BREAKING: WHL Announces New Equipment Policy Following Tragic Accident
Adam Johnson's tragic death last weekend has sent the hockey world into a frenzy of player safety discussions. The EIHL announced earlier in the week that there would be a league-wide neck protection mandate going into effect December 31st and this North American league was quick to join them.
WHL Announces Rules Change
The Western Hockey League, the top major-junior league that serves western Canada and part of the United States, announced today that the league would be implementing a new neck guard policy set to go into effect this Friday, November 3rd.
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The WHL has become the first major North American league to implement such a rule. While many players at younger age groups have been subject to neck protection mandates for some time, this is the first time draft eligible players will be required to wear the protection in regular league games. The IIHF has required players to wear them in international events though so many of the top players from each nation should be familiar with the equipment.
NHL Handcuffed By Players Union
It is unlikely we will see the NHL make such a rules change this season but one could be coming in the offseason. So far we have yet to see any NHLers wear neck protection in a game since the tragedy although some players in the AHL have been seen sporting the new neckwear.
Similarly, the Penguins have issued a team-wide mandate, making it a requirement for all AHL and ECHL players in the organization to wear neck protection going forward. No team has the authority to make such a rule for their NHL club due to the collective bargaining agreement.
Coach Sullivan continued: "Our American League team has mandated that they are going to wear neck guards and wrist guards - our East Coast League team as well. We can't do that at the NHL level, but we can certainly strongly encourage and that's our hope...
Discussions between the league and the players association regarding neck protection are ongoing. We will wait patiently for an update on that front.
| POLL | ||
2 NOVEMBRE | 42 ANSWERS BREAKING: WHL Announces New Equipment Policy Following Tragic Accident Do you think the NHL will implement a rules change midseason? | ||
| Yes | 20 | 47.6 % |
| Not until the offseason | 19 | 45.2 % |
| No change at all | 3 | 7.1 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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