Sidney Crosby on Push for Neck Guards
A handful of Pittsburgh Penguins wore neck guards at their most recent practice.
Following the tragic loss of former Pittsburgh Penguins players Adam Johnson, there has been a heightened awareness and conversation regarding players and neck guards.
In their most recent practice, four Penguins skaters were donning the extra protection, and they admitted it might take some getting used to.
One player in particular, did not wear a neck guard, but he’s notorious for his superstitions, especially with equipment.
Sidney Crosby practiced without a neck guard but didn’t seem against the idea.
“Obviously, with what just happened, everyone’s trying to do their best to avoid that,” Crosby said. “I think everyone’s going to take a good look at it. There’s been some conversations, so we’ll see what happens.”
Crosby noted that he wore a neck guard growing up and wasn’t sure about his time in the QMJHL, but it seems like he did, based on photos from that time.
While a number of players around the league are picking up the neck protection, there would be something different about one of the faces of the game wearing one.
Erik Karlsson, Ryan Graves, Lars Eller, and Marcus Pettersson were the four Penguins who wore neck guards at practice.
It seem fairly likely that more players will follow as the guards were made available for everyone on the roster.
The Penguins have also mandated their usage in their minor league system; both the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers will soon require them.
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