The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) will make neck guards mandatory for players at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

The decision follows the death of Nottingham Panthers forward Adam Johnson in October 2023 after his neck was cut by a skate blade of another player during a league game.

The IIHF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for confirmation about the decision.

The sport's governing authority mandated the use of neck guards in all its competitions in December 2023, extending a rule already in place for under-18 and under-20 tournaments.

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