The IIHF has confirmed that neck guards will be mandatory for hockey players at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, according to a report from The Athletic on Wednesday.
It was initially announced by the IIHF in 2023 that neck guards would be mandatory at all levels of hockey, but it had yet to confirm when the rule would come into effect.
In the NHL, neck guards will be required as of next season because of a new rule in the league's collective bargaining agreement. But players who have participated in a single NHL game before the 2026-27 season will be grandfathered in and are exempt from the mandate.
Word of the IIHF announcement comes two years after the death of Adam Johnson, whose neck was cut after an on-ice collision during an Elite Ice Hockey League game in England.
