# Greg Neeld

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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Greg_Neeld.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Neeld
> Source revision: 1356178006
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{{short description|Canadian ice hockey player}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| image = 
| caption = 
| image_size = 
| alt = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|2|25|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [Vancouver](/source/Vancouver), [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia), [Canada](/source/Canada)
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lb = 198
| position = [Defence](/source/Defenceman)
| shoots = Right
| team = 
| league = 
| played_for = [Toronto Toros](/source/Toronto_Toros)
| ntl_team = 
| draft = 71st overall
| draft_year = 1975
| draft_team = [Buffalo Sabres](/source/Buffalo_Sabres)
| wha_draft = 40th overall
| wha_draft_year = 1975
| wha_draft_team = [Minnesota Fighting Saints](/source/Minnesota_Fighting_Saints)
| career_start = 1975
| career_end = 1979
}}
'''Greg Neeld''' (born February 25, 1955) is a Canadian former professional [ice hockey](/source/ice_hockey) defenceman. He played 17 games for the [Toronto Toros](/source/Toronto_Toros) of the [World Hockey Association](/source/World_Hockey_Association).

On December 7, 1973, in an [Ontario Hockey Association](/source/Ontario_Hockey_Association) junior game between Neeld's [Toronto Marlboros](/source/Toronto_Marlboros) and the [Kitchener Rangers](/source/Kitchener_Rangers), Neeld was high-sticked in the face by Kitchener's [Dave Maloney](/source/Dave_Maloney), resulting in the loss of his left eye.<ref>[https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2013/06/14/meet_the_first_hockey_player_to_wear_a_visor.html Hockey visors: Meet Greg Neeld, the first hockey player to wear one]</ref> Neeld became the first player (excluding goaltenders) to wear a facial shield in regular play. Neeld's injury brought attention to the 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 the 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](/source/Buffalo_Sabres) and 40th overall in the third round of the 1975 WHA Amateur Draft by the [Minnesota Fighting Saints](/source/Minnesota_Fighting_Saints). 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 [Toronto Toros](/source/Toronto_Toros) in the 1975-76 WHA season, registering only one assist. He spent part of the season in the [NAHL](/source/NAHL), and the entirety of the next season. He played two more seasons in the [International Hockey League](/source/International_Hockey_League_(1945%E2%80%932001)) (IHL) for four various teams until 1979.

Neeld is currently the CEO of a Vancouver-based mining exploration company.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canada.com/sports/Visors+should+mandatory+says+Greg+Neeld+should+know/4589725/story.html|title=Visors should be mandatory in the NHL, says Greg Neeld — and he should know|publisher=Vancouver Province|accessdate=May 16, 2011 |date=April 9, 2011 |author=Jim Jamieson}}{{dead link|fix-attempted=yes|date=June 2023}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"|
! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"|
! colspan="5"|[Regular season](/source/Regular_season)
! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"|
! colspan="5"|[Playoffs](/source/Playoffs)
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! [Season](/source/Season_(sports))
! Team
! League
! GP !! [G](/source/Goal_(ice_hockey)) !! [A](/source/Assist_(ice_hockey)) !! [Pts](/source/Point_(ice_hockey)) !! [PIM](/source/Penalty_(ice_hockey))
! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM
|-
|1971–72 || Toronto Marlboros || OHA || 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0  || –– || –– || –– || –– || ––
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
|1972–73 || Toronto Marlboros || OHA || 28 || 5 || 19 || 24 || 71  ||–– || –– || –– || –– || ––
|-
|1972–73 || Sudbury Wolves || OHA || 26 || 4 || 18 || 22 || 70  || –– || –– || –– || –– || ––
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
|1973–74 || Toronto Marlboros || OHA || 31 || 4 || 11 || 15 || 98  ||  –– || –– || –– || –– || ––
|-
|1974–75 || Calgary Centennials || WCHL || 62 || 29 || 30 || 59 || 186  ||  –– || –– || –– || –– || ––
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
|1975–76 || Buffalo Norsemen || NAHL || 26 || 7 || 6 || 13 || 85  ||  2 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 10
|-
|[1975–76](/source/1975%E2%80%9376_WHA_season) ||[Toronto Toros](/source/Toronto_Toros) || [WHA](/source/World_Hockey_Association) || 17 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 18  ||  –– || –– || –– || –– || ––
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
|1976–77 || Erie Blades || NAHL || 73 || 21 || 43 || 64 || 128  ||  8 || 1 || 3 || 4 || 35
|-
|1977–78 || Dayton/Grand Rapids Owls || IHL || 17 || 4 || 10 || 14 || 38  ||  –– || –– || –– || –– || ––
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
|1978–79 || Kalamazoo Wings || IHL || 7 || 1 || 5 || 6 || 44  ||  –– || –– || –– || –– || ––
|-
|1978–79 || Toledo Goaldiggers || IHL || 21 || 2 || 5 || 7 || 54  ||  –– || –– || –– || –– || ––
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
|1978–79 || Muskegon Mohawks || IHL || 42 || 7 || 28 || 35 || 186  ||  –– || –– || –– || –– || ––
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3"| WHA totals
! 17!!	0!!	1!!	1!!	18			
! — !! — !! — !! — !!—
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Icehockeystats}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neeld, Greg}}
Category:1955 births
Category:Living people
Category:Buffalo Norsemen players
Category:Buffalo Sabres draft picks
Category:Calgary Centennials players
Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Category:Erie Blades players
Category:Grand Rapids Owls players
Category:Ice hockey people from Vancouver
Category:Kalamazoo Wings (1974–2000) players
Category:Minnesota Fighting Saints draft picks
Category:Muskegon Mohawks players
Category:Sportspeople with visual impairment
Category:Sudbury Wolves players
Category:Toledo Goaldiggers players
Category:Toronto Marlboros players
Category:Toronto Toros players
Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Greg Neeld](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Neeld) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Neeld?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.