NHL legend makes his feelings clear on if neck guards should be mandatory after death of Adam Johnson

The suggestion that neck guards should be compulsory in ice hockey has been a hot topic following the tragic passing of Adam Johnson, with an NHL legend sharing his thoughts on the proposed idea.

Nottingham Panthers player Johnson sadly passed away, aged 29, following a fatal injury on the ice.

His throat was slashed in a collision during a fixture in England at the end of October.

The Elite Ice Hockey League, the highest level of ice hockey in the UK, released a statement in wake of Johnson's death as they said neck guards are 'strongly recommended' but are not mandatory.

Petr Cech's ice hockey team have since made neck guards mandatory for all players and coaches.

Monster Energy ambassador Brian Mullen, who played for the New York Rangers during his storied career, believes the decision to wear a neck guard is down to the individual themselves and revealed if he'd wear the equipment if he was still playing. Check it out below:

On Johnson's death and how it's been perceived in the NHL world, he told SPORTbible: "I was in shock. Anytime you hear a hockey player gets injured or knocked out for the season or something worse like Adam... it's a shock to the whole hockey world.

"I think there's been a lot of talk about it between the alumni. I don't know about the current players, but there's been a lot of talk around it and people are just, like I said, in shock it happened.

"And it seems to be happening in all of sports now."

Pressed on whether neck guards should be made mandatory in ice hockey, he said: "I think it should be a personal thing with the players - just like how they introduced helmets and stuff like that.

"If it comes to that, I'm sure the guys would wear them. But I think that's a personal decision just like what stick you use and everything else you wear.

Asked if he would wear a neck guard if he was still playing, the 61-year-old replied: "I think I'd be thinking about it right now."

Should players wear neck guards as an additional safety measure in ice hockey? Let us know what you think.

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Topics: Ice Hockey

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Darren Till. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

@NasJabbar