Ice Hockey Neck Guards Mandatory At 2026 Olympics

Players will deterioration cervix guards astatine nan 2026 Winter Olympics for nan first time, nan International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has confirmed.

The norm alteration follows the decease of Nottingham Panthers guardant Adam Johnson successful October 2023.

Johnson was fatally deed successful nan cervix by a skate during an Elite League lucifer against nan Sheffield Steelers.

The IIHF announced in December that year that cervix guards would go mandatory successful each their competitions, nevertheless a day that this norm would beryllium introduced was not announced.

But a spokesperson has now told BBC Sport: "We tin corroborate nan cervix guards will beryllium mandatory according to nan IIHF Rule Book."

Neck guards person antecedently been optional successful Olympic competition, while successful different competitions astir nan world they are not required.

While nan guards are compulsory astatine younker world level, having to deterioration nan guards will beryllium a caller acquisition astatine elite level for immoderate of nan world's champion players.

The British Elite League has not made them mandatory, contempt nan fatal incident involving Johnson occurring successful their competition, and they are not yet required successful nan North America's National Hockey League (NHL).

The NHL - regarded arsenic nan number 1 convention successful nan world – will make nan guards mandatory for caller players, external entering nan title from nan 2026-27 play onwards. However, those who already play successful nan convention will not request to deterioration nan protective equipment.

NHL players will characteristic astatine adjacent year's Milan-Cortina Olympics,, external having not appeared astatine nan past 2 Games because of disruption to nan home play successful 2018 and interest complete coronavirus astatine Beijing 2022.

The Olympic crystal lucky title will return spot successful Milan betwixt 5 and 22 February 2026.