BREAKING - The NHL is Attempting to Mandate a New Piece of Equipment

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Joshua Deeds
March 13, 2023 (6:33 PM)

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There is currently a meeting that will decide the fate of many in the NHL and tied along with it, are new mandates for players across the league.

Multiple governing members and structures are attending as NHL General Managers and the NHLPA are in attendance as well. The focus of one discussion was introducing cut-resistant equipment for players on the ice.

Player safety takes time to catch up, whether culturally or otherwise, as Jacques Plante introduced the first goalie mask in the NHL. Following this cultural shift after June 1, 1979 players were required to wear helmets, unless they were a professional before then and were allowed to opt out with a waiver.

The biggest deterrent to change could be the difference in generations in the league, as veterans and younger players have differing opinions, as younger players would appreciate the new gear. Veterans on the other hand:

It's taken this long and multiple incidents this season where players have had lacerations where limbs were exposed. One couldn't help but think the NHL is starting to take notice of the bad press and the fallout from the Chris Montador situation, as he died in 2015 due to an overdose but the league neglected the evidence of his traumatic brain injury as a result.

Bettman is being proactive, but for whose benefit this time around?

NHL looking to force players to wear new piece of equipment