Canada’s sport minister is calling on the NHL to mandate players wear neck guards in the wake of Adam Johnson’s death in England over the weekend.
Carla Qualtrough told Global News in an emailed statement Tuesday it was “concerning” that the NHL and Western Hockey League (WHL) don’t have a mandate in place.
“I was saddened to learn of the passing of Adam Johnson. I want to convey my most sincere condolences to his family, friends, and teammates. Accidents like these are preventable,” she said.
“Hockey leagues around the world, including right here in Canada, have rules requiring neck guards. It is concerning that both the WHL and NHL do not have this rule. I encourage them to put in place a rule requiring neck guards.”
Johnson, a 29-year-old Minnesota native who played 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, was playing with the Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) Saturday when he had his neck cut by a skate blade during the second period.
His death and its aftermath have reverberated around the hockey world, with moments of silence held throughout the NHL and with the Penguins adding “AJ 47” decals to their helmets.
The hockey world is also wondering what steps should be taken to prevent it from happening again.
Four-time Olympic gold medallist Hayley Wickenheiser called for mandated neck protection at “every level in hockey” Monday. She said not wearing protection poses far too great a risk, even if it’s not in style.
“I know it may not pass the ‘cool’ factor but it’s time for mandatory neck protection at every level in hockey. The risk is far too great not to,” said Wickenheiser in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Bauer, which manufactures hockey equipment, called for a mandate on neck protection Monday and the development of new guidelines to ensure the mandate is enforced across leagues of all levels.
While neck guards are not mandatory in the NHL, the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League require players to wear neck guards. It’s also obligatory for Hockey Canada players registered in minor or women’s hockey.
The WHL told Global News in a statement it would be reviewing its position on mandatory neck guards following Johnson’s death.
The NHL did not return Global News’ requests for comment by publication time Tuesday.
Three U.K. hockey associations will mandate players wear neck guards next year. The English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA), Ice Hockey UK and Scottish Ice Hockey all announced rule changes Monday.
“The EIHA makes a ‘strong recommendation’ that all players at all levels across English Ice Hockey use an approved Ice Hockey Neck Guard/Protector whilst participating in all on ice activities. This ‘strong recommendation’ is in place until 31 December 2023, after which it will become a mandatory requirement. It is not mandatory with immediate effect due to anticipated supply issues,” a statement from the organization reads.
“As in all sports, the safety of our players must take precedence above all else. We are firmly committed to our obligation to exhaust every possible means to ensure that a tragic incident of this nature never befalls our sport again.”
Statements from Ice Hockey UK and Scottish Ice Hockey read similar to the EIHA’s, in which they announce a series of other measures. The EIHA governs all levels of hockey in England and Wales below the EIHL. Ice Hockey UK governs British national teams, while Scottish Ice Hockey regulates the game in Scotland.
Neck guards are not mandatory in the EIHL. Global News contacted the EIHL for comment, but did not receive a response by publication time. Players in the U.K. have been allowed to play without neck guards after they turn 18.
South Yorkshire Police is investigating the incident.
“Since Saturday, detectives have been carrying out a range of enquiries including reviewing footage, talking to witnesses and seeking the advice and support of highly specialized experts to seek to understand the circumstances surrounding what happened,” police said in a Tuesday update.
“Our officers have now left the scene, however due to the complex nature of this tragic and unprecedented incident, it is likely the wider investigation will take some time.”
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which governs the sport worldwide, said in its latest rulebook that players are recommended to properly wear a neck laceration protection.
“Players who play in senior categories but are of the age as ‘Under 20’ and ‘Under 18’ categories must wear the appropriate protective equipment of these U20 and U18 categories in accordance with the specific rules,” the IIHF states.
Global News sought comment but did not receive a response from the IIHF by publication time Monday. Global News also reached out to the NHL and players association for comment.
NHL players, coaches react
Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie, who co-owns Warroad Hockey equipment, an apparel company named after his hometown in Minnesota, said Monday that he received roughly 100 texts from other players inquiring about cut-resistant materials, and that the entire inventory sold out Sunday.
Winnipeg Jets interim head coach Scott Arniel was a forward for the Buffalo Sabres when his teammate, goalie Clint Malarchuk, took a skate blade to the neck on March 22, 1989.
“I was firsthand and I saw this happen in a game myself, and it’s one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen,” Arniel told reporters in Winnipeg on Monday.
“Where it goes next … I know in minor hockey that it’s already a rule and in junior hockey, so we’ll see. The league is probably going to look into this and they’ll make a decision moving forward.”
Malarchuk survived the life-threatening injury but developed post-traumatic stress disorder. Former Montreal Canadiens forward Richard Zednik suffered a similar incident in 2008.
Boston Bruins forward Jakub Lauko avoided a serious injury as recently as last Tuesday when he took a skate blade near his left eye after falling to the ice against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis, who coached his sons in Connecticut before taking the Montreal job, was close to a similar situation when 16-year-old high school player Teddy Balkind died in Greenwich, Conn., after his neck was cut by another player’s skate in January 2022.
USA Hockey, the national body that oversees the sport in the U.S., recommends players wear neck guards, but does not mandate them.
St. Louis said he’s strongly in favour of requiring under-18 and under-20 players to wear neck protection, but isn’t sure we’ll see it in the NHL.
“Maybe yes, but I don’t think it will in the NHL, but that’s my opinion,” St. Louis said. “I’d be really in favour of under-18 and under-20-year-olds having more protection because accidents happen, especially having been close to it two years ago.”
Jets centre Mark Scheifele expects there to be many conversations about increased neck protection in the coming days, much like after Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane sustained a severe wrist injury due to a skate blade cut last year.
“When Evander Kane got his wrist cut, we obviously evaluated more wrist protections and stuff like that,” Scheifele said Monday.
“I’m sure there’s going to be talks about it and it’ll come down to kind of more of an individual decision on what to do.”
— with files from The Canadian Press