Ice Hockey in the Aftermath of Adam Johnson's Death
After ice hockey player Adam Johnson died in an on-ice accident this October, fans and players alike have been reeling with the recognition that the sport still has dangers going widely unchecked.
Adam Johnson’s team, the Nottingham Panthers, are “truly devastated” by his death (Photo: Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)
29 y/o Adam Johnson was fatally struck in the neck with a skate blade on October 28th during a game between the Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers.
In response to this incident, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has mandated neck protection in international games, including World Junior competitions, and at the Winter Olympics.
Other organisations, including the English Ice Hockey Association and the Western Hockey League have taken similar measures, but notably North America’s National Hockey League, and the Elite Ice Hockey League where Adam played, have chosen not to make neck guards mandatory.
Neck guards are designed to prevent a laceration to the neck from a blade, rather than protect against blunt force injuries from a stick, puck, or player that make up most hockey injuries. They are thin strips of kevlar, or a similar material, which cover the major arteries exposed on the neck.
The EIHL says while they “strongly recommend” the use of neck protectors, they won’t mandate them for players or on-ice officials.
A spokesperson for the League said: "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."
"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."
While organisations investigate mandates, some players are beginning to try out neck protection for themselves.
4 players for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Johnson’s former NHL team, were seen sporting neck guards.
Some other high profile players have also worn them, such as TJ Oshie, Blake Wheeler, and Travis Konecny.
With concern over neck laceration at an all-time high, and the speed of the game only increasing, with players regularly reaching speeds of 25 mph, near miss incidents have been drawing increasing attention from fans concerned about the safety of the players.
When a skate got dangerously close to Canucks-star Elias Petterson’s neck after a hit, the current state of neck protection came under scrutiny once again.
Viewers commented their thoughts that incidents like these show that ice hockey is simply not safe enough.
“Can we PLEASE start wearing neck guards now???” one X user commented.
“This makes me so anxious even more now!”
Outside of professional spheres, many who take to the ice regularly have been considering neck guards themselves. Taylor, who works at a hockey supply shop in Adam Johnson’s native Minnesota, has noticed a huge amount of interest in protective equipment that wasn’t previously there.
“We’ve always sold neck and wrist guards of course, but before everything happened I barely saw anyone buy them.”
“The next day I think my first 5 customers were all looking for neck guards, so I definitely noticed it.”
“We’ve really just seen a lot more people concerned about neck protection than before, I think people have really had their eyes opened to the risk where before it maybe wasn’t something people considered.”
Taylor commented that her store had to change their normal supply schedule in order to keep up with the increased demand.
She said a moment where she was really hit by the impact the incident had on the hockey community was when she saw a mother buying neck and wrist guards for her young sons.
“This mom came in with her two kids looking really anxious, maybe two days after Adam Johnson’s death, asking all these questions about which guards are best and whether she should get the guards that connect to the jersey and how long wrist guards should be. Important things but obviously things that she just hadn't thought about before, even with her sons playing hockey.”
“I think that’s really when it hit me just how much people are taking note of this accident, and hopefully it means many more people will be safer when they’re playing so we never see something like this again.”
USA hockey, which oversees youth leagues in the USA, doesn’t mandate neck protection, and while they do recommend it, many young players don’t yet wear neck guards, but stories such as this one from Taylor show that may yet change.
In the UK, neck protection for youth players has been mandatory for many years, and now any players going into leagues overseen by the English Ice Hockey Association (which does not include the EIHL) will have to continue this practice after turning 18.
Severe neck injuries are uncommon in hockey, and Adam Johnson’s death was described as a “freak accident” by his team, the Nottingham Panthers. However, they are not wholly unprecedented.
Washington Capitals forward TJ Oshie has been seen sporting a neck guard in games (Photo: @BR_OpenIce)
Just last year, Connecticut 10th Grader Teddy Balkind died after being cut on his neck by a skate blade in a play described by those at the game as “entirely normal and unremarkable in the game of hockey.”
NHL goalie Clint Malarchuk had his jugular vein cut in an NHL game 1989. He survived the incident, but suffers PTSD from the injury. He has since been an advocate for players wearing neck protection, knowing firsthand the trauma a major injury like the one he suffered can cause.
Clint Malarchuk’s injury was one of the major catalysts for many of the leagues that already required neck protection before Adam Johnson’s death to put this mandate in place. His advocacy caused many across the hockey community to open their eyes to this safety issue.
But this incident was long enough ago that many had simply forgotten, or grew complacent to the issue, leading Adam Johnson’s death to send shockwaves rippling across the sporting world.
Ice hockey is a sport that has historically often been reactive with the implementation of protective gear, frequently only acting after major incidents. Helmets only became mandatory in the NHL after a swathe of head injuries, and visors to protect the eyes only became required gear in the 2013-14 season.
Traditionally, players have been resistant to changes in safety gear. Athletes are notoriously unenthusiastic to change their equipment, particularly when it clashes with the “manly” image of themselves they present. But this attitude is less commonplace with modern athletes, and many players and organisations alike seem more attuned with the safety concerns present in the sport.
The tragic accident that ended Adam Johnson’s life is changing how people are playing hockey, with more than ever before taking this issue seriously. This equipment evolution has the chance to save lives, and ensure more people don’t needlessly die in hockey games.