Most NHL players do not use ear guards, but following a scary injury that will keep Minnesota Wild's Brock Faber out long-term, teammates like Quinn Hughes and Jared Spurgeon are considering wearing them.
Most NHL players refuse to use ear guards.
Whether it's for performance or style, most NHL players don't use a piece of protective equipment that is proving more important than once realized.
This morning, the Minnesota Wild announced that Brock Faber will be out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a skull fracture that occurred when he was hit with a puck in a pre-season game against the Dallas Stars.
The puck hit his head where the ear guard would be if he had been using one. Instead, Faber wound up on the bad side of both a scary and an unlucky situation.
With this unfortunate news, it has created a talking point among players about whether to use ear guards. So far, those conversations have started with Quinn Hughes and Jared Spurgeon, two key pieces of the Wild's blueline.
Spurgeon told Michael Russo of The Athletic that he added ear guards during the Wild's practice today, while Hughes said he's considering putting them on.
It seems odd that so many players would neglect such a small, seemingly insignificant piece of protective equipment.
While Hughes and Spurgeon didn't explain why they weren't wearing them before, one might wonder why. Maybe the ear guards block noise, and in a fast-paced game, players can't afford to have communication blocked.
Maybe when skating, the ear guards distort the wind/air that goes through them and disturbs them.
Or maybe it's purely for style. They don't like how the guards look and would rather not use them.
Either way, one thing is certain now: not using them could directly lead to a scary injury that could keep a player out for a long time, as it did with Faber. Like neck guards, wrist guards, and other equipment that have become either required or strongly encouraged, Faber's injury could spark a much-needed change.
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