
SHOULD THE NHL MAKE THEIR PLAYERS
WEAR MORE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
PROTECTIVE GEAR EQUALS SAFETY IN THE NHL The NHL should force their players to wear protective gear. Three reasons why protective gear should be worn are: one, it would prevent physical injuries; two, the players would set a good example for the future generations; three, it would take away from the negative aspects of the game. Protective gear helps a somewhat violent game remain as clean as possible. Wearing protective gear would prevent physical injuries in hockey. There were many hockey players who have worked hard all of their lives to become professional hockey superstars and when they finally got to the NHL, they become injured and were forced to watch the game instead of playing in it. An example of this is Brett Lindros. At the age of sixteen, the New York Islanders drafted Brett in the first round of the entry draft. He played his first NHL game against the Buffalo Sabers when he was eighteen years old. One year later, on February ninth, his whole life came crashing down on him. His lifelong dream to win a Stanley Cup had come to an end. He was hit with a thundering bodycheck into the boards and was knocked unconscious. Soon it was discovered that Brett had a history of concussions that dated back to when he was sixteen years old. The collision forced him to retire at the age of nineteen and spend the rest of his life pondering what was now the fact that he would have to quit in order to live. What actually happened was, when he was hit against the boards, his head hit the glass and that impact forced him to collapse and fall to the ice. This gruesome injury could have been avoided if Brett was wearing an approved helmet. The helmet that he was wearing at the time of the injury had no foam on the inside. That foam helps absorb the impact of a blow to the head. If he had been wearing one, there would have been a huge chance that he could have left the ice with only a mild injury instead of a career ending one. Another example is Brian Berard. His whole career came to an end on March the eleventh when he was playing against the Ottawa Senators. Marian Hossa was taking a slapshot and Berard fell to the ice to block the shot. When the puck was shot, the end of Hossa’s stick struck Berard in his eye. The blow caused a 20-millimeter cut across the eyeball, detached the retina, sliced off the lens, and caused other problems.2 Brian Berard is only twenty-two years old and is forced to finish his career because of his health. All of which could have been avoided if he had been wearing a visor on his helmet. If he had been wearing a visor, Hossa’s stick would have just bounced off the plastic and Berard would still have blocked the shot. If the league enforces the use of approved equipment, the kids will hardly ever read about injuries on the ice and therefore they won’t have a fear in the back of their heads when playing hockey. When the children play hockey in the minor leagues they are forced to wear approved gear. So, if the NHL creates the same rule, these kids will find it easier to adapt to professional hockey when they are drafted because they are already used to wearing the equipment. Another example of players setting a good example for the future generation of hockey players is Pavel Bure. Pavel Bure is a role model who wears a visor and kids want to play hockey just like him. When children watch their favourite hockey players play hockey wearing protective equipment, the children tend to mimic the behavior of the players and therefore wear protective equipment themselves while playing hockey. Pavel Bure sets a great example by wearing the visor because he is showing the children that you can be a superstar and you can be safe at the same time.He also makes it a habit to show the kids that safety is an important issue when playing hockey and they should not overlook it at all. Bure is on a hot streak.” Sports Illustrated, 19 February 1997: 21-22. 4Off The Record, TSN, Sports Illustrated, 4 March 1991: 33-34. 
<br><br><b>Bibliography</b><br><br>
Sports Illustrated 19 February 1997 21-22. 4Off The Record, TSN, Sports Illustrated, 4 March 1991: 33-34.
Sports Illustrated May 2000 45-46 
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