Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves utilizes a tinted visor to 'find any competitive edge'

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves stands out for a lot of reasons.

Most notably because he is 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds. In the modern, compact NHL, he is a giant, especially with a franchise that has stressed smaller, quicker players over the past decade.

Another defining characteristic is how he looks.

Or sees, to be more accurate.

Graves wears a darker visor than any of his teammates.

And unlike a luxury sedan or SUV with tinted windows, Graves dons the darkened visor for function, not fashion. He has done so since the 2020-21 season when he was a member of the Colorado Avalanche.

“I started getting migraines a few years ago,” Graves said in Cranberry on Oct. 15. “It just helped with the glare with the light. It’s not a big change, but you just try things to try and help. It’s one thing that’s helped. I definitely don’t wear it for style or anything like that, but I think that if you can find any competitive edge (do it).”

The NHL doesn’t require clearance for a tinted visor like Graves’, though he did have to get approval from the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) when he skated in the World Championship tournament in 2022.

“You talk to some other guys that wear it,” Graves said. “I know (St. Louis Blues forward) Brayden Schenn wears it, and he loves it. It’s not for style for him. He likes the way it feels. (Buffalo Sabres defenseman) Erik Johnson had some eye issues. He likes the way it cuts the glare down. (Detroit Red Wings forward David Perron) too.”

Some players, such as Perron, have worn it for issues related to concussions. In Graves’ case, he simply has it to see better.

“Sometimes the lights are just bright,” Graves said. “When you’re on the ice, there’s those big spotlights that really are bright. The best comparison I can give is driving when it’s sunny out, and there’s the glare off the road and the sun is beaming through your windshield. It just kind of cuts the glare down a little bit. You don’t even notice it wearing it.

“Anything you can do, it takes the strain off, and it’s just easier to concentrate on the ice. It’s just a tool that helps. Like a different pair of skates or a different pair of gloves. It’s not for the way it looks. It’s the way it helps, the way you feel with it.”

Graves started something of a trend in Colorado with tinted visors. Former defensive teammates such as Johnson and Bowen Byram started wearing them after Graves did once they were on the wrong end of heavy hits.

“I had a few concussions, and bright lights were kind of bothering me,” Byram said Oct. 25 at PPG Paints Arena. “So I just started wearing it. It helped a bit. Just takes some of the real bright shine out of the lights in some of the rinks. It just kind of cuts off a bit of light. Going through concussions, it’s kind of something that can bother you. I just started doing it when I was rehabbing. I liked it, so I stuck with it.

“Bright lights (are) something that can trigger concussion symptoms. Just trying to help myself out as much as possible by wearing it.”

Graves’ preference for his visor followed him from Colorado to his time with the New Jersey Devils after a 2021 trade as well as the Penguins who signed him to a six-year contract in July.

“When you get moved, (a team’s equipment staff sends) all your (equipment specifications) over of what you wear. I came here, and all my stuff (was prepared).

“It’s something that I will continue to wear all throughout my career whether it’s here or somewhere else.”