The NHL’s Gear Debate Is Getting Harder to Ignore

Hockey has always had a strange relationship with protection, toughness, and what the sport asks players to absorb. This piece pushes the conversation toward mandatory protective gear, which is the sort of topic that tends to simmer until one ugly moment makes everyone revisit it. Front offices and medical staffs know the cost of pretending the league can keep punting the issue. The debate is getting louder because the risk never really leaves the ice.