Greg Neeld (born February 25, 1955, in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

) is a retired

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

defenceman. He played 17 games for the

Toronto Toros The Toronto Toros were an ice hockey team based in Toronto that played in the World Hockey Association from 1973 to 1976. History The franchise was awarded to Doug Michel in 1971 for $25,000 to play in the WHA's inaugural 1972–73 season. Haro ...

of the

World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association (french: Association mondiale de hockey) was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (NHL) ...

. On December 7, 1973, in an Ontario Hockey Association junior game between Neeld's

Toronto Marlboros The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated junior ice hockey and senior ice hockey teams in the Ontario Hockey Association and later the Ontario Hockey League. The Marlboros ...

and the

Kitchener Rangers The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. The Rangers have won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL ...

, Neeld was high-sticked in the face by Kitchener's Dave Maloney, resulting in the loss of his left eye. Neeld became the first player (excluding goaltenders) to wear a facial shield in regular play. Neeld's injury brought attention to issue of ocular safety in ice hockey, and in Canada, facial protection was made mandatory for minor hockey by 1980. Today, many leagues across North America and Europe mandate use of visors for their players. He persevered with his dream to become a professional hockey player. He was drafted 71st overall in the fourth round of the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft by the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

and 40th overall in the third round of the 1975 WHA Amateur Draft by the

Minnesota Fighting Saints The Minnesota Fighting Saints was the name of two professional ice hockey teams based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, that played in the World Hockey Association. The first team was one of the WHA's original twelve franchises, playing from 1972 to 19 ...

. He never played an NHL game, as the Sabres were not able to get around the rule that a player was required to be sighted in both eyes. However, Neeld appeared in 17 games with the

in the 1975-76 WHA season, registering only one assist. He spent part of the season in the

NAHL Nahl or NAHL may refer to: * Nahl (surname) * National Accident Helpline, a British personal injury lawyer service * North American Hockey League, an American junior hockey league * North American Hockey League (1973–1977), an American professio ...

, and the entirety of the next season. He played two more seasons in the International Hockey League (IHL) for four various teams until 1979. Neeld is currently the CEO of a Vancouver-based mining exploration company.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Neeld, Greg 1955 births Living people Buffalo Norsemen players Buffalo Sabres draft picks Calgary Centennials players Canadian ice hockey defencemen Erie Blades players Grand Rapids Owls players Ice hockey people from British Columbia Kalamazoo Wings (1974–2000) players Minnesota Fighting Saints draft picks Muskegon Mohawks players Sportspeople from Vancouver Sportspeople with a vision impairment Sudbury Wolves players Toledo Goaldiggers players Toronto Marlboros players Toronto Toros players