The AHL is mandating cut-resistant neck protection this coming season. Adam Proteau says it's absolutely the right move and should come soon to the NHL.
The hockey world endured a major tragedy last October when U.K. pro player Adam Johnson died following a skate accident that cut his throat.
In the wake of the tragedy, many players and on-ice officials at the NHL level, other pro leagues, junior leagues and international competition chose to be safer by wearing cut-resistant neck protection.
The AHL announced will now mandate cut-resistant neck protection for players and officials as of this upcoming 2024-25 season.
To be sure, Friday’s announcement is a move that many assumed would quickly follow Johnson’s death. The NHL has yet to announce a move similar to the AHL’s new edict, but it’s safe to say a new rule regarding mandatory neck protection will eventually be announced for hockey’s top league. No one wants another situation like Johnson’s to take place again, and if it means players and officials have to adjust to adding more protective equipment to mitigate the number of incidents like this, so be it.
There’s an element of the sport’s gatekeepers that dislikes rules that add more equipment and bulk to the game. Some people railed against the choice to mandate visor use in pro hockey, but as a result of that decision, the number of severe eye injuries has dropped.
The same should be true of increased neck protection. It may not prevent every serious skate-related-cut injury from occurring, but if it prevents even a single significant cut that endangers someone’s life, the new rule will be well worth it.
The AHL occasionally leads the way for the NHL when it comes to implementing progressive measures on and off the ice – including hybrid icing and 3-on-3 overtime – and AHL brass should be commended for this new rule.
We can never make a contact sport like hockey perfectly safe for everyone involved, but we certainly can make every effort to improve our care and concern for hockey-lovers as they put their well-being on the line night in and night out. No one will forget Johnson’s tragedy, and now, with this new rule, another part of the hockey world is helping to ensure players and officials are safer on the ice. It's the right choice at the right time, and it should be a harbinger of what's ahead for the NHL.
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