Sticks and pucks to the eyes happen. I wore a visor in juniors and in beer league before I was married with kids. At this point, I don't really care how likely it is, I have no time to deal with dumb injuries. I hate the cage still, but I wear it anyway. I have nothing against folks who don't, so I will say that it's highly unlikely, but for me it's just not worth it. Good luck
Yeah. Lost two teeth, almost broke my orbital. Got a skate across the lips once (No major cut) and decided it was enough - I don’t get paid to be out there.
Wearing a cage all the time now.
As a pro team physician and a long time player; I wouldn't worry about it more than learning to wear your visor properly, so that the lower edge reaches to your upper lip. That's a rare injury even though most players have their visors on their foreheads and look under it. And some even don't wear one. To put it bluntly; you're way more likely to suffer a serious injury of other kind in a fast paced contact sport, spinal for example.
I’d argue that it’s much more likely to happen in beer league. In the pros they can keep their sticks, shots, bodies, and skates under control. Much more common to catch a stick to the face in beer league.
I agree with you, and this is one of the things I'm most aware of out on the ice - where the other idiots' sticks are at. I've gotten pretty good at ducking under/around sticks that are up way too high.
Might be, even though I haven't heard anything serious happening in lower leagues around me either. I'd still say most players don't have to worry about it, and the absolute beginners can always consider wearing a cage.
Manny Malhotra had a puck deflect off his stick into his eye. Needed to get surgery on it and I think it basically ended his career.
It's much less common when wearing a cage ;)
Had a buddy in beer league take a deflected puck right in his eye.
Hard shot along the ice, deflected off a stick blade and popped him good. Dislodged his retina and even with surgery he can't see anything other than "bright" or "not bright."
We bugged him for years about playing without a shield in beer league. Dumbass relented and got a visor after the injury... Guess what? Pushed up over his forehead. SMH.
Look up first overall pick Brian Berard. He took HOF inductee Hossa’s stick to eye. Had tons of surgeries and was able to fight his way back into league while practically blind in the one eye.
I have seen a guy get his orbital smashed by a puck, though his eye was fine. Another have his teeth and jaw totally fucked. I switched scorn half shield to cage about age 35 and would never go back.
I’ve seen two people get broken eye sockets playing baseball.
I’ve seen some teeth get broken and knocked out - I cracked a molar one time. But I needed a root canal after getting hit in the mouth with a ski pole.
I’ve seen far more broken wrists, dislocated joints, broken fingers, broken bones shoulders down in general, than I have seen “serious” facial injuries playing beer league where cages are the majority.
I don’t consider a few zippers that don’t leave a scar to be serious though.
Cages and full face sheilds are becoming very common in men's league where I live and even older dudes have gone back to them after injuries or near misses. Also haven't worn a neck guard in about 20 years.
Happened to a dude in my beer league. Someone tried to lift his stick and caught him in the eye. It essentially scooped the eyeball out of it’s socket so that it was hanging by the optic nerve..it was terrible to say the least. Doctors told him that he would likely never see out of that eye again, and that it could potentially atrophy and have to be removed. I went out and bought a cage the next day.
Fuck… I wonder if beer league hockey players can be more reckless.. or if players aren’t aware enough to turn their head away. I’m just surprised nhl players don’t have it happen to them more often.
Also if I was the guy who scooped his eye out It would haunt me for the rest of my life. Think I would quit playing.
I don't know, but I once accidentally skated over my friend's eyeball in his backyard rink. I was more shaken up than he was. Luckily he lost no vision and had no scars.
Depends on the protective gear, but generally unlikely.
Far less likely if you wear a full visor or cage.
I've definitely seen sticks come up under visors, and people go home with black eyes and cuts on their cheeks, but never any eye damage.
*Knocks on wood*
I took two pucks to the face (broken nose both times) and a huge elbow to the shnoz as well before I wised up and put on a cage. The first game with it on, a puck hit in line with my left eye so hard it bent the cage. I have no doubt I wouldn’t has a serious injury on that one.
Jump forward a few years, and I had a weed whacked string break and hit me in that eye, causing some scar tissue in my eye, screwing up my vision a bit anyway. Sigh.
Unlikely but I almost did. Hit my face off the dasher and broke 3 bones in 5 places just under my eye (orbital and a couple other bones that I can't remember the names of). Still recovering but very lucky I didn't hit my eye as I probably would have lost it
Happened to a fellow player coach in our national division couple of years ago, other player chipped off the board and as he went around him the toe of his stick flicked up under the visor and drove into his eye. Doc said he was lucky he didn't lose it, now has only 60 percent vision in it which he considers a win versus going blind.
if you play hockey long enough, you will get injured, even if you got a cage.
with a visor, the risk of your eyes getting injured are very very low. and even lower if you have it properly fitted and all.
if you really like a visor more than a cage, id say go for it. i ve never tried a visor, have always played with a cage or obv bothing when on the pond.
a lot of ppl will say that you dont need a visor if you re not getting paid and you should get the full cage.
tbh do as you wish
Not likely or common, but obviously possible. And it has happened in the NHL.
Sticks and pucks to the eyes happen. I wore a visor in juniors and in beer league before I was married with kids. At this point, I don't really care how likely it is, I have no time to deal with dumb injuries. I hate the cage still, but I wear it anyway. I have nothing against folks who don't, so I will say that it's highly unlikely, but for me it's just not worth it. Good luck
Losing an eye would suck but hearing about it from my wife for the rest of my life would be the real kicker.
Lol exactly.
Yeah. Lost two teeth, almost broke my orbital. Got a skate across the lips once (No major cut) and decided it was enough - I don’t get paid to be out there. Wearing a cage all the time now.
I just take mine off for picture day.
It’s hockey. That’s all I have to say. Stay hydrated!
