Norris Winning Defenseman Calls Out Stars For Not Wearing Neck Guards
The tragic passing of Adam Johnson has started sweeping change in the sport of hockey around the world, and thankfully, it appears as though it's gaining major support among the player base.
Neck guard support
While the NHL can't yet mandate players to wear extra neck protection, players have been jumping on board, with names like Cole Perfetti, Nik Ehlers and Rasmus Dahlin rocking new protection in recent days.
That player base is only about to grow, and on Thursday, it got some major support, with reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson calling out players that haven't picked up the new equipment.
Just trying it out, it is available for us. I don't think it is a bad thing, and I'll probably try it out for a bit and see if I can get accustomed to it and go from there.
The magnitude of the situation that unfortunately happened puts a lot of things in perspective. We all have families and friends - we do this because we love to do this and we get paid well to do it and stuff like that...
At the end of the day, we do it 'cause it's a choice... I don't think anyone would keep doing it if it meant risking your life every day going out there. If you can wear a small piece of equipment to hopefully prevent something like that again, I think that's a win...
We're going to try it out like I said for the foreseeable future and see if I can wear it regularly, I hope I can - and I hope more and more guys try to do the same at least.
The magnitude of the situation that unfortunately happened puts a lot of things in perspective. We all have families and friends - we do this because we love to do this and we get paid well to do it and stuff like that...
At the end of the day, we do it 'cause it's a choice... I don't think anyone would keep doing it if it meant risking your life every day going out there. If you can wear a small piece of equipment to hopefully prevent something like that again, I think that's a win...
We're going to try it out like I said for the foreseeable future and see if I can wear it regularly, I hope I can - and I hope more and more guys try to do the same at least.
A mandate incoming?
The mandate is being heavily pushed for by several teams, but until the NHLPA get together and agree on it, that won't happen, and if some stars follow Dahlin and Karlsson, it should get pushed through.
It's been a hot topic of conversation over social media as well, with some fans and analysts believing that not only is it safer for players, but it adds to the overall aesthetic, and with players like Karlsson speaking out like this, it's a good look for increased player safety measures in the sport.
As Read on MarkerZone - Erik Karlsson Calls Out Other NHL Stars for Not Wearing a Neck Guard
| POLL | ||
Should all players be made to wear neck guards going forward? | ||
| Yes | 38 | 73.1 % |
| No | 14 | 26.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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