Zachary L'Heureux is doing something that could catch on as the NHL's new big trend.
He's back from being hurt and is ready to get back to making an impact in the lineup. He'll also being doing it in style as well. He was sporting a sweet looking tinted visor. Other than being totally bitchin' the visor does have a practical purpose.
Zach L'Heureux told me today that he made the switch to wearing a tinted visor so he can focus better on the ice. Lots of overpowering LEDs in NHL arenas. He plans to stick to the change as well. #Preds pic.twitter.com/l6ayjwlU2A
— Nick Kieser🏒 (@KieserNick) March 17, 2025
Good reporting there from Nick Kieser. It also feels very relatable. LED lights are one of life's not so little annoyances. We're getting blinded by trucks on the highway for just glacing in our rearview mirrors, and the ice at the Bridgestone Arena is no different. It was the first venue ever to implement a color-temperature tuning LED lighting solution. This was back in 2016 just before Nashville hit the national stage for the All Star Game.
Now, ice is one of the most reflective surfaces that we have. Combine that with LED lights and you've got a really bright surface. If you know any high school kid who has gotten to play on the Bridgestone, they'll tell you it feels a lot brighter. It looked a lot brighter when I was down there coaching.
While all of this seems a touch annoying, is it really enough to change the tint on the visor? Well, one of the most common conditions resulting from concussions is sensitivity to light. Photophobia can be tough to deal with in most cases, but when your job involved playing in a stadium light up to the nines on one of Earth's most reflective surfaces, maybe a tinted visor doesn't seem so crazy.
He isn't the only player who has made the switch either. Mark Sheifele switched to one, as did former teammates Andrew Copp, and Pierre Luc Dubois. Former NHL Matt Clavert went with a pink visor during his stint with the Avalanche. Conor Geekie's is a bit more purple, but Daniel Sprong's also leans more into the pink, inspired by Morgan Geekie's. Ryan Graves leans in with a darker visor, as does William Nylander. The LA Kings budding star Quinton Byfield switched over to one this season. Marian Hossa switched to a tinted visor during his career. You've got long term players like Anze Kopitar and David Perron who have worn tinted visors for the majority of their careers, and it makes perfect sense.
With stadiums unlinkly to switch out the LED's for Edison bulbs any time soon, the tinted visors are probably going to continue to be a regular occurence. With every player looking for an edge, or just to be able to see the puck, make the switch to a tinted visor seems like a no brainer.
Now, pro athletes are creatures of habit and some might struggle with the concept of just making any switch at all. There is one Predators player though who is likely never switching to a tinted visor. Ryan O'Reilly reamins one of just five holdouts in the league who still hasn't put on a visor, let alone a tinted one.
Thanks to Cooper Light Solutions for the info on the lights