Two New NHL Teams Begin To Experiment With Neck Guards

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Graham Montgomery
October 31, 2023 (11:34 PM)

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Adam Johnson's sudden passing has been felt across the hockey world. Many leagues are now looking into new equipment rules with the EIHL instituting a mandatory neck protection rule that will go into effect December 31st.

NHL Teams Order Neck Protectors

It is now being reported that two more NHL teams have ordered neck protection for their players, joining the Penguins who were the first to do so. NHL insider Chris Johnston has the update.

"I know of at least three that have started the process of implementing optional neck protection for their teams. That being a Pittsburgh Penguins, who once employed Adam Johnson, the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes. All three of those teams have ordered equipment and are going to have their players test it out and practice and go from there."

The Penguins have already issued a team enforced rule, making neck protection mandatory for all AHL and ECHL players in their organization. While the NHL is unlikely to make a rules change midseason, it seems that we may see neck protectors pop up around the league naturally as player and teams take it upon themselves to be more safe on the ice.

Players Start Wearing Neck Protection Voluntarily

As discussions about mandatory neck protection continue, some players have put their fate in their own hands. While we have not seen any NHL players wear neck protectors in game, a few players in the AHL have already done so, possibly marking the beginning of a new era of player safety in professional hockey.

NHL players are often creatures of habit. Change is not always something that is welcomed with open arms. Perhaps this is why we have not seen more players in North America adding the protective equipment already. After all, advances in technology have made neck protection specifically much more comfortable and light-weight in recent years. Now there are even base layer shirts with built in neck and wrist protection. Previous iterations of neckwear have been bulky, awkward, and easily knocked off during play. Luckily, that is no longer the case and we should see more players embrace their own safety in the coming months.