"When Eric Staal took a stick in the face Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Carolina Hurricanes captain suffered a chipped tooth and a cut on the bridge of his nose. The blade came close to hitting him in his right eye.

Staal's near-miss again underscored an undeniable fact: playing hockey without a helmet visor often is risky business.

Visors are not mandatory in the NHL, and Staal said he will not wear one. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, in contrast, said he could not imagine playing without one."