NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Hunter St. Martin admires his shot during practice Thursday morning at Co-op Place. St. Martin dons a neck guard a day before the WHL's mandatory neck guard mandate takes effect.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Western Hockey League fans will notice more equipment on their favourite players.
The WHL joins the rest of the Canadian Hockey League today in mandating neck guard protection for all players effective today, or whenever the equipment is available to teams.
WHL players are required to wear protective neck guard equipment at all times while participating in on-ice activities, including games and practices.
In its announcement Wednesday, the WHL acknowledged some teams may face a challenge in delivery of protective neck guard equipment from licensed suppliers due to increased demand following the tragic passing of Adam Johnson.
The 29-year-old American hockey player and former Pittsburgh Penguin was playing for the Nottingham Panthers at the Sheffield Steelers last Saturday when his neck was cut by a skate blade. He later died at hospital. His death has led to a larger discussion around the sport, especially at the National Hockey League level, on the need for more protection.
The Medicine Hat Tigers donned neck guards at practice Thursday morning ahead of the mandate and their home contest Friday against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Head coach Willie Desjardins says they worry about tragic incidents like that all the time and says they will ensure players make it work safely.
“It’s a fast game and lots of things happen, it can happen at any time,” Desjardins said. “It’s really scary and was a really tragic incident. We have to do what we can to protect our players, we have to be smart on it. It’s hard because the players don’t really like wearing them, but it was just like mouth guards. Who knows how many teeth we save?
“A lot of guys don’t like mouth guards but it’s something we need and we have to do it. It’s the same with neck guards, that’s something the league’s mandated and you have to find a way to make it work. The longer you fight it, the more angry you get. So you have to just say, ‘Hey, that’s happening, we have to be good with it.'”
Some Tigers pulled on neck guards or readjusted them as they took the ice for practice before eventually settling into their routines and drills, seemingly forgetting about the new piece of equipment on their necks.
The Portland Winterhawks, who beat Medicine Hat 6-3 Wednesday night, watched on for the latter half of the Tigers’ practice. A few players remarked about Medicine Hat’s neck guards, some positive and others questioning it, all ending their discussion with remarks about Johnson’s death.
On the ice, Tigers’ forward Hunter St. Martin says it didn’t affect him and he was used to it once he put it on. The last time he wore one was in minor hockey and says he expected to don one again some time.
“You obviously wear a mouthguard or a neck guard in minor hockey, it was only a matter of time,” St. Martin said. “In the QMJHL and OHL, they’ve had neck guards for a while and now, the tragic incident happened, it was going to happen sooner or later. We all complain, style or whatever, you never want anything to happen and that’s just an extra precaution we can take.”
The OHL and QMJHL have long mandated the form of neck protection and WHL teams have been required to wear them when competing at the Memorial Cup, even in WHL hosted tournaments such as last year in Kamloops. Hockey Canada also requires neck guards for all players registered in minor and women’s hockey.
The introduction of protective equipment coming off an injury on a grand stage is not new for the hockey world. When former Ottawa Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson had his achilles tendon sliced after a check from Matt Cooke in 2013, kevlar socks were quickly adapted. That was a move associate coach Joe Frazer remembers taking place and is one, just like the neck guard mandate, he welcomes.
“It’s not like the neck guards are hindering you in any way,” Frazer said. “It was just a terrible, terrible tragedy what happened. It was a great job by the league just making sure we all wear them, it’s a no-brainer really.”
