Saanich Predators head coach Cody Carlson has a personal reason for mandating the immediate use of neck guards for all the players skating with the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League club.
Carlson played in the Elite Ice Hockey League, which is the British Premiership, as recently as 2017-18 and still knows many people in the league. Adam Johnson, a player with the Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL, was killed when the skate blade of a player on the Sheffield Steelers cut his neck in a game Saturday in Sheffield, England.
“I know a lot of players in the EIHL and have colleagues over there and it’s out of respect,” said Carlson.
“You never know when someone falls or trips in a corner. If this saves one player on the Island, that’s all I care about. It’s all about the players and their safety.”
The Predators, who are in Port Alberni tonight to face the Bombers, are in the process of purchasing neck guards and hope to have them on the players in time for Friday night’s game against the Victoria Cougars at Pearkes Arena.
The 32-year-old Carlson came out of Juan de Fuca and was a first-round WHL draft pick of the Medicine Hat Tigers, and also played for the Regina Pats and Prince George Cougars before a seven-season pro career in the ECHL, Germany Oberliga and EIHL with the Braehead Clan and Dundee Stars. Carlson admits it never crossed his mind about wearing a neck guard during his playing days.
“I never thought about it. Maybe we should have,” he said.
“This is a wake-up call. It’s happened to a few players.”
Most notably, before Saturday, to former NHL goaltender Clint Malarchuk.
“We are not asking the VIJHL to mandate this. It is just a personal decision for our team,” said Carlson.
Peninsula Panthers owner Pete Zubersky said his VIJHL team encourages players to wear neck protectors and will pay for them. As for making it mandatory, Zubersky said: “We’re still thinking about it.”
Hockey sa国际传媒 and sa国际传媒 Hockey mandate neck guards for all players in youth play up to junior.
“Our junior leagues wanted a say in how issues are handled and we are member-driven and leave issues up to our membership,” said sa国际传媒 Hockey CEO Cam Hope of Victoria.
sa国际传媒 Hockey sanctions the VIJHL, Pacific Junior Hockey League and Kootenay International Hockey League.
“It’s bound to be brought up at our next board meeting,” said Hope.
Former sa国际传媒 captain and four-time Olympic gold-medallist Hayley Wickenheiser this week called for neck protectors to be worn at all levels of hockey.
Neck protectors are mandatory in both the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Canadian sports minister Carla Qualtrough told Global News on Tuesday it was “concerning” that the NHL and Western Hockey League don’t mandate it, too. As of now, no junior leagues in sa国际传媒 have mandated the use of neck guards. The sa国际传媒 reached out to the WHL and sa国际传媒 Hockey League for comment but had not heard back by press time.
That hasn’t stopped the Predators from making their own move in the VIJHL.
“We feel this is the respectful and responsible thing to do, not only for our players, but for all hockey families who are saddened by this terrible loss,” said Predators co-owner Norm Kelly.
