Kind of weird. Back in the eighties, you had an option to wear a helmet or not. Later on, it became mandatory.
Wayne Gretzky wore a kayak helmet. That Jofa helmet that he wore during his career and was a part of his signature look was a kayak helmet. That was not intended to be a hockey helmet. It just looked good because it didn't make your head look like a big pumpkin. It is a plastic shell with a nylon strap ring on the inside that suspends the helmet on the head. It had a chin strap and a very thin amount of padding on the inside. Thin as in 1 mm of foam padding. Nothing that could prevent a concussion.
I think the players need to look at suing the NHLPA because they come up with what the players want. There is no rule to have a half shield and it is actually against the rules to have a full-face protective mask/cage on a player unless it is being worn for a medical purpose. Basically, it is against the rules to have more protection for your face.
Goalies must wear a mask with padding and a caged area in front of the eyes, and are not allowed to wear the padding-less shell masks that were worn in the 70s and 80's.