MJHL makes neck guards mandatory after overseas death

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This article was published 14/11/2023 (553 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Outpourings of support have come in from across the globe following the death of Adam Johnson.

Johnson, an American hockey player who was in England, was fatally cut by another player’s skate blade during a game. While friends and family grieve, North American leagues have begun to make changes in the aftermath, including junior A.

The Canadian Junior Hockey League, which organizes nine junior A leagues across the country, unanimously voted to make neck guards mandatory moving forward.

The announcement was made on Nov. 3, but players and teams were behind the announcement, with only a single player in the Niverville Nighthawks/Portage Terriers and Steinbach Pistons/Swan Valley Stampeders games wearing a neck guard.

“(I) fully support it,” Nighthawks head coach and general manager Kelvin Cech said after the game.

“One player losing his life is one too many.”

Teams are working to find and order neck guards, as sales across the world have skyrocketed since Johnson’s death.

“There’s very limited inventory in the country,” Steinbach general manager and head coach Paul Dyck said.

“It might take some time for everybody in the league to get in one, but obviously, we’re starting the process now.”

Cech said the Nighthawks have already ordered their neck guards. The notice from the CJHL noted the mandate was subject to equipment availability. The Pistons are a bit behind Niverville, with plans to order this week.

Josh Mettimano, a 2004-born defenseman, was wearing a neck guard he already had on hand, and was the only player wearing one for Niverville.

Cech said compared to the introduction of full face protections, players have had much less push-back to the change.

“As coaches, we played 20 years ago, and we remember the brutal neck guards we had when we were kids, and we think that’s what we’re going back to,” he said.

“But that’s not the case. Things are so well-built these days that they’ll be comfortable for the guys.”

Players under the age of 18 in the MJHL were already required to wear a neck guard.

Dyck said the MJHL making neck guards mandatory was inevitable after Canada’s three major junior leagues also decided to make the move, and thought players would be quick to adapt.

“There’s players in the NHL experimenting with it now,” Dyck said.

“No one’s a huge fan usually of wearing neck guards, but it’s a small adjustment… I think six months from now no one’s going to be talking about it.”

The only player for Steinbach to wear a neck guard was Jackson Kostiuk, as the 2006-born player is under 18. Maybe wearing a neck guard was a good sign for the young forward, as he potted the opening goal for Steinbach in their 2-1 victory over Swan Valley, earning first star of the game honours.

“We’re going to look back in a few years, and think, ‘why on Earth were we not (wearing neck guards)?’” Cech said.

“It’s just like visors. Why were we not wearing visors 10 years ago? It’s just a sad, tragic story. (I) wish it didn’t have to involve a young hockey player dying, but if this saves someone’s life moving forward, at least (Johnson) has a legacy.”

The CJHL is requiring players to wear a neck guard during all on-ice activities, including practices.

Other junior leagues in Manitoba are waiting for word from Hockey Manitoba.

President of the Hanover-Tache Junior Hockey League, Darrell Lupky, said conversations between teams on the subject have taken place about the use of neck guards, and he anticipates Hockey Manitoba will soon require them.