If NHL players are still hesitant to adopt the neck protector, the best among them will no longer have the choice to comply if they participate in the World Championship or the Olympic Games.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (FIHG) announced Monday that the wearing of this piece of equipment would be made compulsory in all competitions under its governance, for both men and women, regardless of age group. The date of entry into force of this rule in the senior categories will be determined based on the supply capacities of the manufacturers.
The hockey world has been in shock since former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Adam Johnson died in late October after having his throat slashed by a skate during a game. in England. The American remained conscious after the accident and was able to be evacuated from the ice rink, but he breathed his last a few hours later in hospital.
Soon, professional players began wearing neck guards, first in the American League and, to a lesser extent, in the NHL. In Canada, young skaters are forced to wear it in minor hockey, while it is not compulsory in the United States.
Some circuits have also taken great measures. For example, the Western Hockey League made it mandatory at the beginning of November, following in the footsteps of the Ontario Junior League and the QMJHL.
As for the FIHG, it already imposed it in the U18 and U20 categories. There will now be no more exceptions. This decision follows a recommendation from its medical committee, the organization wrote in a press release on Monday.
In the NHL, the neck guard remains marginal. Among the Canadian, for example, only Jayden Struble wears it full time. Some of his teammates, including Brendan Gallagher and Michael Pezzetta, tested him in training.
At the Seattle Kraken, visiting club at the Bell Center on Monday, Yanni Gourde is one of those who adopted it. “I haven’t worn that in maybe 10 years,” he told reporters. I found it hot at first. But we found a way to attach it to my shoulder pads so it breathes better. »
His teammate Pierre-Édouard Bellemare has not yet imitated him, but it won’t be long before he does. He is not convinced by the model that Gourde is wearing. “There isn’t one on the market that protects well, but as soon as this comes out I’ll definitely get one. »
The 38-year-old Frenchman speaks from experience. Before reaching the NHL, he played eight seasons in Sweden, a country where neck guards have been mandatory for decades, since a player died in 1996, also with a lacerated throat.
“When I started playing in the NHL [in 2014], it was still funny with Tomas Plekanec and his turtleneck,” continued the loquacious forward. But today, no one jokes about the neck protector anymore. If it can help make it natural for our children, why not? »
In his eyes, however, there is no reason to impose this piece on players unilaterally. Rather, he believes that a “gradual” introduction would ensure that future generations no longer ask the question.
“I don’t think young players today would think of playing without a visor,” he illustrated. In another era, it was the helmet. These are all things that are done to protect us. If I have the chance to influence a child by putting on my neck gaiter, I will wear it as soon as possible. »
Following the death of Adam Johnson, the Canadiens players said they were shaken by the accident, but few of them expressed a real desire to change their level of protection.
