Team allows players to air heads in pre- game skate
The Vancouver Canucks will continue to let their players decide whether to wear a helmet during pre- game warmups.
And most of the players who don’t normally wear one said Thursday they don’t plan to change after the nasty facial cut suffered earlier this week in a pre- game warm- up by Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall.
Defenceman Kevin Bieksa, who goes bare- headed during pre- game warm- ups, called Hall’s cut, which stretches from just above his left eye all the way up to his forehead, “a freak injury.”
“It’s unfortunate, but even if he had his helmet on he still might have got cut,” Bieksa said. “So I don’t think that’s a reason we should do it.”
Bieksa, like many of his teammates, had difficulty explaining why he chooses not to wear a helmet in warm- ups.
However, he does think in a strange sort of way, going without one in warm- ups helps sell the game.
“Honestly, when I was a younger guy some of the older guys would say ‘ yeah, take your helmet off for that reason, to sell the game.’ ” he said.
“Fans get to see you and feel like they have that connection and it’s better for the game, better for the team, maybe it will help out in jersey sales down the road.
“That is what we were told and again, that’s not the only reason, but it’s probably the best reason I can give you.”
Fellow defenceman Keith Ballard said he has no plans to start wearing a helmet in warm- up.
“As soon as a football receiver misses the ball and it hits him in the nose and breaks his nose, are they all going to have to wear helmets when they play catch?” Ballard said. “It’s [ Hall’s injury] an accident.”
Coach Alain Vigneault said he’s fine with letting the players decide.
“At the end of the day for me, on a personal note, I think all these guys are professionals and since they are professionals they should know if they should wear one or not,” Vigneault said. “That is one of the few decisions they have left now to make, if they wear a helmet in warm- up or not.”
Centre Ryan Kesler did wear his helmet in Tuesday’s pre- game warm- up. He said that was in reaction to a close call he had Sunday night, when a puck that bounced off the crossbar almost struck him.
“I had a close call the game before so I thought it’s not that big a deal to throw a bucket on,” Kesler said.
Asked if he will continue to wear it, Kesler said, “probably.” LUONGO GETS CALL: The Canucks have just two games left before the all- star break and Vigneault would not say whether backup goalie Cory Schneider will play one of them.
“I am going to use Louie [ Roberto Luongo] against San Jose and then go figure it out after,” he said.
Schneider has had only three starts in the past five weeks and won all of those games.
Home games Saturday afternoon against San Jose and Tuesday night versus the Edmonton Oilers are all that remain before the Canucks enjoy a six- day all- star break.
SALO SKATES: Defenceman Sami Salo skated on his own for the second straight day Thursday, but it is highly unlikely he will return before the all- star break.
Salo suffered a concussion in Vancouver’s Jan. 7 win over Boston when he was clipped by Bruins forward Brad Marchand. Vigneault spoke again Thursday about how much the Canucks miss Salo when he is not in the lineup.
“Our record when Sami is in the lineup is self- explanatory,” Vigneault said. “He is such a steady and good force back there both offensively and defensively. He is a big part of our D group, he’s an experienced guy who has a really good effect on the rest of our team. And when he’s in the lineup obviously we are a better team.”
Salo has missed nine games this season and the Canucks’ record in those games is 3- 5- 1.