Examining hockey neck guard rules around the world, changes after Adam Johnsons death

The International Ice Hockey Federation, which presides over the sport at the Olympics, announced Monday it’s mandating neck protection at all levels of its competitions. The news follows the death of former NHL player Adam Johnson, who was cut across his neck by a skate blade during a game in England in late October.
Advertisement
Johnson’s death sparked international conversation over the use of neck guards in hockey, and multiple governing bodies for the sport issued changes to their rules to require neck protection, although it’s not universally mandated.
So what are the rules in the U.S. and other countries when it comes to players wearing neck gear in hockey? And what other changes could be coming?
IIHF mandates neck protection at all levels
Before the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced that it’s mandating neck protection at all levels, the federation only “strongly recommended” that all players “wear equipment made of cut resistance material for their safety.”
There are three age categories within the IIHF: U18, U20 and senior. Such protection was already enforced within the U18 and U20 categories, so the mandate makes neck laceration protectors required for the senior categories. This includes senior tournaments that NHL players can participate in, like the Olympics, as well as men’s and women’s world championships.
The mandate does not yet have a date on which it will go into effect for the senior categories. That will be determined by the supply situation, the IIHF said.
“Until the rule officially goes into effect, the IIHF continues to strongly recommend that neck laceration protectors are worn by all players performing in an IIHF competition,” it said.
The IIHF Council, on recommendation from its Medical Committee, has decided to mandate the use of a neck laceration protector, specifically designed for this purpose, at all levels of IIHF competitions.
Read more on https://t.co/ldDBa42X8a ⤵️https://t.co/lddz8IlJWR pic.twitter.com/3L3jy0nQYq
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) December 4, 2023
USA Hockey’s policy on neck guards
USA Hockey, which governs organized ice hockey in the United States, recommends that players wear neck protectors, but does not require it. Regarding why, Dr. Michael Stuart, USA Hockey’s chief medical officer and chair of its Safety and Protective Equipment Committee (SPEC), said last month that the organization wants to mandate neck protection that meets a higher standard than what’s currently available at a mass scale.
Advertisement
The International Organization of Standardization (ISO) is developing a new standard for neck laceration protectors that Stuart said is supposed to be released soon. “That’s what we’ve been waiting for,” he said.
Read more about USA Hockey’s stance on neck guards
What about the NHL?
The NHL also does not mandate neck protectors, unlike helmets and visors. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman previously said the NHL and its players’ association would explore options for protective neck gear.
“Whether it’s something that’s mandated directly or on a phased-in basis, that’s something we’ll discuss with the (NHL) Players’ Association,” Bettman said in November.
According to an ESPN report, Bettman also said the issue of neck protection is not new and the NHL and NHLPA already had a joint committee looking at ways to better protect players from cuts to the wrist, leg or worse.
Daly told me the other day the league has been vigilant in recommending this for years and he hopes this horrible incident leads to players wearing them https://t.co/1vaF7Thlqb
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) October 31, 2023
While not required, more NHL players have voluntarily worn neck protection during practice and in games after Johnson’s death.
At the minor-league level, neck guards are not mandatory league-wide in the AHL or ECHL. However, the Pittsburgh Penguins — the club where Johnson appeared for 13 NHL games — mandated their affiliates, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) and Wheeling Nailers (ECHL), have players begin wearing neck gear, Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are at 100 percent player participation in wearing neck protection.
The Penguins were also the first NHL team to reach out to the league about experimenting with neck protection after Johnson’s death.
Advertisement
NCAA rules on neck guards
Neck protection also isn’t required for men’s and women’s ice hockey in the NCAA. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, the topic of requiring greater neck protection was previously raised by administrators and is expected to be elevated in importance at future NCAA hockey rules committee meetings.
Canada’s requirements
Unlike in the United States, Hockey Canada’s rules state that wearing a neck guard certified by the Bureau de Normalisation du Quebec (BNQ), the organization that created Canada’s standard for the guards, “is required for players registered in minor and female hockey.”
The Western Hockey League (WHL) — a Canadian junior hockey league — updated its rules following Johnson’s death to mandate that players “wear protective neck guard equipment at all times while participating in on-ice activities, including WHL games and practices.”
Neck protection is also mandatory for players in other major junior hockey leagues, such as the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
Neck guard policies in Europe
In the wake of Johnson’s death, the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA) approved neck guards as a mandatory piece of equipment for “players at all levels across English Ice Hockey.” The mandate will take effect in January but does not include the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), which the Nottingham Panthers — the team Johnson was playing for at the time of his death — participate in.
The EIHA is one of the governing bodies that oversee ice hockey in England and Wales, while the EIHL has 10 franchises with teams in Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England.
Hockey governing bodies in Sweden and Finland also require players to wear neck guards, while German hockey league Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) announced last month that it will require players to wear neck protection beginning Jan. 1.
Alle Spieler der PENNY DEL müssen ab dem 01. Januar 2024 verpflichtend einen schnittfesten Halsschutz tragen. Dies ist das einstimmige Ergebnis der Sitzung der Sportlichen Leitern aller 14 Clubs im Einvernehmen mit der Spielervereinigung (SVE) vom 6. November 2023. pic.twitter.com/nExg6k76S0
— Kölner Haie (@Koelner_Haie_72) November 7, 2023
How common are neck injuries in hockey?
Severe neck injuries are uncommon in hockey but not unprecedented. During an NHL game in 1989, Clint Malarchuk was cut on the neck by a skate, severing a jugular vein, one of the major blood vessels that stretches from the head to the chest. Malarchuk survived but following the gruesome injury, he developed post-traumatic stress disorder.
Advertisement
In 2008, Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik had a carotid artery, another major blood vessel, sliced open by a teammate’s skate, forcing emergency surgery. He missed the remainder of the season but returned to play in 2008-09.
Teddy Balkind, a 10th grader in Connecticut, died last year after a skate blade cut his neck, renewing the debate over neck guard mandates.
Required reading
(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57lGlrcXFhbXxzfJFsZmpqX2WBcLTOnKKesV2jsqS3jKCsmqqUYr%2B2uMSsZJqckaJ6q7vHp6qopl8%3D