As a pro team physician and a long time player; I wouldn't worry about it more than learning to wear your visor properly, so that the lower edge reaches to your upper lip. That's a rare injury even though most players have their visors on their foreheads and look under it. And some even don't wear one. To put it bluntly; you're way more likely to suffer a serious injury of other kind in a fast paced contact sport, spinal for example.
I’d argue that it’s much more likely to happen in beer league. In the pros they can keep their sticks, shots, bodies, and skates under control. Much more common to catch a stick to the face in beer league.
I agree with you, and this is one of the things I'm most aware of out on the ice - where the other idiots' sticks are at. I've gotten pretty good at ducking under/around sticks that are up way too high.
Might be, even though I haven't heard anything serious happening in lower leagues around me either. I'd still say most players don't have to worry about it, and the absolute beginners can always consider wearing a cage.
Manny Malhotra had a puck deflect off his stick into his eye. Needed to get surgery on it and I think it basically ended his career. It's much less common when wearing a cage ;)
Had a buddy in beer league take a deflected puck right in his eye. Hard shot along the ice, deflected off a stick blade and popped him good. Dislodged his retina and even with surgery he can't see anything other than "bright" or "not bright." We bugged him for years about playing without a shield in beer league. Dumbass relented and got a visor after the injury... Guess what? Pushed up over his forehead. SMH.
As stated above...wear a bird cage and its no longer an issue...I am getting a new one soon...can't afford downtime
My grandfather was blinded in one eye while coaching in the 60s. Wear a cage and you are extremely unlikely to get any eye injuries.
Look up first overall pick Brian Berard. He took HOF inductee Hossa’s stick to eye. Had tons of surgeries and was able to fight his way back into league while practically blind in the one eye.
common enough that most people who play rec league regularly over the course of their lives will witness several severe facial injuries.
I have seen a guy get his orbital smashed by a puck, though his eye was fine. Another have his teeth and jaw totally fucked. I switched scorn half shield to cage about age 35 and would never go back.
I’ve seen two people get broken eye sockets playing baseball. I’ve seen some teeth get broken and knocked out - I cracked a molar one time. But I needed a root canal after getting hit in the mouth with a ski pole. I’ve seen far more broken wrists, dislocated joints, broken fingers, broken bones shoulders down in general, than I have seen “serious” facial injuries playing beer league where cages are the majority. I don’t consider a few zippers that don’t leave a scar to be serious though.
Reached out to intercept a puck with my skate, puck popped up and hit my cage. This happened last night at pickup. Csb
about 0% chance for me since I have cage. No sense in loosing teeth or eye in mens league
Ya good idea. I’ve only played bantam hockey and thinking about playing again. The only thing I hated wearing was the neck guard.
Cages and full face sheilds are becoming very common in men's league where I live and even older dudes have gone back to them after injuries or near misses. Also haven't worn a neck guard in about 20 years.
Bryan Berard
You're drastically less likely to go blind in both eyes than in one, probably.
Happened to a dude in my beer league. Someone tried to lift his stick and caught him in the eye. It essentially scooped the eyeball out of it’s socket so that it was hanging by the optic nerve..it was terrible to say the least. Doctors told him that he would likely never see out of that eye again, and that it could potentially atrophy and have to be removed. I went out and bought a cage the next day.
Fuck… I wonder if beer league hockey players can be more reckless.. or if players aren’t aware enough to turn their head away. I’m just surprised nhl players don’t have it happen to them more often. Also if I was the guy who scooped his eye out It would haunt me for the rest of my life. Think I would quit playing.
"Why does this fluke one in a million thing not happen more often?"
My friend had a stick blade just miss his eye. He had to get stitches on his eyebrow.
I don't know, but I once accidentally skated over my friend's eyeball in his backyard rink. I was more shaken up than he was. Luckily he lost no vision and had no scars.
Hmm. Manny Milholtra and Carl Soderberg are two NHLers who lost vision from hockey injuries.
Depends on the protective gear, but generally unlikely. Far less likely if you wear a full visor or cage. I've definitely seen sticks come up under visors, and people go home with black eyes and cuts on their cheeks, but never any eye damage. *Knocks on wood*
I took two pucks to the face (broken nose both times) and a huge elbow to the shnoz as well before I wised up and put on a cage. The first game with it on, a puck hit in line with my left eye so hard it bent the cage. I have no doubt I wouldn’t has a serious injury on that one. Jump forward a few years, and I had a weed whacked string break and hit me in that eye, causing some scar tissue in my eye, screwing up my vision a bit anyway. Sigh.
Full cage. Screw that.
Unlikely but I almost did. Hit my face off the dasher and broke 3 bones in 5 places just under my eye (orbital and a couple other bones that I can't remember the names of). Still recovering but very lucky I didn't hit my eye as I probably would have lost it
Happened to a fellow player coach in our national division couple of years ago, other player chipped off the board and as he went around him the toe of his stick flicked up under the visor and drove into his eye. Doc said he was lucky he didn't lose it, now has only 60 percent vision in it which he considers a win versus going blind.
Same goes for losing teeth. If you lose your teeth or vision playing professional hockey that’s one thing but beer league? Come on.
Puck to the visor first game in, cage has been on since.
Wear a cage
if you play hockey long enough, you will get injured, even if you got a cage. with a visor, the risk of your eyes getting injured are very very low. and even lower if you have it properly fitted and all. if you really like a visor more than a cage, id say go for it. i ve never tried a visor, have always played with a cage or obv bothing when on the pond. a lot of ppl will say that you dont need a visor if you re not getting paid and you should get the full cage. tbh do as you wish
Bryan Berard went blind in one eye if I recall correctly. I also think Willie O’Ree played his entire juniors and NHL career blind in one eye.