When news of Adam Johnson’s death began to spread around the hockey world, so, too, did talk of protective neck guards.
That includes in the Nashville Predators’ locker room.
Johnson, a former NHL player, died Oct. 28 after a skate blade cut his neck during a Champions Cup game in England. He was 29.
“It’s tragic what happened,” Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie told reporters in Seattle on Thursday morning before Nashville’s game against the Kraken. “It’s hard to talk about.
“It’s a low-risk but it’s a risk. Super sad for that to happen. I try not to think about it.”
Neck guards coming to NHL?
Johnson played in 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have urged their players to wear protective neck guards, though it is not required by the NHL. Four Penguins players tried out the guard Thursday during practice. The franchise’s AHL and ECHL affiliates have mandated their players wear the gear.
“I could see neck guards being implemented,” Barrie said. “I’m sure some guys will be upset about it. But there’s a use for them. It’s a dangerous game we play. Things happen quick. Anything you can do to protect yourself is probably for the best.
“It’s a little uncomfortable. You get a little hot. . . . Being a little sweaty isn’t a bad alternative.”
Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson wore a neck guard during his team’s optional morning skate Thursday.
Neck guards mandatory in some leagues
Some hockey leagues, including the WHL, have made neck guards mandatory, effective immediately. The guards already are mandatory in the OHL and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday that he didn’t see it being the case in the NHL because of the time it can take to implement new rules in the league, which works in conjunction with the players’ association on safety issues.
Not until 1979 were goalie masks and helmets required in the NHL. Not until 2013 were helmet visors mandatory, though players who did not wear them before that, including Predators center Ryan O’Reilly, were grandfathered in. O’Reilly is one of the few players left in the NHL who doesn’t wear a visor.
Predators forward Colton Sissons agreed with Barrie that comfort could be an issue players raise about neck guards, but added that the dialogue about them likely won’t stop any time soon.
“A lot of guys are quite superstitious in what they wear,” Sissons told reporters Thursday morning in Seattle. “I haven’t seen what a neck guard looks like in years. We’ll probably be talking about it further.”
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Nashville Predators are saying about wearing neck guards
