10spro wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2023 10:56 pm
The season is about 3 weeks young, and along somewhere in this long, classic hockey thread, different people at different times have talked about the dangers of this sport especially when it comes to blades flying round. This happened recently in England where right after the incident, it became mandatory to wear neck protection. Tragic how this former NHLer lost his life and while not right away, this unfortunate incident has raised some eyebrows for the league to take some action. I know a lot of players don’t mind it especially at the speed these days players are playing, but mandatory or not, I am sure some players will start looking after themselves.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/po ... mandatory/
The Johnson situation is so sad. And the NHL was lucky as hell Malarchuk didn't die on the ice 30-plus years ago. The Sabres' trainer was a trained combat medic, so he knew what to do immediately to save Malarchuk's life.
I'm seeing plenty of hockey neanderthals on social saying, "It should be left to the player." Really? That's ridiculous.
Players take hits to the head without life-threatening circumstances. Same with sticks and pucks to the eyes. Yet every level of hockey mandates helmets and shields.
Meanwhile, is there ever a "minor" skate cut to the neck? It's almost always a life-threatening situation. So, why wouldn't neck guards be mandated at all levels of the game? Hell, players should wear Kevlar wrist sleeves, too, as long as they continue to wear gloves with ridiculously short cuffs.
I wouldn't mind seeing the NHL mandate a minimum length of glove cuff, either. For those who scream, "I lose dexterity with long cuffs," Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe both scored 800+ goals with long-cuff gloves, so shut the f*ck up.
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