At Play it Again Sports in Duluth, there are a few different kinds of neck protection you can buy for your hockey player.

And all high school players will need to wear it during competition, starting next season. That rule came down from the National Federal of State High School Associations.

This stems from the tragic death of Hibbing graduate and former UMD Bulldog Adam Johnson. He took a skate to the neck in a game in England last fall.

USA Hockey had already mandated the neck protection for players under 18 effective August 1st.

This weekend there is a golf scramble in Johnson’s honor, at the Mesaba Country Club in Hibbing.

Steve Holappa will be playing in it. He’s a coach for Duluth East, and is the general manager at Play it Again.

“I’d say it was about 50/50 last year, about kids wearing them. I think it’s a smart play, to help keep yourself safe from a freak accident,” he shared.

Longtime youth hockey coach Pete Hyduke, who’s also the mayor of Hibbing, also weighed in. “If you look at the history of hockey, from mouth guards to helmets and masks, neck protection just makes sense. I think we have the technology now where it’s light weight and protective.”

For more information: https://www.nfhs.org/articles/neck-laceration-protectors-mandated-in-high-school-ice-hockey/