American Hockey League to Mandate Neck Protection After Death of Adam Johnson

The NHL’s top affiliate league will require all players and on-ice officials to wear cut-resistant neck guards.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The American Hockey League will mandate the use of cut-resistant neck protection beginning this season, the league announced Friday.

The league—the NHL’s top affiliate league—said it will require all players and on-ice officials to wear the neck guards after it had previously required the use of cut-resistant socks and wrist guards. The change was approved unanimously by the league’s board of governors.

The decision comes after former NHL player Adam Johnson died as the result of a freak accident in a game in England last October. Johnson, 29, was cut on the neck by an opponent’s skate after a collision on the ice. The Minnesota native, who played 13 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins between 2018 and ’20, also played six seasons in the AHL.

Following Johnson’s death, several hockey organizations began mandating the use of additional protective equipment. Three days after Johnson’s death, the Penguins began requiring all players on its AHL and ECHL affiliates to wear neck and wrist guards. USA Hockey later mandated neck guards for players under 18 and the IIHF, the sport’s international governing body, began requiring neck guards in all tournaments it oversees. That will include the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Several NHL players began wearing neck guards after Johnson’s death, but any requirement to wear the equipment would have to be agreed upon by the league and the players union. In a February poll of 181 NHL players conducted by The Athletic, 78% said they did not support a neck guard mandate.