The American Hockey League will require all of its players and on-ice officials to wear cut-resistant neck protection starting with the upcoming 2024-25 season.
The league — which is the top minor hockey league in North America, one step below the National Hockey League — made the announcement on Friday, August 23.
All AHL skaters, referees and linespersons, regardless of age or experience, will be required to wear approved cut-resistant neck protection beginning this fall. Cut-resistant socks and wrist sleeves were previously mandated for AHL players and officials beginning with the 2023-24 season.
The AHL’s decision follows a precedent set by the International Ice Hockey Federation, which has mandated neck protection for players in all levels of its competitions, including the Olympics and world championships. The IIHF made the move after the death of 29-year-old Adam Johnson in an Elite Ice Hockey League game in Sheffield, England, in October 2023. The Nottingham Panthers forward’s neck was fatally cut by an opponent’s skate during the second period of a game against the Sheffield Steelers.
Cut-resistant equipment — including neck guards, socks and wrist guards — isn’t mandatory in the NHL, but it’s “highly encouraged” and has been provided to players who request it since 2013, according to an article on NHL.com. Mandating the use of such equipment would require approval from the NHL Players’ Association.
“I think there’s a handful of players now wearing it, so I don’t know if you have to make it mandatory, we will see what happens as time goes on,” NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said in the article.
Notable neck injuries from skate blades that NHL players have suffered include Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik in 2008 and Buffalo Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk in 1989. Both survived and were able to continue their playing careers.
The AHL and the ECHL — the next league down the developmental ladder — mandated the use of cut-resistant socks and wrist guards in 2023. Meanwhile, USA Hockey introduced a requirement for players in “youth, girls, high school or junior hockey” to wear neck protection starting on August 1, 2024. Neck guards are also mandatory in all three Canadian major junior hockey leagues: the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
AHL teams will play preseason games in early October, and the league’s regular season begins on Friday, October 11, with eight games on the docket. The defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears open their 2024-25 schedule at home on Saturday, October 12, against the Cleveland Monsters.
