Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The hockey world continues to mourn the loss of former National Hockey League forward Adam Johnson, while more discussions are starting to take place regarding player safety in the aftermath of the incident.
The 29-year-old was playing a game Saturday for the Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) in England when he took the brunt of a violent collision with a player from their opponent, the Sheffield Steelers. The collision resulted in the skate of the opposing player slashing Johnson's neck, causing him to lose a large amount of blood in short order.
Johnson was eventually transported to a local hospital, where he tragically passed away.
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In the days following the death of Johnson, the hockey world has discussed the possibility of making neck guards mandatory for leagues across the board, or, at least, encouraging more players, especially in the professional leagues, to wear neck guards.
At the NHL level, Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato knows what happened this past weekend in England is certainly tragic. He understands how dangerous the game of ice hockey can be, so if and when a player comes forward and feel a need for something to address player safety, Granato feels the team can do whatever to address it.
"I think it's a major priority within this organization. I also think it's a major priority within the NHL. They've taken lots of initiatives, and are very serious," said Granato on Tuesday. "We see that with just information that comes to us from the league upon various safety issues through the season, before the season, videos that come out that we watch. It's going to continue. Unfortunately, you play a sport that's the high pace that it is and accidents happen, inadvertent things happen that are scary. I think the league is in a very progressive mindset with respect to these things, and I know I'm comfortable with that, that they're there in the players' communication."
Meanwhile, Buffalo's American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans, are taking some extra precautions when it comes to player safety going forward, especially with the presence of more neck guards for the players.
"I texted with Andrew Stegehuis, our equipment manager, [Sunday], and the first thing we did this [Monday] morning at 8 a.m. is we purchased neck guards and neck resistant turtleneck undershirts so the guys have the option if they want to wear them," said Amerks head coach Seth Appert. "Some of them are already on-hand, and we had a number of guys wearing them today, and we're going to have it ASAP for the whole group."
Appert actually remembers watching Johnson dating back to his high school days in Hibbing, Minnesota, and then following him through his years in the USHL and into college at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Appert certainly feels heartbroken for not just Johnson's family, but also his friend and teammates.
Saturday's incident also brings Appert back to another similar incident while coaching at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) that ended with a much better outcome for his player.
"It happened to one of my players at RPI, fortunately we had a pre-med major on our team that likely saved his life - Alex Angers-Goulet, great kid - and was able to get to him before the trainers, and likely saved our player's life," Appert recalled. "It's something I never want to see again, and what happened this weekend was heartbreaking."
In response to Johnson's death, the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA) introduced a formal neck guard mandate for all players of all levels in England and Wales, starting on Jan. 1, 2024.
While not all levels of hockey are required to wear neck guards, a mandate of neck guards is something that Nichols ice hockey coach Jason Guenther has already required of his players, and believes should be implemented across the board.
"Things happen on the ice in such a quick split-second, and players don't necessarily have the time to react to them. If we can prevent injuries, which I think neck injuries can be prevented by wearing a simple Kevlar sleeve or the neck guards that are available, or even the connected ones that come underneath, I think it would just make the players, parents, managers, coaches and everyone feel a little bit safer," said Guenther in an interview with WBEN. "There's been a lot of close calls, and unfortunately, this one resulted in the death of a player, and it's a sad thing to see. Hopefully it [shines] a little light into the matter, and the NHL does what they should do and mandate it for all the players. I would hate to see for a pro player in North America to pass away. I know there was a high school student, I believe it was last year [Teddy Balkind], that had passed away from a similar injury with a skate to the neck. So hopefully his death is not in vain, and going forward, we do mandate it."
Former Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta, now President and Director of Hockey Operations with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres, understands the game of hockey is probably the fastest it's ever been, while also remaining very physical. While players wear protective equipment, unfortunately, injuries still happen.
However, he knows it's his duty in his position to have conversations with the goal of providing a safe, fun and competitive environment for players of all ages.
"Different leagues have different rules, but what I do as being president of the organization, whether it is mandated or not, same thing can be said about mouth guards, I try to make sure that everyone is protected as best as they can be, and would definitely be a proponent of wearing neck guards, wearing mouth guards, and any other protective equipment that would keep the players as safe as possible," said Kaleta with WBEN.
As a player, Kaleta has seen a number of injuries to players, including wrists get sliced, and even another player getting his neck cut in 2008.
"I was part of the unfortunate event with Richard Zednik* that happened in front of me. When things happen, it's only normal to think about that particular situation more," Kaleta said. "Given the circumstances of what happened overseas, obviously a lot more attention is being brought to that particular piece of equipment. We'll see how things sort of unravel here in the next little while, and any guidance that I'm given from higher ups and that sort of thing, those rules will be followed. But like I said, prior to this, I always am a proponent for any of my players, teams that I'm a part of to either follow the rules of wearing the neck guard, mouth guard, and/or highly recommend that they wear them."
