With the recent passing of Adam Johnson over in England this past weekend, the topic of mandatory neck guards is starting to become a topic. It is not just in the English Ice Hockey Association making them mandatory, there is a potential for the NHL to do the same thing.
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The hockey world was affected by this tragic event this past weekend. Johnson was accidentally cut in the neck by a skateblade. As a result of the injury, Johnson unfortunately passed away. As a result, the English Ice Hockey Association is making neck guards mandatory for every player starting in 2024.
The EIHA was going to make them mandatory starting sooner, but there is not enough supply for that to happen. There are other leagues over in Germany making neck guards mandatory for all their players.
Over here in North America, youth hockey players playing junior hockey in Canada and those taking part in USA Hockey leagues are required to wear neck guards. Though we rarely see professional hockey players wear neck guards. That might change as a result of this tragic event.
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Over the weekend, it was tweeted out that some players from the AHL Providence Bruins were wearing neck guards during a recent game. In addition, Rochester Americans head coach Seth Appert, the team has ordered additional neck guards along with the base layer shirt-neck guard combination. Some players already have adopted them.
The question now becomes, will the NHL make neckguards mandatory for their players moving forward?
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly was on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio and was asked about this and if there are steps in the works to mandate players to wear them.
** NHLRumors.com Transcription
Gord Stellick: “One given the tragedy in England on the weekend, is it something that the league has talked about right now as far as neck guards go with that?”
Billy Daly: “So the answer is yes. I think the commissioner, as recently as over the weekend, was in touch with Marty Walsh to kind of put this squarely on the radar screen. I will say that, particularly through the work of Rod Pasma in our hockey operations department, we have been pushing, really pushing hard, cut-resistant materials and guards for use by our players. It is an adjustment for them but we are strongly recommending, kind of cut resistant materials for use by our players. It’s been mandated in the American Hockey League and in ECHL. Right now, we’re talking about wrists and forearms. But obviously, the most recent horrific accident, really we’ll we’ll we’ll step up the neck guards for sure.”
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Scott Laughlin: “Yeah, and I mean, look, we’ve had some close calls over the years right Bill, with Malarchuk and Richard Zednik and things like that happening. These blades are extremely sharp. Is this something that maybe you could look to see grandfathered in, that’s what people have talked about, right? I think the EIHL. Given what has happened here, with the loss of Adam Johnson are saying, like it’s going to happen immediately. This is something though that maybe could get grandfathered in do you think and no doubt talks would have to take place with the PA to make this happen.
Daly: “Yeah, again, I think it might be premature to say that’s going to happen. But certainly, it’s something we’re going to discuss for sure.”
It is a discussion that will be ongoing with the recent passing of Adam Johnson over in England. You have to imagine right it will be the players’ choice to wear them, but from the sounds of it, the NHL and NHLPA will take a hard look at making these things mandatory down the road.
Chris Johnston on TSN said that it is a concern in the NHL and teams are calling the NHL looking for some direction.
“At this time there are at least three teams that have started the process of implementing optional neck protectors for their teams – that being the Pittsburgh Penguins, who once employed Johnson, the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes. All three of those teams have ordered equipment, are going to have their players test them out in practice, and go from there. The Penguins are going to take it one step further and have their AHL team in Wilkesbury make it mandatory for players to wear neck protection moving forward.
I’m told that other teams are looking at doing the same and right now the biggest issue might be just getting enough product. There’s been a lot of manufacturers communicating with the NHL and saying there’s never been this much demand in the wake of this awful tragedy.”
Pierre LeBrun on TSN said that the use of neck guards will be a topic at the GM meetings starting on November 14th. Cut-resistant equipment will come up like it has in previous years.
“It’s also a discussion that always seems to be reactive as opposed to looking ahead and one of those things I thought about today is we know there is cut-resistant technology today in equipment, but what about a one-piece suit like you see on a speed skater? I actually chatted with a league official today who said they’ve had conversations with a speed skating company where that’s not a crazy thought.
It’s not on the table right now – the league has talked about only a top, which the league has signed off on, but I think it’s the kind of conversation in the big picture that certainly we will continue to have here. “
