Don't flip your lid

News that the AHL finally will require visors in the fall reminded me of what Ray Schultz said when I did my first big visors story, which ran back on March 20, 2003*: If visors were required, he’d be glad to wear one. Without a requirement, he didn’t feel like he could wear one.

Well, now he can.

My own feeling, which I guess I can spill now that it doesn’t matter, is that visors shouldn’t be required, that wearing one should be a player’s choice… and the player should exercise that choice and wear one. (Kinda like Jeff Hamilton’s post-injury thoughts, if I recall correctly.) To me the risk of a stick getting caught underneath is more than balanced out by the benefit of having something to slow down a stick or, more importantly, a puck.

Meanwhile, meetings supposedly continue about the coaching situation, but nothing firm yet. The list of free agents should be out Friday, and opening day is Saturday.

*-Saved a few copies of that paper, which has a fascinating front page. The United States and Britain began hostilities in Iraq the day before… and we put it inside. Mayor Ganim was convicted the day before, too, and that dominated A1.

Michael Fornabaio