CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) – After a skate blade sliced into Richard Zednik’s neck, Jassen Cullimore’s jersey was splattered with blood as he helped his Florida Panthers teammate off the stained ice.
Cullimore himself has come close to having his neck cut open – and the veteran defenseman has the scars to prove it. But don’t expect him, his teammates or many other NHL players to start wearing neck guards because of Zednik’s near-fatal accident. Like helmet cages, neck guards are something worn by junior and amateur players, not pros.
“I’ve gotten skates up there,” Cullimore said. “It’s just something that happens. You could wear a whole armor suit out, there but you’re still going to have broken bones and stuff like that.”
ight side of the neck, nearly severing his carotid artery. He underwent emergency surgery and required five units of blood, and is recovering in a hospital. The accident happened almost 20 years after Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk severed his jugular vein when an opposing player’s skate clipped him. He also recovered.
“Right after (Zednik’s accident) happened somebody on our team said maybe we should wear neck guards,” Los Angeles Kings forward Michael Cammalleri said. “I don’t know if it would fly, to be honest with you, but there’s been a couple of scary incidents and you never want to see that.”
The NHL has always had a macho culture. Goalies didn’t regularly wear facemasks until the 1960s and helmets weren’t mandated for incoming players until 11 years after Minnesota North Star Bill Masterson died from striking his head on the ice in 1968. Only a fraction of the players today wear helmet visors, even though their eyes are constantly threatened with sticks and pucks.
So it’s not surprising that NHL players don’t wear neck guards, which are made of reinforced material like Kevlar or nylon, foam and Velcro. There are also hockey undershirts that include a neck guard – they look like a turtleneck. Some players, like Panther forward David Booth, say wearing a guard is uncomfortable and “chokes you.” Others say they just give a false sense of security.
dn’t make any different. The neck guard just comes this high, you know?” Jokinen said, gesturing about halfway up his neck. “If you watch what happened to Richard, the cut was a lot higher. It’s one of those things.”
Dave Fischer, a spokesman for USA Hockey, which governs amateur play in this country, says that’s one reason the guards aren’t even mandated at junior levels, although many players wear them. There is a concern, he said, that the guard can deflect the skate higher into the neck. A study on neck guards that was commissioned before Zednik’s injury is expected to be finished this summer.
“There’s no foolproof way to protect any part of the body from injury,” Fischer said.
The NHL says there has not been any discussion of mandating neck guards.
“Players are free to use them if they so choose,” spokesman Gary Meager said in an e-mail.
But there are a few players who say the league should do with neck guards what it did with helmets – require them for new players while letting current players choose.
“If you start right now, the rule for newcomers, rookies, coming into the league, they have to wear it, it’s mandatory, no one’s ever going to complain,” said Anaheim Ducks forward Teemu Selanne, who has ordered neck guards for his three children. “That’s what Europe has done with their program. Nobody complains. You start wearing them in juniors, in mites. I tell you, it’s going to save a lot of lives. Even if it saves one it’s worth it.”
—
AP Sports Writers R.B. Fallstrom in St. Louis and Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report.
Add A Comment
THIS IS NOT A GAMBLING SITE – If you think you have a gambling problem click here.
Disclaimer: This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Individual users are responsible for the laws regarding accessing gambling information from their jurisdictions. Many countries around the world prohibit gambling, please check the laws in your location. Any use of this information that may violate any federal, state, local or international law is strictly prohibited.
Copyright: The information contained on TheSpread.com website is protected by international copyright and may not be reproduced, or redistributed in any way without expressed written consent.
About: TheSpread.com is the largest sports betting news site in the United States. We provide point spread news, odds, statistics and information to over 175 countries around the world each year. Our coverage includes all North American College and Professional Sports as well as entertainment, political and proposition wagering news.
©1999-2023 TheSpread.com