The English Ice Hockey Association will make neck guards mandatory next year following the death of Nottingham Panthers forward Adam Johnson.
Johnson had his neck cut by another player’s skate in an accident during a Challenge Cup match against Sheffield Steelers on Saturday.
Neck guards are not compulsory in the UK at senior level but the EIHA, the governing body for the game below the Elite League in which Johnson played, said it would come into force next year.
They also said it was their “strong recommendation” players wear them before then.
Neck guards are only compulsory for all players under the age of 18 in the UK, and it is not clear at this stage whether the Elite League will follow the EIHA’s recommendation in the wake of Johnson’s death.
The EIHA said: “It is unacceptable for any player to lose their life while playing sport. Our responsibility is not only to avert the recurrence of such a heartbreaking accident but also to pre-emptively address other foreseeable incidents in the future.
“We bear both a legal and moral obligation to respond in a measured and pragmatic way.”
