Neck Guards In Hockey

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Thesis: Although most hockey athlete believes that by wearing required equipment keeps them safe from injury, however I believe that these regulations should be stricter because of the severity of recent and past injuries.

Introduction: Are equipment regulations enough to keep our hockey athletes safe?

I. Injuries

a. Richard Zednik

b. Clint Malarchuk

c. Bill Masterton

II. History of Equipment

a. Pre 1950

b. 1960-1970

c. 1970-1980

d. 1980-1990

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e. 1990-2000

III. Current Equipment regulations

a. Neck Guards

b. Helmets

c. Goalie masks

IV. Neck Guard Debate

a. Pros

b. Cons

Conclusions: Will it take a death to make NHL officials change there minds on the policies regarding neck guards like they did with helmets after the death of Bill Masterton.

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Are current equipment regulations enough to keep our hockey athletes safe? I ask this after the life threatening injury that recently occurred here in Buffalo. However this isn’t the first time that the NHL (National Hockey League) has seen injuries of this magnitude. What were these injuries? How did they affect the NHL rules? What kind of rules are in place today? What is the NHL doing about neck guards? These questions and more will be answered as we take a look into NHL injuries, the history of equipment regulations, current equipment regulations, and the debate over neck guards.

It was Sunday, February 10, 2008 here in Buffalo at the HSBC Arena. The Buffalo Sabres were playing the Florida Panthers. Thousands of spectators cheered as Buffalo took a 4-3 lead. The puck flew down the ice to the corner left of goaltender Ryan Miller. Players from both team rushed after the puck, 10 minutes and 4 seconds into the 3rd period Florida forward Olli Jokinen and Sabres forward Clarke MacArthur crashed sending Olli Jokinen head first into the ice and his right foot into the air. This is a normal occurrence in the NHL. However, tonight was a different night in the NHL. As Clarke

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MacArthur’s right foot flew into the air his razor sharp skate caught the neck of teammate Richard Zednik. Richard Zednik fell to the ice clutching his neck. “It like someone stabbed me” said Richard Zednik in a press conference after being discharged from Buffalo General. Richard Zednik quickly hurried to the Panthers bench. Leaving a 100 foot crimson trail, and burning this memory into the memories of thousands of fans, to horrified hockey teams and a hockey player holding on to his life. “It had to be the corroid artery with the much blood in that short of time” Rick Jeanerette said while announcing the game. It took 20 minutes for officials to clean the blood off the ice. Spectators fell silent as Rick Jeanerette said “I haven’t seen that much blood since, well I don’t even want to talk about it”. The fans remembered 19 years and 1 block ago. It was March 22, 1998 in War Memorial Auditorium, the Buffalo Sabres facing the St Louis Blues. Fans watched in excitement as the Blues winger Steve Tuttle collided with Uwe Krupp sliding into goaltender Clint Malarchuk and slicing his jugular vein. Blood pooled on the ice as spectators fainted, a few men

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had heart attacks and teammates threw up. Clint Malarchuk was rushed to Buffalo General where he underwent 90 min of surgery and received over 300 stitches to repair his artery. Doctor concurred that had the cut been an inch higher Clint Malarchuk would have bled to death in less then two minutes. Clint Malarchuk was lucky not to be the second on ice fatality in the NHL. On January 13, 1968 the Oakland Seals took on the Minnesota North Stars. Four Minutes into the first period William “Bill” Masterton passes the puck. He gets body checked by Seals Larry Cahan and Ron Harris. Bill Masterton fell backwards smacking his head into the ice. This hit was so hard blood began to gush from his mouth and nose. Bill Masterton then fell into a coma. Paramedics rushed Masterton to the hospital where the damage to the pons area of the brain and the hemorrhage were to sever to operate. Bill Masterton, 29, died two days later never to regain consciousness. Bill Masterton is the only death to occur in the NHL to date.

Injuries through out the NHL major and minor have occurred bringing about many changes and views about equipment

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regulations. It all began in 1959. Prior to 1959 players only wore equipment to soften the hits taken by sticks and pucks. However in 1959 in the old Madison Square Garden Jacques Plante wore the first goalie face mask after a puck hit him in the face. Jacques Plante received 200 stitches in his face after this hit. Jacques Plante’s head coach pressured him to stop wearing the face mask saying that it obstructed his view. Jacques Plante did stop wearing his face mask for a short time. However in Spring of 1960 Jacques Plante once again began to wear the face mask. Following the lead of Jacques Plante more and more goalies also began to wear face masks. In 1968 following the death of Bill Masterton thought not made mandatory many players began to wear helmets. As the 1970’s approached it became mandatory for all college and minor leagues to wear helmets. In 1973 a goaltender by the name of Andy Brown retired from the NHL as the last goalie to play without a face mask. As the 70’s began to fade away we approach 1979. After taking

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another look at helmet regulations the NHL made it mandatory for all inductees into the league to wear helmets. However if you were

inducted before 1979 you were grandfathered in and wearing