Yahoo Sports Bubble Boost: Three NHL Players Who Turned Hot Rocking A Fishbowl
Whether it's called a full face shield, a "bubble" or a "fishbowl," the added layer of face protection helps NHL players return to action earlier after a facial injury.
Even though NHL players tend not to wear the bubble if they can help it, some players have rocked on the ice with it on. In fact, Zach Hyman's slump truly ended while wearing it.
As Hyman's month of wearing a full face shield ends, here are three NHL players who had a streak of success with the fishbowl.
Taking a slapshot to the face from teammate Evan Bouchard left a mark on Hyman, as he wore a full face shield for just over a month.
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Zach Hyman, Edmonton Oilers
No one wants to work through the holiday season injured, and that includes hockey players.
On Dec. 16, 2024, a slapshot to the face broke the nose of Edmonton Oilers left winger Zach Hyman, forcing him to wear a fishbowl upon his return to the lineup three days later on Dec 19. He did not like wearing one, but he knew he had to so he can avoid breaking his nose again.
"I got bumped by one of the kids today, and it was pretty sore." Hyman told reporters on Jan. 13. "It's so hot and stuffy."
Before Hyman broke his nose, he was just starting to get on a roll after recording only three goals and eight points in his first 20 games. He had seven goals in six games to start December. And then in his first 13 games with the full face shield, he got up to speed with five goals and 11 points.
BUBBLE ZACH 🫧
With six points (five of them goals) in four games, Zach Hyman is our @Gatorade Performer of the Week 😤 #FuelledByG | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/QdlyHIElFJ— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) December 23, 2024
Trying to score in high-danger areas can come with a risk, as shown with Hyman, but it's been his bread and butter. To Oilers teammate Corey Perry, he's among a limited number of guys who thrive in that area right now.
"I wouldn't want to go what he went through taking a slapshot in the face, but he's not afraid to go to those areas." Perry said. "That's how he's made a living, and that's how some of us have made a living in this game. There's only so many guys that want to go there and that will take the abuse to go there and he's one of them."
On Thursday, TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported Hyman's helmet no longer sports the bubble. Perhaps the initial fishbowl boost wore off, as he has one point in his last five games.
Connor Bedard missed time in his rookie season with a fractured jaw after taking a hit against Brendan Smith of the New Jersey Devils.
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Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks
As expected in his rookie campaign, Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard stole the show in 2023-24. He put up 61 points in 68 games to take home the Calder Trophy.
While Bedard's play was a bright spot in another rebuilding year for Chicago, he won the Calder despite missing just under six weeks of action due to a hit from New Jersey's Brendan Smith, who fractured his jaw. He had 33 points in 39 games to that point.
CONNOR BEDARD. FIVE POINTS.#NHLStats: https://t.co/m0mxO2HUH6 pic.twitter.com/6f6I58gH1b
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 13, 2024
Forced to wear the bubble upon his return for the rest of the season, Bedard's production stayed so high that there were suggestions he should make the full shield a permanent look going forward. After all, he had to wear it as a U-18 player in two World Junior Championships, and he set a handful of tournament records for Canada.
In the 29 games after returning, Bubble Bedard's scoring rate improved with 28 points, good for 0.97 points per game.
Mitch Marner told reporters at the time he felt the full face shield worked better than a full cage among his other options.
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Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
Connor Bedard wasn't the only star forced to don maximum protection in 2023-24.
Mitch Marner sported a full face shield after sustaining a jaw injury on Nov. 28, 2023, against the Florida Panthers, which required 12 stitches. He ended up having one of his best games with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Mitch Marner couldn't get the mouthguard into the fishbowl 🤣 pic.twitter.com/3xtcqwDrq7
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 1, 2023
Facing the Seattle Kraken two days later, Marner recorded a hat trick and the shootout-winner in a 4-3 victory.
"Probably a good reason why it's still on today," Maple Leafs center John Tavares told The Hockey News' David Alter before the following game, where Marner recorded an assist. "It was a great night for him."
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