As stated above, this new mandate is for pre-game warmups and only for those who have been in the league for the past three seasons or less. So, not only will all new players be required to wear a helmet during warmups, but some current players who haven't worn one in the past will also have to. But not all of them.
Although warmups don't tend to be the most gruelling part of a hockey game, that doesn't mean there's still not a possibility for someone to get injured. Perhaps you'll remember a few years back when Taylor Hall was taking a lap, sans helmet, and was clipped by the skate of a teammate in the face, leading to a large gash that required a number of stitches to repair.
Brain and head injuries are fairly common in a sport like hockey as well, so maybe this new rule is meant to help prevent more of those incidents from happening wherever possible.
POLL | ||
18 NOVEMBRE | 150 ANSWERS NHL announces rule change for all new players Do you think this new rule should be for all players or just new ones? | ||
All players | 80 | 53.3 % |
New players | 12 | 8 % |
Scrap the idea entirely | 58 | 38.7 % |
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