TJ Oshie led by example Thursday night when he became the first Capitals player since the death of Adam Johnson to wear neck protection in a game. He’s the second player in the NHL to do so.
After telling reporters on Monday that he planned to try additional protective equipment, Oshie wore a cut-resistant turtleneck from his own Warroad brand as the Capitals faced off against the New York Islanders.
More and more players have considered adopting neck protection this week after Johnson, a former Pittsburgh Penguin, was struck in the neck with a skate in a fatal accident Saturday night. As both an NHL player and the founder of Warroad, Oshie quickly jumped to the forefront this week to encourage others to add cut-resistant equipment to their gear.
Breaking: TJ Oshie is wearing our TILO Neck & Wrist base layer in tonight’s game https://t.co/AdkOo46n08
— Warroad Hockey Co. (@WarroadHockeyCo) November 2, 2023
“I just wish these things never had to be made, and injuries like this would never happen, because it’s so sad,” Oshie told The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus Sunday. “It hits me pretty hard, just thinking about my kids. I could take one to the neck tonight. And for them to not have a father — it’s just so sad and it makes me think twice about protecting myself and my neck out there. Whether it looks cool or not.”
Several RMNB readers snapped photos of Oshie’s new gear before the game.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin briefly wore a neck guard Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers but later removed it mid-game.
“I kind of tried it out. Too bad that I tried it for the first time during the game, and so it didn’t last that long.” Dahlin said. “I want to use and I want someone to develop a nice, breathable neck guard. I think in the future, it’s gonna be a must.”
Teammate Tom Wilson also wore Warroad’s neck protection when he sported the cut-resistant base layer at the Capitals’ morning skate on Thursday. He told reporters that increased discussions about neck protection, combined with Oshie’s encouragement, encouraged him to test it out.
“I think obviously people have been talking a lot about it,” he explained. “Unfortunately it’s one of those things where it’s an unfortunate circumstance that you have the opportunity to learn from.”
Though he was impressed with the new equipment, Wilson suggested he might want more time to acclimate before using it in a game.
“I honestly didn’t really notice it at all,” he said. So we’ll see. I’m not sure if I’ll wear it tonight yet. I’ve got to get used to it a little bit. A little warmer than normal shirts. But I think it’s no big deal if it’s going to protect you.”
Oshie and Wilson are far from the only players trying neck protection this week. Warroad’s protective base layers sold out in a matter of days following Johnson’s accident, prompting the company to create a waitlist for future restocks. The WHL announced they would soon require players to wear neck guards (which were already mandated in the OHL and QMJHL), while Penguins coach Mike Sullivan announced that the organizations’ minor league teams would do the same.
Wayne Gretzky threw his weight behind the cause on TNT’s intermission panel Wednesday, encouraging young players to continue wearing protective equipment even after they have the option to stop.
“All these kids grow up, especially in Canada, wearing the neck guards,” he said. “Why take it off? Keep the neck guards on. And I’m sure the players’ association and the commissioner’s office, they’re going to grandfather this in and eventually we’re going to see kids coming into the league wearing neck guards to protect themselves.”
“Why take it off? Leave the neck guards on”
The NHL on TNT panel reflects on the death of Adam Johnson and discusses whether NHL players should wear neck guards as an additional safety measure. pic.twitter.com/9a7KRknZWC
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 1, 2023
The NHL cannot require players to wear neck protection without the consent of the NHLPA, though the players’ union suggested that it could be open to a change.
“We’re going to explore everything,” NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said Wednesday, per the Associated Press. “We have to continue to have conversations on this as we move forward here. It’s a change for the players, but it’s also about protecting them, so I think we will have those conversations as we move forward here.”
Even without a mandate, other NHL players could soon follow in Oshie’s footsteps, with some sporting neck guards while practicing this week. Four Winnipeg Jets players donned neck guards while skating on Wednesday, while several members of the Penguins — including former Capital Lars Eller — did so on Thursday.
🫶 https://t.co/gpYsUmXkvO pic.twitter.com/SLx2qTo2i1
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) November 1, 2023
Eller told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Andrew Destin that he grew accustomed to wearing neck protection before coming to North America.
“It wasn’t until I came over to North America that no one was wearing them and they weren’t really given out,” he said. “So it just became normal not to wear one because no one wore them.”
A couple of Penguins players are wearing neck guards during today’s practice in Cranberry, including Lars Eller (pictured) and Erik Karlsson. pic.twitter.com/XUgozVSrT9
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) November 2, 2023
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery, a former enforcer during his playing days, was glad to see the trend of increasing support for protective gear.
“I think it’s good that they’re looking at ways to not only incorporate it but try to make it mandatory in some instances,” he said Thursday. “It gets a little bit tricky at the NHL level, because of the players union and giving them a choice in the matter. But I think when horrific things like this happen, to look into it, how can we be safer?”
Carbery told reporters later in that same press conference that Oshie and Wilson would switch off as alternate captains during Nicklas Backstrom’s leave of absence. In just his first game since the announcement, Oshie is already living up to his new letter.
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
