Former Red Wings great Steve Yzerman, now the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, will be asking each of his players who do not currently wear visors to consider adding one to their helmets next season.
↵Yzerman made the decision after Vincent Lecavalier suffered a scratched and bruised cornea when a stick blade caught him in the right eye during Sunday's game versus the Chicago Blackhawks.
↵The former Wings captain unfortunately has personal experience in such matters. In a 2004 second-round playoff series against the Calgary Flames, Yzerman took a puck to the face, resulting in a fractured orbital bone and scratched cornea. The aftermath made for one of the more gruesome post-game photos Detroit sports fans have ever seen.
↵Yzerman played the last season of his career wearing a visor. But he doesn't want his players to learn the same hard lesson he did.
↵From the St. Petersburg Times:
↵↵↵"I never wore one until I got hit in the eye with a puck my second-to-last year," [Yzerman] said. "Once you get used to it, it's fine. We don't want people getting injured."
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Lecavalier said he'll experiment with a visor during the summer, with the intention of becoming comfortable with one he can use permanently.