A Vancouver Island junior hockey team will become the first in Western Canada to make full face protection mandatory for all players.
The Peninsula Panthers, a junior “B” hockey team based in North Saanich, said it will now require players to wear full face shields in an effort to reduce dental and facial injuries.
“We believe full facial protection needs to be mandated and implemented at all levels of junior hockey across the entire country. Player safety clearly must be the priority,” Panthers owner Pete Zubersky said in a statement.
“Times have changed and we now have access to more research. Full facial protection is already mandated through Minor Hockey and even at some college levels. We believe our players will excel and enjoy the game more when they are properly protected.”
Panthers coach Brad Tippett supported the move, equating it with other safety advancements made in modern times.
“Twenty-five years ago no one wanted to wear seat belts,” he said. “Ten years ago, policemen didn’t wear a vest.”
But reaction to the announcement was still mixed in some locker rooms on Monday.
Some, like 19-year-old Auston Neveu, have always worn a full face cage and said the decision to mandate them is just common sense.
“I’d rather keep my teeth. It just seems like a bad idea to change last minute and maybe get an injury,” he said.
Others, like pickup hockey player Mike Martin, said they’ll only wear a half shield despite the risks.
“Probably not the wisest of decisions. I lost these two teeth here playing hockey without protection a few years ago,” he said.
It’s that old-school mindset that the Panthers say they’re hoping to put an end to.
“We’re going to look in the rear-view mirror and it’s going to be a situation where we say, ‘Wow, why did they wear a half visor?’” said Zubersky.
The club says the change will take effect in time for the upcoming 2017/2018 season.
Other hockey groups in Canada have mandated full facial protection for junior players, including the Ontario Hockey Association earlier this year.
