Some Ottawa Senators players don neck guards Saturday
Some Ottawa Senators players will be wearing neck guards when the puck drops at the Canadian Tire Centre Saturday night.
The Sens are hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. During the morning skate, forwards Claude Giroux and Josh Norris were wearing black neck guards.
"I just wanted to try it out," Giroux told reporters. "It doesn't feel any different, so I'm going to try it tonight and it's just a decision I decided to do."
Norris said he wore a neck guard when he was younger and he felt comfortable with it on Saturday.
"I was really comfortable, honestly. I didn't really notice it much, maybe for the first few minutes of the skate, but no, I feel good," he said.
The death of former Pittsburgh Penguins player Adam Johnson in England has reignited conversations around neck guards in the NHL. Johnson died after a skate blade cut his neck in a game last week. In response, the English Ice Hockey Association will require all players in England to wear neck guards starting Jan. 1, 2024.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported Friday that Ontario University Athletics (OUA) is going to make neck guards mandatory for men's hockey. The Western Hockey League has also mandated neck guards. A neck guard mandate is already in place for the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
- Sign up now for our nightly CTV News Ottawa newsletter
Norris said he had been thinking about wearing a neck guard since Johnson's death.
"I've definitely thought about it. Obviously, a very sad situation that unfolded there, so, for sure something that I thought about and wanted to give it a try," he said.
Grioux said he spoke with his family about it and decided to try wearing a neck guard.
"I'm sure some guys are going to try it, some won't. I don't think it should be mandatory, but it's a decision that every player should think if they want to do it or not."
Neck guards are not mandatory in the NHL. Players are also not required to wear cut protection on the wrists or the backs of their legs.
The Senators have encountered injuries related to skate cuts before. In 2013, Erik Karlsson was slashed by a skate blade that serious damaged his Achilles tendon, requiring surgery.
The move by Giroux and Norris also follows other NHL players, Karlsson among them, choosing to wear neck guards this week.
Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie appeared on the ice with a neck guard in Thursday's game against the Islanders. Oshie told reporters he made the choice for his kids and to show younger players it doesn't distract from the game. Oshie owns a hockey equipment company and said that he also wanted to show players that cut-resistant equipment is available.
--With files from TSN.ca and The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau appears unwilling to expand proposed rebate, despite pressure to include seniors
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau does not appear willing to budge on his plan to send a $250 rebate to 'hardworking Canadians,' despite pressure from the opposition to give the money to seniors and people who are not able to work.
'Mayday!': New details emerge after Boeing plane makes emergency landing at Mirabel airport
New details suggest that there were communication issues between the pilots of a charter flight and the control tower at Montreal's Mirabel airport when a Boeing 737 made an emergency landing on Wednesday.
Hit man offered $100,000 to kill Montreal crime reporter covering his trial
Montreal news outlet La Presse says a hit man offered $100,000 to have one of its crime reporters assassinated.
Cucumbers sold in Ontario, other provinces recalled over possible salmonella contamination
A U.S. company is recalling cucumbers sold in Ontario and other Canadian provinces due to possible salmonella contamination.
Trudeau says no question incoming U.S. president Trump is serious on tariff threat
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says incoming U.S. president Donald Trump's threats on tariffs should be taken seriously.
Insurgents breach Syria's second-largest city Aleppo in shock offensive
Insurgents breached Syria's second-largest city Aleppo after blowing up two car bombs on Friday and were clashing with government forces on the city's western edge, according to a Syria war monitor and fighters.
Here's how thick ice needs to be to park a truck on it, according to Sask. Water Security Agency
The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency (WSA) says ice should be at least one foot (30 centimetres) thick before it's safe to drive a car or light truck on a frozen body of water.
Democratic lawmakers from Connecticut report Thanksgiving bomb threats against their homes
At least six Democratic members of Congress from Connecticut were targeted by bomb threats on their homes Thursday, the lawmakers or their offices said.
Latest updates: Tracking RSV, influenza, COVID-19 in Canada
As the country heads into the worst time of year for respiratory infections, the Canadian respiratory virus surveillance report tracks how prevalent certain viruses are each week and how the trends are changing week to week.