SHEFFIELD, England — Hockey players in England will be required to wear neck guards from the start of 2024 following the death of Adam Johnson in a game.
Johnson’s neck was cut by a skate blade on Saturday, an incident South Yorkshire Police said Monday it was investigating.
“Our officers remain at the scene carrying out inquiries and our investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident remain ongoing,” South Yorkshire Police said in a statement. “We would encourage the public to avoid speculation regarding the incident while we continue our inquiries.”
In an effort to protect players, the English Ice Hockey Association, which governs ice hockey in England below the Elite League, announced measures on Monday to improve safety.
Neck guards will be mandatory from Jan. 1 for all on-ice activities. The EIHA said it was its "strong recommendation" that all players start wearing a neck guard, effective immediately. The body added neck guards would not be mandatory immediately because of anticipated supply issues.
“It is unacceptable for any player to lose their life while playing sport,” the EIHA said. “Our responsibility is not only to avert the recurrence of such a heartbreaking accident, but also to pre-emptively address other foreseeable incidents in the future.”
Players in the U.K. are allowed to play without neck guards after they turn 18.
The 29-year-old Johnson was playing for the Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers when he suffered the skate cut in a Champions Cup game. He was a Minnesota native who played two seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and appeared in 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 and 2020.
Johnson is being remembered around the world, not only for what he did as a player, but who he was as a person.
"I'll never forget him as a player... but I appreciate him more as an individual and he was a joy to coach," said Mark DeCenzo, who coached Johnson in high school on the Hibbing/Chisholm team.
Johnson served as captain his junior and senior years and was a finalist for the Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award.
"Right now, it's just a numb feeling," DeCenzo said.
Within 12 months, the EIHA said it would conduct a “thorough” review of player safety equipment “including, but not limited to, the use of helmets, mouth guards/gumshields and facial protection.”
All clubs will have to demonstrate they “proactively manage player safety.”
The body said its actions aligned with Ice Hockey UK and Scottish Ice Hockey.
Hockey manufacturer Bauer called for collaboration around the sport for increased awareness and a mandate on cut-resistant neck protection.
“Along with the larger hockey community, we mourn Adam’s tragic passing," CEO Ed Kinnaly said in a statement. “We believe now is the time for the hockey community to collectively come together to take meaningful action in an urgent manner.”
Kinnaly said Bauer was committed to educating parents and players on the importance of cut-resistant gear, work with professional athletes to get feedback on product design and collaborate with governing bodies such as USA Hockey and Hockey Canada and youth organizations to mandate and enforce neck protection.
Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie, who co-owns Warroad Hockey equipment and apparel company named after his hometown in Minnesota, said he received roughly 100 texts from other players inquiring about cut-resistant materials and that the entire inventory sold out Sunday.
“It’s just crazy, sad, and we don’t have anything left,” Oshie said after practice Monday. “We’re thinking about his family first. We’ll try to get as many products out there as we can for people.”
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