* - Viewer discretion is advised.
As of right now, there is no mandate for neck guards in USA Hockey, rather it is recommended for players to wear them. The only mandate USA Hockey has is for kids to wear a mouth guard when they play.
Guenther adds there is a mandate for neck guards with high schools that participate in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Other leagues across the hockey world that mandate the use of a neck guard for all players includes the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in Canada. Meanwhile, Hockey Canada requires registered players in minor or women's hockey to wear neck protection as well.
While the Western Hockey League (WHL) in Canada doesn't mandate its players to wear neck guards, the league is now reportedly reviewing its position on the matter.
"I know when I played high school hockey, we had to wear one and if we didn't, the refs were very adamant about it," Guenther said. "I guess growing up, when you're a kid, you don't think anything can happen to you, it always happens to somebody else. But unfortunately, accidents and things like this do occur. It's unfortunate, but we have the technology to prevent it. I just don't understand why we're not implementing it and why it's not mandated."
Keith Farkas, manager of Great Skate on Sheridan Road in Amherst, saw both of his kids play ice hockey growing up, with one of his kids being a goalie. He admits some thoughts of skate injuries always came into the back of his mind, and it's terrible when those incidents occur.
Sadly, though, Farkas understands those injuries are bound to happen again at some point.
"The game is played with sharp blades, guys go flying, guys play at a high speed. There are a lot of safety precautions they take, even for goalies on the back of their legs, you're surprised that goalies don't get cut with players jumping over top of goalies. So that could happen. That's never happened, thank God," said Farkas with WBEN.
As far as neck guards and the sales of neck guards in light of incidents like what happened to Adam Johnson, Farkas says anytime something like this happens, there's always a rush of people looking for them.
"To fit a whole team up, neck guard shirts, regular neck guards, anything to protect the kids from getting hurt. But unfortunately, it is played with sharp blades and this is what happens once in a while. I mean, it's a freak accident," Farkas said.
"People do obviously watch the news, hear about it, news travels fast when they're at the rinks. I've had a few teams inquire, people come in today, a few here-and-there, we've sold three or four [Tuesday]. We're fully stocked, we're always fully stocked, though, because it is a mandatory thing for youth hockey to be wearing that."
When it comes pricing for a compression shirt with the neck guard built in, Frakas says one will be looking at about a $90 price tag. For just a standard neck guard, it ranges between $16.99 and $26.99, depending on how comfortable of a fit the player may want. He says they're not all too expensive compared to a lot of things in hockey.
Given the deaths of Johnson and Balkind, as well as other past incidents involving neck injuries at all levels of hockey, Farkas is surprised there are not more leagues that mandate the usage of neck guards in game action.
"NHLers, when they come into the league, [it is] mandatory to wear a [eye] shield now. A long time ago, they were grandfathered in and they have to wear a shield. Maybe they should start implementing it," Farkas reasoned. "I get it, an eye injury doesn't happen very often either, but they make them where the eye shields. If somebody loses a life over [an injury], it's good enough for me to make something mandatory. The one I can remember was Clint Malarchuk, I was actually at that game and remember that. But it's happening, it's going to happen. Will the neck guard prevent it? It goes up to a certain spot, and then there are areas of the jaw that would be open as well. But maybe this would have helped him, which who knows?"
So what more could be done to ensure the safety of kids with not just neck guards, but even wrist and Achilles protectors to avoid another potential tragic incident on the ice? Guenther feels it's a two-pronged approach.
"I think they need to get with the players at the highest levels and design something they can all agree on and the comfort level," Guenther said. "Let's be honest, hockey players, especially myself, we're really funny about our stuff, our gear. Gloves, skates, everything's got to feel right or we just don't play right. It's just a feel thing, it's kind of hard to explain unless you play hockey. So I think if the players got with the right people to design something that was comfortable and more appealing for the players, I think the league can go and mandate it so that way they have an agreeance.
"I know the players obviously have the players' union and the players' safety union, and they all have to come to an agreement. And then you have the owners who have a say in it, so I think in order to get all of them to agree, obviously the players have to be happy, the coaches have to be happy, the managers, the owners have to be happy. I think with the NHL it's a little bit harder, because there's a lot of different voices that have an opinion and a vote, but absolutely at the youth level, I don't understand why it's not mandated for every kid from the first time you skate to your beer league games and everything in-between, just because it's a shame it has to result in a death for this to be stated."