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In the early years of the NHL, helmets were not required. This was slowly phased out, and eventually the entire league was required to wear a helmet to protect the players from head injury. Now people want to see more, which begs the question at hand. Why doesn't the NHL enforce the rule more stringently?

I would venture it has to do with several things. First, there hasn't been enough of a need for it. Yes, players take pucks to the face, and a number will return wearing a half shield. I would venture a guess that the half shields are going to be the next phase of head protection that the NHL will eventually try to impose on its players.

What's important to remember is this.
Helmets do wonders, but they're not going to stop all injuries. While a number of types of severe injuries can be avoided by having players wear helmets, there are still a number of types that can not. Think of it like an egg. Yes, a helmet could help from preventing cracks, but enough trauma is going to break the egg regardless of what it's got on it.

Emerging youth players have a tendency to be reckless when it comes to respecting another player's head. They're so used to having full face protection, many have actually become accustomed to pushing the limits of what that allows them do to to themselves and to others. High sticking, boarding, even a slash to the face isn't going to do half as much to a full face shield than it would to bare skin. Unfortunately, these tendencies are often the cause of the injuries that helmets are meant to protect against.

So really, it boils down to a few simple things.
Necessity, urgency, and alternative.

At the moment, the necessity for head protection is already covered by existing helmets. There is no urgency at this point to mandate a more protective helmet/cage/shield combo. To top this off, there are alternatives. Players who want the extra protection are allowed to have it, and the league is cracking down on players who are reckless when it comes to respecting other players so as to keep them out of compromised situations that could contribute towards certain types of injuries.

There's no need to enforce it more than it already is. To sum it all up:
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

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