Hockey neck guard sales increase following a deadly slashing incident

Indianapolis, Indiana – Following an event in England that resulted in the death of a former NHL player, hockey players of all ages in the central Indiana region are grabbing neck protection.

According to Kelly Smith, assistant manager of Perani’s Hockey World, it has been difficult for him to maintain inventory.

“We pretty much sold out of all of our shirts and our neck guards,” Smith said. “We had a few left, but they were kind of older ones that we had sitting around, and we actually did eventually sell them.”

Following the tragedy on October 28th that claimed the life of former NHL player Adam Johnson, sales of neck guards increased. Johnson was involved in an English Elite League collision with another player. Johnson was struck in the neck by the skate of that player. Johnson was treated on the ice, but he passed away at a hospital afterwards.

Although highly rare, such an incidence has occurred previously.

“There was a player for the Buffalo Sabres, Clint Malarchuk, he was a goal tender. It was a bang bang play where a player got knocked into him underneath the helmet that goes down under the neck, but it got up enough and it cut him and it cut his jugular, and the trainer just happened to save his life,” said Smith.

The price range for neck guards is $15–$75. An undergarment that can be worn underneath the jersey is made from the guard.

Perani’s, which is situated on the outskirts of Indianapolis to the north, caters to the expanding hockey population in Hamilton County, which includes high school teams and recreational leagues.

Smith believes that neck guards will eventually have to be worn at all times.

“The way the hockey community is when an incident like this happens, they look at things and they take the time to fix those issues,” said Smith.

Concerning Johnson’s passing, British police have charged a man with involuntary manslaughter; the culprit has not yet been named.