Ice hockey neck guards to be made compulsory at 2026 Winter Olympics

Milan-Cortina will be the first Winter Olympics to feature compulsory neck guards in ice hockey

Nottingham Panthers player Adam Johnson was fatally hit in the neck during a game in October 2023 (PA Archive)

Ice hockey’s governing body is to make protective neck guards mandatory at the Winter Olympics next year.

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced in December 2023 that it would change its rules to make neck guards compulsory in all the competitions it oversees, but did not confirm a specific date when the policy would be brought in.

It has since told BBC Sport that “we can confirm the neck guards will be mandatory according to the IIHF Rule Book” in advance of next February’s Olympic Games.

Neck guards were previously optional at Olympic level and are not typically required at other elite level competitions.

Nottingham Panthers forward Adam Johnson died in October 2023 from a serious cut to his neck from a skate during a British Elite League match against the Sheffield Steelers.

Despite his death the Elite League has not made neck guards a requirement, saying in the aftermath of the fatal accident that it “strongly encourages” their use.

Ice Hockey UK, which runs the Great Britain national team, already mandates the use of neck guards to protect players.

North America’s National Hockey League (NHL) will make new players from the 2026-27 season onwards wear the guards but not make them compulsory for its existing players.