IIHF mandates neck protection for World Junior Championship

The IIHF agreed to make neck protection mandatory for the World Junior Championship and the Men's U18 World Championship, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

No decision has been made regarding the Men's and Women's World Championships, Dreger adds.

Neck guards have been a topic of discussion ever since former Pittsburgh Penguins player Adam Johnson died in October after his neck was accidentally sliced by an opposing player's skate in England's EIHL.

Although it only recently became mandated in the WHL, neck protection has been mandatory in the OHL and QMJHL for years. The NCAA and USA Hockey do not enforce any mandates.

The NHL has no regulations in place, either, although several players have started to wear neck guards voluntarily in the wake of Johnson's death.

The 2024 World Junior Championship begins Boxing Day in Sweden.