The International Ice Hockey Federation has agreed to make wearing neck guards mandatory for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships and for the upcoming Men’s U18 Championships.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger announced the news earlier this week.
The @IIHFHockey has agreed to make neck protection mandatory for the World Junior Hockey championship and the Men’s U18 championship. A final decision still has to be made on the Men’s and Women’s World Hockey Championships.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) December 2, 2023
Dreger says that the IIHF hasn’t yet decided on whether they will be required for the Men’s and Women’s World Hockey Championships.
The decision regarding the neck guards being mandatory for the World Junior and U18 Championships comes in the wake of the death of former Penguins player Adam Johnson, who died earlier this year after having his throat cut by a skate during a game in the United Kingdom.
In the days following Johnson’s death, the Penguins organization mandated the use of neck guards at the minor league levels.
Several NHL players throughout the league have begun wearing the neck guards in the time since Johnson’s tragic death.