Neck guards will be mandatory for all hockey players at the upcoming Olympic Games in Milano-Cortana.

An NHL source confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) will require the protective gear be worn throughout the upcoming tournament. BBC Sports was first to report the news.

The decision comes in the wake of Adam Johnson's death in October 2023 after he took a skate blade to the neck from Matt Petgrave during a game in Sheffield, England. The IIHF had previously announced in December 2023 that neck guards would be required at all levels of the sport but never set a date when that would be instated at the most senior level amid issues with supplying teams with the garments. They've finally set a timeline now with three months to go until the Olym

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