IIHF mandating neck protection for all levels of competition

The move comes just two days after the organization ruled that all players competing in the World Junior Hockey Championships and Under-18 World Championships would be required to wear neck protection.

Now, players competing in the senior men’s and women’s tournaments will have to wear gear suited to protect from neck lacerations.

In a release, the IIHF says the exact date that the mandate will go into effect for the senior divisions will be based on the supply of the equipment. The governing body says it is in close contact with suppliers, making sure they are capable of producing for the excessive demand coming for the gear with the recent sanctions.

The IIHF also stated that until the rule is fully in effect, it continues to strongly encourage neck protection to be worn by its players competing in IIHF competition.

The men’s senior tournament in Prague and Ostrava, Czechia, does not start until May 10, while the Women’s Worlds gets underway on April 3 in Utica, N.Y.

The rise in concern for the specialized equipment comes in the aftermath of an incident where former Pittsburgh Penguin Adam Johnson died after his neck was cut by a skate blade in an Elite Ice Hockey League game in late October.

Prepare to see a lot of neck guards being worn at various levels of the Men’s Under-20 World Championships, with tournaments in the lower divisions beginning next week in Hungary, Slovenia and Great Britain, prior to the World Juniors’ first game in Gothenburg, Sweden on Boxing Day.

All of the Women’s Under-18 world competition is set to begin in a month, including the top division starting play on Jan. 6 in Zug, Switzerland.