The NHL announced that beginning in the 2026–27 season, neck guards will be mandatory for any players entering the league from that season onward.
Mandating neck guards in professional ice hockey has been a topic of discussion for a while. The AHL, IIHF, USA Hockey, and other leagues have previously required the use of neck guards. However, until the NHL and NHL Players’ Association agreed to a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement last Friday, neck guards remained optional at the NHL level.
Under the new policy, neck guards will remain optional for players who have appeared in an NHL game before the start of the 2026–27 season. Any player who begins their NHL career on or after that date will be required to wear one.
The push for mandatory neck guards gained renewed urgency following the tragic death of former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Adam Johnson. In 2023, Johnson, then playing for England’s Nottingham Panthers, suffered a fatal skate cut to the neck during a game.
Among those advocating most strongly for change is New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald’s advocacy began in earnest after a terrifying experience involving his son, Casey Fitzgerald, who captained the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack in 2023.
On December 28, 2023, during a game against the Providence Bruins, an opponent’s skate clipped Casey’s neck. He skated to the bench, unaware at first that he was bleeding. Though he was wearing a cut-resistant guard, the blade sliced above the protected area, putting him in a potentially life-threatening situation.
Casey received 25 stitches and was back on the ice just days later, but the incident left a lasting impression on his father.
“I don’t wish that on any parent,” Fitzgerald told The Athletic at the time. “My message was just, ‘Tell the players you don’t want your parents potentially going through something like this, how scary it is. Put as much protection on as you possibly can because you’re going to stop playing at some point, and you’re going to have to live the rest of your life … so live it.’”
Following the incident, Fitzgerald became a vocal advocate for mandatory neck protection. He considered requiring neck guards for Devils players, pushed the NHL to implement a league-wide policy, and encouraged other general managers to do the same.
In March 2025, Fitzgerald stood before all 32 NHL general managers and made his case: neck guards should be mandatory.
His efforts paid off.
After the NHL and NHLPA announced the new policy, Fitzgerald told NHL.com, “I think it’s great. To me, it’s no different than the helmet or the half-shield. I just think kids won’t even realize they’re wearing it, just like the helmet and shield for players in the past. I think it’s a great start for the league.”
As of 2025, only 7.7% of NHL players, just 55 out of roughly 700 skaters, wore neck guards.
One of those players is Capitals forward T.J. Oshie, who not only wears a neck guard but manufactures them through his company, Warroad. The brand specializes in protective gear with cut-resistant technology.
“I made my choice for my kids,” Oshie told The Hockey News in 2023. “I want to stick around for 'em.”
Many players cite discomfort and increased sweating as reasons for avoiding neck protection. But Fitzgerald argues that safety must come first.
“If you give players options, they’re going to take them,” he said. “They’re going to say, ‘I haven’t worn it my whole life, so I’m not going to wear it now.’ So don’t give them options.”
Requiring neck guards is a deeply personal victory for Fitzgerald—not just as a general manager, but as a parent.
“Any time you can continue to look after your players, especially young players as they grow into the league, and help them stay protected, and more importantly, educate them on the different types of things out there that can help them, that’s important,” he said.
Photo Credit: Tom Horak - Imagn Images