IIHF mandates neck guards for first time at 2026 Olympics

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has made it clear it wants to protect players participating in its events, and beyond.

According to multiple reports, the governing body is making neck guards mandatory for all players competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.

This comes almost two years after the IIHF originally announced a mandate for neck protection to be worn across all competitions. However, the entity never officially announced a date for the mandate to take effect for the senior divisions once the equipment supply reached a sufficient level. With less than three months before play begins in Italy, the IIHF has determined it can finalize its timeline now.

The mandate was announced in December 2023, just a couple of months after former NHLer and member of the Nottingham Panthers, Adam Johnson, tragically died after being struck by Matt Petgrave’s skate cut him in the neck during an Elite Ice Hockey League game in England.

The push for better neck protection infiltrated the NHL ranks. As part of the new collective bargaining agreement, players entering the league in 2026 will be required to wear neck guards. However, players who have played at least one game in the league prior to the end of this season won’t be subject to the mandate.

Players competing at the IIHF World Junior Championships and Men’s and Women’s Under-18 tournaments have been required to wear neck protection since 2023.

The women’s Olympic tournament is set to begin on Feb. 5, which includes the favorites, the United States and Canada, in action, along with host nation Italy. The quarterfinals will begin on Feb. 13, with the gold medal game taking place on Feb. 19.

The men’s tournament kicks off on Feb. 11 with defending gold medalists Finland facing Sweden in game one. The knockout round will commence on Feb. 17, wrapping up with the gold medal game on Feb. 22.