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Helmet-less after 1979

mattberman

Registered User
Jun 11, 2010
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Is there a list anywhere of players who continued to go helmet-less after 1979? If not, can we compile one?
 
There were lots of players still helmetless after 1979, but the number consistently dwindled throughout the 80s.

According to this article, there were only ten left by the 88-89 season:

"His decision to go bareheaded makes Lafleur one of only 10 players among the more than 400 in the league to skate without a helmet. Four others are forwards: Craig MacTavish and Nick Fotiu of Edmonton; Al Secord of Toronto and Ron Duguay of Los Angeles. Five are defensemen: Doug Wilson of Chicago, Brad Marsh of Toronto, Randy Carlyle of Winnipeg, Harold Snepsts of Vancouver and Rod Langway of Washington."
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/14/sports/question-box.html
 
If you played before 79/80, you could wear a helmet. Anyone starting play that year were required to wear one.

Can you believe that in the early 90s, for a period, they made it that you didn't HAVE to wear one?
 
Inkling said:
I had no idea (or if I did, it's long forgotten). Did anyone take off their helmet? I would guess not by that point.
Click to expand...

Jeremy Roenick considered taking his helmet off (at least that's what he said, but he said a lot of things...) but was talked out of it.
 
as i recall, roenick did play one exhibition game without a helmet, but bettman wouldn't let him take it off fulltime.
 
Inkling said:
I had no idea (or if I did, it's long forgotten). Did anyone take off their helmet? I would guess not by that point.
Click to expand...

I think MacT was still helmetless when the Rangers won in '94... maybe someone else can confirm or deny. I remember I have that game 7 on dvd and thought I saw him helmetless.
 
I believe the temporary rule making helmets optional was one of Gil Stein's ideas that were implemented during his brief run as Commissioner. I also think that Brett Hull said he considered it at the time, but didn't.

Al Secord had once said that he hoped to be the last one, and he thought he would since he started later than the other remaining guys, but he couldn't last as long as MacTavish. When Secord joined the Bruins after being drafted, Don Cherry told him that if he didn't wear a helmet then he'd give him some power play time. Apparently Cherry didn't want any Bruins wearing them.

Wasn't there some talk a couple of years ago about letting players take them off for shootouts?
 
MacT played without a helmet until he retired as far as I remember.
 
matnor said:
Jeremy Roenick considered taking his helmet off (at least that's what he said, but he said a lot of things...) but was talked out of it.
Click to expand...

:handclap:

on a side note, this thread needs more videos.
 
I'm not sure what that thing on Gretzky's head was, but it couldn't have been a helmet. Who was the last player to wear one of those purely ornamental basket-like headpieces in the NHL? Larionov? McSorley? I know Jagr still wears one, or at least he did a couple of years ago.
 
Yeah MacT went until 97 without a helmet. Seen a classic game of him from 96 the other day laying down blocking shots.
 
Interesting to note that the use of a cup to protect your twig and berries was pretty much a given from the start, but it took about 80 years or so before the use of a helmet to protect your other head became widespread :).
 
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