The club representatives of the win2day ICE Hockey League unanimously agreed on Thursday that all players should wear neck protection. As the league announced, the date of mandatory deployment cannot be determined until later due to factors such as timely availability.
The league also strongly recommended wearing cut-resistant underwear. The measure was passed after the accidental death of American Adam Johnson. The 29-year-old was seriously injured in the neck by another player’s skate blade during his Nottingham Panthers’ game at Sheffield Steelers at the end of October.
Johnson received first aid on the ice and was taken to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The game in front of 8,000 horrified spectators was abandoned. Mandatory neck and neck protection will be mandatory in the German Ice Hockey League from January 1, 2024, and there will also be changes for the 2024 World Cup.