearing a visor if he wanted to establish himself as a tough guy in the league. “David Backes and Cam Janssen said, ‘If you want to be a tough guy in this league, you can’t wear a visor,’” Reaves recounted.
Despite the occasional eye-related incidents, Reaves’ mother still urges him to wear a visor. Similarly, Benn, a former leading scorer of the NHL who made waves in 2014-15, reflected, “Thought it was cool, I guess,” regarding his choice to play without one.
Dallas center Matt Duchene, who once played with O’Reilly in Nashville, respects the decision of those who choose the old-school approach, recognizing that while hockey is a fast-paced game, the absence of a visor lends a unique authenticity to the players not sporting one. However, he acknowledges the importance of protection by saying, “You can fix everything south of your eyes.”
O’Reilly recalls no external pressure to remove his visor when he began his career with the Colorado Avalanche in 2009. Nevertheless, he laughs at the possibility that without a visor, he might have projected an image of toughness he might not naturally possess. “Maybe it helped me look a little tougher than I actually am,” he chuckled, “Maybe I felt I had a little more grit to my game taking it off.”
