The tragic death of Nottingham Panthers star Adam Johnson has led to a significant change in international ice hockey rules.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has announced that neck guards will now be compulsory in all their matches (via the Mirror). Johnson sadly lost his life after being struck in the neck by an opponent's skate during a game against Sheffield Steelers in October.
Following the incident, the English Ice Hockey Association declared that neck guards would be mandatory in its events from 2024. Professional leagues like America's NHL are yet to make neck guards obligatory, but the IIHF's new guidance will impact the Olympics and both men's and women's world championships.
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This decision was made following a recommendation from the IIHF's medical committee. Although they haven't confirmed when these rules will take effect, they have released a statement.
"The IIHF Council, on recommendation from its Medical Committee, has decided to mandate the use of a neck laceration protector, specifically designed for this purpose, at all levels of IIHF competitions," the statement read.
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It added: "The neck laceration protectors are now mandatory for the senior categories in addition to the U20 and U18 categories, for which neck laceration protectors had already been enforced as per IIHF Official Rule Book.
"The exact date this mandate will go into effect for the senior categories will be determined by the supply situation. The IIHF remains in close contact with its suppliers to ensure they are able to respond to the current high demand."
"Until the rule officially goes into effect, the IIHF continues to strongly recommend that neck laceration protectors are worn by all players performing in an IIHF competition."
While the English Ice Hockey Association plans to make neck guards compulsory, that ruling does not apply to the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), although that could change after the IIHF's update.
An EIHL spokesperson last month said last month: "Player safety and welfare is our top priority. We work with players, officials, clubs, and the relevant authorities to review research and advice to understand how we continually enhance the safety of our sport.
"All clubs continue to follow the existing guidance from the International Ice Hockey Federation, that the use of a BNQ or other ISO Standard neck laceration protector is recommended."
"The Elite Ice Hockey League strongly encourages players and officials to wear one and clubs and the league will continue to support players and officials to do so."
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