Conversations surrounding what may very well be life-or-death protecting mandates in hockey have been sparked this week following the demise of a 29-year-old participant on Saturday.
Former NHLer Adam Johnson died after his neck was reduce by a skate throughout a recreation in England, placing the dearth of security laws in some ice hockey leagues into focus.
Johnson, who performed in 13 NHL video games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 and 2020, was taking part in for the Nottingham Panthers when he was reduce by a skate within the second interval of the Elite Ice Hockey League recreation at Sheffield’s Utilita Area.
Whereas there are at present no guidelines within the NHL that say gamers should put on protecting neck gear, Canadian hockey legend and resident doctor and assistant basic supervisor for the Toronto Maple Leafs Hayley Wickenheiser has known as for mandated neck safety in any respect ranges of play.
Neck guards are obligatory for gamers in each the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Quebec Main Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Hockey Canada additionally has some security necessities in place, because it requires registered minor league gamers and ladies’s hockey gamers to put on neck guards on the ice.
Winnipeg Jets interim head coach Scott Arniel mentioned he was taking part in for the Buffalo Sabres in 1989 when his teammate Clint Malarchuk’s neck was reduce by a skate blade.
Now, Arniel says he expects the NHL to look into altering the foundations round carrying neck guards.
Tim MacMillan, head coach of the Strait Pirates Junior B workforce in Nova Scotia, mentioned in an interview with CTV Information Atlantic that he thinks many individuals must be consulted in making the choice to implement neck protections within the league.
“I can perceive if there could be some debate right now, I’m positive there’s some throughout the nation,” he mentioned.
MacMillan additionally mentioned there aren’t any neck safety mandates within the league he coaches in, apart from affiliate gamers aged 18 and underneath.
Following Johnson’s demise, the English Ice Hockey Affiliation (EIHA) introduced a powerful advice for all gamers to put on an accepted neck guard for the remainder of the 12 months—after Dec. 31 2023, the advice will turn out to be a requirement.
“It’s unacceptable for any participant to lose their life whereas taking part in sport,” reads an announcement from EIHA. “Our accountability just isn’t solely to avert the recurrence of such a heart-breaking accident, but additionally to pre-emptively tackle different foreseeable incidents.”
