The issue of neck protection in hockey has been a contentious one for years. On the one hand, proponents of the rule argue that it could potentially save lives. In a high-speed, high-impact sport like hockey, a single badly placed skate or puck can easily cause a life-altering injury. With neck protection, this risk is significantly reduced, or so the argument goes.
But not everyone is convinced. Hughes is joined by a host of other NHL players who are resistant to the idea of making neck protection mandatory. For them, it's all about choice. In a sport where athletes are constantly looking for ways to gain an edge, equipment choices can be extremely important. For some, the added bulk of neck protection could be enough to affect their performance on the ice.
However, there's another side to this story. For every player who sees neck protection as an encumbrance, there's another who has experienced firsthand the devastating consequences of a neck injury. The story of Max Pacioretty is a case in point. In 2011, the Montreal Canadiens forward got caught in a brutal check from Boston's Zdeno Chara, sending him crashing into a stanchion. Pacioretty suffered a severe concussion and a broken neck vertebra, in what was described as a potentially career-ending injury.
That the AHL has now made neck protection mandatory has inevitably raised questions about whether the NHL will soon follow suit. While there's been no official word on this yet, the signs are that a similar rule could be on the horizon. The NHL has been gradually phasing in new equipment requirements over the years, all aimed at improving player safety. It's not hard to imagine that neck protection could be next on the list.