Safety first: AHL mandates neck guards after player's fatal injury
Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland (8) wearing a neck guard during a stop in play against the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on December 28, 2023. Flyers won 4-1. Photo Reuters
The American Hockey League (AHL) will require all players, referees, and linesmen to wear approved cut-resistant neck protection starting from the 2024-25 season. The mandate, unanimously approved by the league's governors, was announced on Friday.
Previously, AHL players were already required to wear cut-resistant wrist sleeves and socks. This new rule comes in response to the death of former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Adam Johnson, who died last October after a skate blade cut his neck during a game in Britain’s Elite Ice Hockey League.
Johnson received emergency treatment on the ice and was taken to Sheffield's Northern General Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead at age 29.
The AHL’s regular season will begin on October 11, 2024, with preseason games scheduled for early October. The 2024-25 season will be the AHL’s 89th and will conclude on April 20, 2025.