Neck guards mandatory for high school hockey players after Adam Johnson's death

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - High school hockey players across the country, including Minnesota, will be required to wear neck guards for all games starting in the 2024-25 season.

The measure was one of five rules proposed by the National Federation of State High School Associations Ice Hockey Rules Committee at its annual meeting in late April. All five rule changes, including making the neck guard mandatory, were accepted by the NFHS Board of Directors and are effective for the upcoming season.

Mandating neck guards, NFHS says, furthers the commitment to risk minimization and health and safety of players. If a player doesn’t have a neck guard or it comes off during game action, they’ll be sent to the bench and can only come back on the ice once it’s fixed. If a player refuses to wear one, play will be stopped and the player will serve a two-minute minor.

The move comes after Hibbing native and former Minnesota-Duluth hockey player Adam Johnson died during an on-ice incident last October in a game in England. He caught a skate blade to his neck during a game, and later died at a hospital. He played in high school for Hibbing/Chisholm.

The other player involved in the incident was arrested a few days later and eventually released on bail.

The Minnesota State High School League confirmed on Thursday the rule does apply to Minnesota high school hockey players, starting this season, as the MSHSL follows NFHS rules.