Could mandatory visors spell an end to fighting in hockey?

Last week, the big news out of the NHL-NHLPA Competition Committee meeting was that mandatory visor use will be grandfathered in.

And now, a major Canadian newspaper has explored whether this will mean the end to fighting in the game, as well.

The Globe and Mail ran an editorial, which was published Sunday, stating that mandatory visors will “portend” an end to fighting.

(Interesting to note that the two players in the photo - the Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron and the Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin - both wear visors.)

Here is the final paragraph of The Globe and Mail editorial.

The full version can be viewed here.

Hockey at all levels is working to reduce or eliminate headshots. It makes no sense that punches to the head are still permitted. The end of fighting won’t come all at once, but gently, when today’s grandfathers have said goodbye to the game.

Last month, NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr addressed the issue of fighting with players and agents.

“Nothing concrete has been announced to us, but I felt that Fehr was motivated by a genuine desire to address the issue of fighting,” said agent Robert Sauvé, as per a Google translation of a report on CBC/Radio-Canada.