Kaitlyn Kupiec
@kaitlynkupiec
In 1989, almost 34 years ago, National Hockey League goaltender Clint Malarchuck suffered one of the most horrific accidents in NHL history when another player’s skate severed his jugular vein.
In late October, former NHL player Adam Johnson was cut across the neck by a skate blade during a game in England – an injury that ended up being fatal.
Johnson’s death sparked conversation over the use of neck guards in hockey, and many governing bodies for the sport issued changes to the rules to require neck protection.
If you’re not an avid hockey fan like me, you may be wondering: If dangerous occurrences like this have been happening for so long, why don’t they enforce a rule to minimize these dangers?
Well, I’ve been thinking the same thing since I heard these stories.
Neck guards are expected to prevent a laceration by providing a barrier between the neck and the metal blades on an ice skate.
They can be made from different types of materials, including kevlar, which is a type of aramid fiber that is extremely strong and lightweight.
It haunts me to see how many leagues still don’t require the use of the equipment. Some include the NorthEast Collegiate Hockey Association and the Independent Women’s Club Hockey League, two leagues Springfield College’s club hockey teams play in.
Some say they’re not mandated because neck lacerations from skate blades occur infrequently and are not severe.
According to NPR, there is “sparse data” about neck lacerations, from their frequency to the effectiveness of neck guards in preventing them. It also says that while catastrophic injuries are clearly possible, most skate cuts to the neck weren’t life-threatening.
While neck guards may not eliminate the risk of a neck laceration, they can still be effective. According to research conducted by USA Hockey in Nov. of 2023, only 27% of players who sustained a neck laceration were wearing a neck guard at the time of the injury.
Dr. Michael Stuart, USA Hockey’s Chief Medical Officer and leader of the association’s Safety and Protective Equipment Committee (SPEC), stated last month that the organization wants to mandate neck protection that is of greater quality than what’s currently available on the market.
“Every single hockey player in the United States should be wearing one because USA Hockey recommends it,” Stuard said.
While many leagues don’t have a mandate, many athletes, including first-year Springfield College forward Mia Paltauf, take it upon themselves to wear one out of concern for their own health.
According to Paltauf, there has been little to no conversation surrounding neck guards in the Independent Women’s Club Hockey League.
Paltauf has been wearing a neck guard since she first started playing hockey at the age of 8.
“I wear one because when I was younger, my dad would always tell me I wasn’t allowed to play if I didn’t wear one,” Paltauf said. “That always kind of stuck in my head for the rest of my hockey career, but as I got older, I realized that it only takes one freak accident.”
As a result of Johnson’s death, neck guards will become required as of Jan. 1 by the Elite Ice Hockey League, which is the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom.
In Canada, the Western Hockey League made neck guards mandatory as of Nov. 3, and the International Ice Hockey Federation announced neck guards are mandatory for all levels including the Olympics and men’s and women’s world championships.
Many junior hockey leagues had already required the use of this equipment long before the recent incidents.
The Ontario Hockey League enforced their rule on Mar. 10, 2008, just about a month after Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik suffered a severed artery during an NHL game, losing 2.3 liters of blood.
Even though you may argue that skates are dull enough that you could softly run your fingers across them without even breaking the skin, at high speeds, the blades become razor-sharp and can inflict serious injuries.
“I believe they should be required, especially after the passing of Adam Johnson,” Paltauf said. “How many more times are we going to let this occur before changes are made?”
If you’re still not convinced, look at it this way. The concept of a neck guard is similar to wearing a helmet.
Helmets are designed to help prevent injuries to your head.
No, a helmet is not foolproof, but it can absolutely save lives.
Similar to a helmet, it may be surprising what even a small piece of fabric can do, and on top of that, it doesn’t affect the way you play, so why should it even be up for a debate?
Photo courtesy of Mia Paltauf