Hyack Hyack:
Jughead Jughead:
That is reassuring, however I would hope that the player not instigating the fight also removes his helmet, otherwise he has an unfair advantage. Not removing one's helmet if equipped with a visor in my opinion clearly shows a very unsportsmanlike conduct by the player, and he should get the equivalent penalty regardless if he instigated the fight.
I can't find anything in the rules about the non-instigator of the fight having to remove his helmet/visor during an altercation, why should he if he didn't start the fight.....I know....safety....Check the rules yourself if you want....Page 77
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/en/v3/ext/pdfs/2012-13_RuleBook.pdfYou're right, Hyack. It appears that only the instigator needs to remove his helmet during a fight if a visor is present. I copied section 46.6 from your link above:
$1:
46.6 Face Protection - If a player penalized as an instigator of an
altercation is wearing a face shield (including a goalkeeper), he shall
be assessed an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Should the player (including a goalkeeper) who instigates the fight
be wearing a face shield, but removes it before instigating the
altercation, the additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty shall not
apply.
I guess there must be an unwritten rule in regards to visors and fighting. For most fights that I've seen with visors, all players with visors usually do remove their helmets, even those not instigating the fight. It would be the sporting thing to do.