After Adam Johnson’s death, will ‘stubborn’ NHL players embrace neck-protective gear?

T.J. Oshie read about a little child who was injured in the neck during a youth hockey game by a skate blade a little over a year ago. Oshie reached for his phone almost immediately and dialed his partners at Warroad, the hockey clothing company he co-founded six years prior. What began as a means of producing non-itchy, irritating undershirts evolved into a safety-conscious enterprise that contributed to the creation of novel, cut-resistant textiles that shielded athletes’ wrists and Achilles tendon.

Oshie now advocated for turtlenecks to shield a hockey player’s neck and internal carotid artery, which are the most vulnerable parts of their bodies. As promised, Warroad designed a stylish turtleneck with a “tilo” style that incorporates fabric-bound cut-resistant sections.
It was successful.
Oshie continued to not wear them.
He doesn’t think any NHL players wear anything like that, in reality. None of the large, cumbersome neck protectors required for the Quebec Major Junior

Gamers have motivations. According to Oshie, the NHL rinks are “hotter” than ever, with players perspiring through multiple undershirts throughout a game. It is not desirable to wear a turtleneck in such a steamy setting. Superstitious players use the same kind of skates they’ve used since they were little, the same tape job and knob style they’ve always used, and the same shoulder pads they wore in junior hockey. Additionally, neck protectors and turtlenecks aren’t fashionable. Hell, only Tomas Plekanec and Wayne Gretzky were ever able to pull off the look.

“Wearing neck guards is not a stylish look,” Oshie remarked. “It’s just not something that looks great or is sleek for whatever reason.”