FRED GREENSLADE
Winnipeg Jets forward Andrew Ladd has decided to keep wearing a visor after taking a puck in the face last week in Ottawa.
Ladd's nose got bashed along with the upper part of both cheeks, but his eyes were not damaged. Nonetheless, Ladd is now sold on a visor. He tried one out in Winnipeg's last game Saturday against Carolina and said today that he plans to keep it.
"If I can get used to it, for sure," he said after practice this morning in preparation for Monday's game against the New York Rangers. "I don't have anything against it. It's definitely, probably a lot safer to have it on and protect those eyes."
Ladd said he has worn a visor a few times in the past, partly at the behest of his wife, but he never felt quite comfortable.
"For me it was just starting with the fact that it fogs up. Every time I would go to the net and come off the ice it was full of water. For me that was probably the biggest thing. But if you can get past that, and get used to that, then I think it's definitely worthwhile."
He added: "Taking puck off the nose maybe can give your head a shake."
Ladd and a couple of other Jets will also be wearing pink laces in their skates tonight in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The laces were defenceman Dustin Byfuglien's idea, Ladd said.
"Anything we can do to bring awareness is a plus," he added.
Paul Waldie