The Western Hockey League will fall into line with the rest of the major-junior Canadian Hockey League by joining the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to make it immediately mandatory for its players to wear neck guards.
The OHL and QMJHL already had the policy in place.
The new policy for the WHL will come into effect Thursday, “or as soon as the protective equipment is available to the clubs,” said the league.
“The WHL anticipates challenges in delivery of protective neck guard equipment from licensed suppliers due to increased demand following the tragic passing of Adam Johnson,” the league said in a statement.
Johnson, a player with the Nottingham Panthers of the professional British Premiership EIHL, was killed when the skate blade of Sheffield Steelers player Matt Petgrave cut Johnson’s neck in a game last weekend in Sheffield, England.
The death has sent ripples through the hockey world.
“We are supportive of the WHL implementing mandatory neck guard protection and our players will be wearing neck guards as soon as they arrive,” said Jake Heisinger, associate general manager of the Victoria Royals.
The Royals are in Kelowna on Friday to play the Rockets.
The sa国际传媒 Hockey League, which includes four Island teams, told the sa国际传媒: “The BCHL has highly encouraged its teams to enforce neck protection for its players during games and practices.”
Jesse Adamson, director of communications for the league, added: “The BCHL’s competition committee is meeting this week to discuss any league-wide policy going forward.”
The Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League has currently not made it mandatory for its teams. But the Saanich Predators of the VIJHL have unilaterally announced it will make its players wear neck protectors as soon as they can be procured by the club.
Neck guards are mandatory in all levels of youth hockey in sa国际传媒 up to junior.
