OUA latest to make neck guards mandatory
Published
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) will make neck guards mandatory in men's hockey, according to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger.
Dreger adds that while the initial plan was to introduce neck guards at some point, last week's death of Adam Johnson encouraged the association to expedite the process.
OUA joins the Western Hockey League (WHL) as the first groups to make neck guards mandatory following last week's tragedy. They were already mandatory in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
The English Ice Hockey Association, the governing body of hockey in England and Wales where Johnson played, said earlier this week it will be mandatory for its players to wear a neck guard during "all on-ice activities," beginning in 2024.
While neck guards are not mandatory in the NHL, TSN's Hockey Insiders reported on Insider Trading earlier this week that multiple teams have started the process of implementing optional neck protectors for their teams.