‘An unfathomable tragedy’

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This article was published 30/10/2023 (707 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Scott Arniel has witnessed a hockey player nearly bleed out on the ice, having been teammates with Buffalo Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk when his jugular vein was sliced by a skate blade in 1989.

“One of the scariest things I’ve ever seen,” the associate coach of the Winnipeg Jets recalled Monday of the incident, which Malarchuk ultimately survived thanks to prompt medical intervention and good fortune.

Now, in the wake of Adam Johnson’s tragic on-ice death this past Saturday in England, Arniel believes a safety review is coming from the NHL and professional leagues around the world in which neck protection is not currently mandatory.

“Where it goes next… I know it’s already a rule in minor hockey, in junior hockey. We’ll see. The league is probably going to look into this and make a decision,” said Arniel.

Johnson, 29, was a Minnesota native playing for the Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Ice Hockey League in England. He was carrying the puck into the offensive zone when Matt Petgrave, a Toronto-born member of the Sheffield Steelers, caught him up high with his skate during an attempted check.

Johnson, who played in 13 NHL games and 257 AHL games before heading overseas, died in hospital.

“It just floors you. Really just kind of an unfathomable tragedy,” Jets alternate captain Josh Morrissey said Monday. “When a tragedy like this occurs, I think the leagues and players will re-evaluate and think about that extra level of protection, for sure.”

The EIHA announced Monday that neck guards will be mandatory for all players effective Dec. 31. Lack of supply is the only reason it’s not being implemented immediately.

Closer to home, several American Hockey League players were sporting a neck guard in weekend games, while Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert said his club is putting in an order for neck guards and undershirts that have a neck guard combination.

“When Evander Kane got his wrist cut (last year with the Edmonton Oilers), we re-evaluated more wrist protection and stuff like that. I’m sure there’s going to be talks about it and it will come down to kind of more individual decision on what to do.”– Jets alternate captain Mark Scheifele

“When Evander Kane got his wrist cut (last year with the Edmonton Oilers), we re-evaluated more wrist protection and stuff like that,” said Jets alternate captain Mark Scheifele. Indeed, Kevlar sleeves have become a popular option for players.

“I’m sure there’s going to be talks about it and it will come down to kind of more individual decision on what to do and I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of talks coming up here.”

Scheifele, who was required to wear one during his days with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League but dropped it once he got to the NHL, admits there might be some individual opposition, at least at first, if neck guards were mandatory.

“It’s kind of restrictive, it’s a little annoying but I think it’s an individual preference,” he said.

“There’s going to be a lot of conversation over the coming days about how to evaluate that and then figure that out. I’m not an engineer or an equipment guy but I’m sure there’s going to be lots of talks with the league and with equipment managers and a lot of different clothing companies. We’ll just kind of take it day-by-day with that.”

It’s important to remember there was a time helmets weren’t required, but that changed as the game evolved. Same with visors, which are now mandatory in the NHL.

Hayley Wickenheiser, a four-time Olympic women’s hockey gold medallist who finished medical school after her playing career and currently is an assistant general manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs, wrote on social media Monday it’s time for “mandatory neck protection at every level in hockey.”

She said neck guards may not pass the “cool factor” for pros but “the risk is too great not to.”

“We all play the game of hockey because we love it. When something like that happens, it’s bigger than anything else. It’s a tragedy to have lost him at such a young age, playing the game he loved.”– Jets alternate captain Josh Morrissey

Johnson’s death hits home for several current Jets. Neal Pionk, Alex Iafallo and Dominic Toninato all played with him at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Gabriel Vilardi and Rasmus Kupari were teammates with him on the Ontario Reign of the AHL.

“It was a tough plane ride home from Montreal. We found out the news just after the game,” Arniel said of Saturday night, when the Jets lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Canadiens a few hours after the incident.

“Obviously fresh in their minds and we want them to know we’re here for support, their teammates are here for support. We’ve got a medical staff that’s been around to make sure these guys are doing OK. Just need to take it day to day and move forward. Obviously, it’s a tragedy and something you hate to see in the game.”

There’s another Winnipeg connection to the incident as well. Winnipegger Rick Strachan is in his 12th season as an assistant coach with Nottingham. The former University of Manitoba Bisons defenceman had a long and successful playing career in England before retiring in 2004 and going behind the bench.

“We all play the game of hockey because we love it. When something like that happens, it’s bigger than anything else,” said Morrissey.

“It’s a tragedy to have lost him at such a young age, playing the game he loved. It’s awful. We’ve got a lot of guys here that knew him pretty well. My heart just goes out for those guys. It’s just awful. That’s really all I can say. It’s just a terrible situation.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg