Following Adam Johnson’s death in Sheffield last weekend, neck guard suppliers are facing a surge in demand to help protect ice hockey players.
Nottingham Panthers player, Adam Johnson, suffered a fatal neck injury from another player’s skate during a match at the Utilita Arena Sheffield, before being pronounced dead the next day.
The tragedy has led to discussions about the lack of neck protection worn by players, with the English Ice Hockey Association announcing that neck guards will be mandatory equipment by the end of the year.
However, the Elite Ice Hockey League, responsible for the UK’s top-flight league has refused to make it mandatory, instead saying that wearing protective equipment is ‘strongly encouraged’.
Teams are quickly trying to find suppliers of neck guards, with many of the biggest brands being completely sold out.
Teri Weiss, owner of Skate Armor in America, has described how the tragic death that occurred in Sheffield has impacted her business overseas, with her having to outsource to keep up with the number of orders.
Skate Armor prides itself on its unique design of its products which resulted in it being proven as the most effective neck guard in 2015.
She said: “It’s hard because my business is finally getting noticed now, but it’s not the way I wanted it to get noticed.”
Miss Weiss started making neck guards in 2010 when her son raised concerns about how uncomfortable the build of the equipment he wore was.
She then tested the cut resistance of his equipment with a kitchen knife, which it sliced straight through.
After she began crafting her own neck guards for her son to use, she turned it into a full-time business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 29-year-old player’s death has sent shock waves across the world, with support flooding in from leagues in other countries, football clubs and more.
Speaking on the dangers of neck lacerations, she said: “It makes me so sad, because for 13 years I’ve been saying it’s a matter of when, not if.
“How are we as parents and coaches okay with saying we’re willing to risk this?”
Johnson, who played most famously for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nottingham Panthers, has had tributes held all across the globe in his name.
The Pittsburgh Penguins held a pre-game tribute for their former player earlier in the week, while the Panthers have organised an official fundraiser for a charity set up in Adam’s name.
Crowds also gathered outside the Utilita Arena yesterday evening to hold a candle-lit vigil in his memory, where many of the Sheffield Steelers’ players were in attendance.
Enquiries into Adam Johnson’s death are still ongoing, with an inquest being opened at Sheffield medico-legal centre on Friday 3rd November 2023.
The inquest has been adjourned until early 2024.
