Providence Bruins left wing Georgii Merkulov wearing neck guard
(Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The AHL has mandated neck guards for the 2024-25 season
  • The mandate follows the tragic passing of hockey player Adam Johnson
  • Should the NHL follow their parent league and mandate neck guards?

The AHL announced Friday that the league’s board of governors unanimously decided to mandate the use of cut-resistant neck protection for all players and on-ice officials, effective immediately for the 2024-25 season.

This new rule requires all skaters, including referees and linesmen, to wear league-approved neck guards regardless of age and experience. The neck guards will accompany previously mandated cut-resistant socks and wrist sleeves from last season.

The AHL’s mandate comes shortly after the tragic accident involving former NHL and AHL player Adam Johnson. Johnson passed away after having his throat cut by a skate blade during a game with the Nottingham Panthers in England’s Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) last season.

Since Johnson’s incident, neck protection has been a major topic of discussion throughout hockey, prompting various leagues to take action.

Just days after Johnson’s death last year, the WHL announced a mandate for neck guards for all players during games and practices. This decision aligned the WHL with the OHL and QMJHL, where neck protection was already mandatory.

WHL announces mandatory neck guard protection

Despite mandates from the CHL, Hockey Canada, and USA Hockey, the NHL remains one of the few leagues without a neck guard requirement for players and officials, even with unanimous support and calls for the league to follow suit.

The NHL has witnessed its share of unfortunate neck injuries from skate blades, with some of the most infamous cases involving its own players, such as Clint Malarchuk (Buffalo Sabres, 1989) and Richard Zednik (Florida Panthers, 2008).

While these horrible injuries are rare, even one occurrence is too many.

Florida's Richard Zednik wearing a neck guard following his horrific incident. (Photo by Icon Sportswire)

Despite the NHL’s lack of a mandate, several players league-wide have taken it upon themselves to start wearing neck protection full-time anyway, again likely in response to the tragic death of Adam Johnson. See the current list of NHL players wearing neck guards.

Since several players are already both wearing and in full support of neck protection on hockey’s biggest stage, it should be a no-brainer that the NHL introduces a neck protection mandate as soon as possible. Especially now since the AHL, its primary development league, has officially done the same.