Marc Staal News

Back in 2010-2011 the New York Rangers brought in Steve Eminger to help shore up their defense and provide the team with defensive depth.

When the New York Rangers decided it was time to move Scott Gomez and his ridiculous contract back in 2009, most people were wondering just who the heck it was that Rangers got in return.

It's been just over a year since the NHL announced the candidates for the 2011-12 annual awards, given to the league's outstanding performers during the regular season.

The New York Rangers have a couple of different offseason decisions to make this summer.

New York Rangers' Marc Staal is helped by a trainer after being injured. Almost three months after Staal suffered a serious eye injury after taking a puck in the face, visors are being made mandatory for new players.

This week the National Hockey League Competition Committee agreed to make visors mandatory for all players starting next year.

New York Rangers defenceman Marc Staal is helped off the ice after he was hit in the face with a puck against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 5. After the recent meetings by the NHL's competition committe, this week's Hockey Night in Canada in Punjabi podcast examines the issues related to the rule changes that may be implemented next season.

Both coaches in the Eastern Conference finals yesterday gave their endorsement to a recommendation from the league's competition committee meeting on Tuesday that would grandfather in mandatory use of visors, starting next year.

The N.H.L. competition committee recommended Tuesday that visors be mandated beginning next season for new players, though veteran players may opt out through a grandfather clause.

According to Yahoo!'s Puck Daddy , the NHL 's Competition Committee has approved potential major rule changes such as hybrid icing and the grandfathering of visors that will go into effect if approved by the NHL's Board of Governors.

Mar. 5, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal skates off the ice with a trainer after getting hit in the face with a puck against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period at Madison Square Garden.

Current players would still have the option of going without the eye projections, but this season the number who wore visors rose to 74%.

April 25, 2013; Raleigh, NC, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Jiri Tlusty looks on against the New York Rangers at the PNC center.

Referee Gord Dwyer signals during the second period of an NHL hockey game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Winnipeg Jets in Detroit, Saturday, Dec.

Before New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal could even be helped off the ice after being struck in the eye with a puck on March 5, the debate was already raging.

With the Rangers season ending prematurely Saturday night, after a 3-1 loss to the Bruins many fans were at a loss.

A season after finishing as the top seed in the Eastern Conference and in the wake of adding star winger Rick Nash, the Rangers struggled offensively on their way to a sixth seed in the NHL playoffs and second-round exit at the hands of the Boston Bruins.

The words of Rangers coach John Tortorella were hardly veiled, as on his team's breakup day yesterday he made a strong push to keep unrestricted free agent Ryane Clowe wearing the Blueshirt.

Rick Nash was supposed to be the final piece to the Rangers' Stanley Cup puzzle, the dominant force on the offensive end to match Henrik Lundqvist's brilliance in net.

In Smithtown long-term road construction on Rt-347/Nesconset Hwy WB between Rt-111/Hauppauge Rd and Rt-454/Veterans Memorial Hwy in Hauppauge In Smithtown long-term road construction on Rt-347/Nesconset Hwy WB between Rt-111/Hauppauge Rd and Rt-454/Veterans Memorial Hwy in Hauppauge In Hauppauge long-term road construction on Rt-347/Nesconset Hwy ... (more)