Local sports stores have hockey neck guards in stock, but might not for long

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WLNE) — The hockey world is still reeling from the sudden death of former NHL player Adam Johnson on Saturday in a freak incident in an English league game.

Leagues of all ages are now looking at whether to make neck guards a requirement.

Local stores sell the neck guard in two forms: attached to a full shirt and as its own individual piece.

They don’t cost much, but if you’re looking for one right now, they’re hard to find.

“We’ve been getting a lot of calls for the neck guards,” Second Time Around Sports Owner Joseph Mastrati said.

“They’ve been selling well. I mean, this happens when something happens like that, we get an influx of calls daily. They’ve been selling out on our website, and we’re lucky we do have stock right now. But in a week or so, you never know,” he said.

The rise in demand comes after a freak incident in a European hockey league that took the life of former NHL player Adam Johnson, when an airborne opponent’s skate cut Johnson’s neck.

Neck guards are already mandatory in Canada, and some European leagues say they’ll be mandating them starting next year.

But right now, they’re not required in the US.

“I think as college coaches we’re all making them available to our players,” Providence College Hockey coach Nate Leaman said. “I think that’s the best we can do right now, is to try and get them or make them available for your players if they do choose to wear them. And I kind of think that’s the right approach right now.”

Leaman says one of his players has decided to wear a neck guard.

“The older players really don’t want to use them, unfortunately,” Mastrati said. “For the younger players, USA hockey recommends it, but they don’t make it mandatory, which might happen soon.”

Mastrati said his store sells the guards year-round and usually needs to order them in advance.

As far as ordering more, he says it could be more than a month before he can get any.

“We have doctors and trainers at our games thank goodness, at youth hockey you don’t have doctors and trainers at games,” Leaman said.

And as for if it will become mandatory in the U.S.?

“If they make it mandatory, I understand that 100 percent and would be for it,” he said.