Players in the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) will have to wear neck protection from 2024. The sports directors of the 14 clubs decided this unanimously, as DEL managing director Gernot Tripcke confirmed to Sportschau.
The decision was made during a meeting on Monday (November 6th, 2023), in which representatives of the “Ice Hockey Players’ Association” (SVE) also took part. According to an internal survey, a “clear majority” from their ranks also spoke out in favor of making neck and neck protection mandatory.
Implementation at the beginning of 2024
The decision will be implemented from January 1, 2024, Tripcke said, after it was initially said that it would be ready by February 1, 2024 at the latest. The protection, which covers the neck and neck, will be made of special cut-resistant material and will also be mandatory for referees, as the DEL announced.
The discussion about neck protection was triggered by the death of Adam Johnson. The 29-year-old American Johnson had his neck slashed by an ice skate blade during his Nottingham Panthers’ game against the Sheffield Steelers at the end of October. The former Augsburg Panther professional died as a result of the accident.
“It’s a sad occasion, but the discussion produced a good result. We’re doing what we can and hope that this will prevent one or two accidents in the future,” said Tripcke. Florian Stenner, spokesman for the players’ association, said: “In advance of the consultations, we obtained a picture of the mood in player circles and this showed that neck protection is important to the players. The fact that many players are already wearing appropriate protection underlines this once again.”
NHL is also discussing
According to Sportschau information, there is also a clear tendency in the DEL 2 to decide on mandatory neck protection and thus follow the DEL. However, there is no definitive agreement yet; a decision should be made shortly.
The NHL is also discussing mandatory neck and neck protection. “Whether it’s something that’s going to be mandated outright or phased in, that’s something we’ll be talking to the players’ union about,” North American league commissioner Gary Bettmann said.
