With hockey just around the corner, the NHL has officially released the rulebook for the 2026-27 season.
While there weren’t many changes, there was one that will be noticeable right off the bat for fans attending games. Players, both skaters and goaltenders, joining the league will now be required to wear neck protection moving forward.
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Section 3, Rule 9.8 of the 2026-27 NHL rulebook states: “Beginning in the 2026-2027 season, players (including goalkeepers) who have zero games of NHL experience must wear cut resistant protection on the neck area with a minimum cut level protections score of A5, in accordance with the ANSI/ISEA standard.
Neck protection must be used in the manner it was intended. No modifications such as rolling, taping, cutting, etc., will be permitted. Neck protection must be worn in all games including during pre-game warm-up.”
As a result, players like Ivar Stenberg will be required to wear a neck-guard when they take the ice for the San Jose Sharks this coming season. Rather than listing who will be required to wear neck protection, it’ll likely be easier to name who won’t be. There are a number of prospects who will be grandfathered into this rule, as they’ve already made their NHL debut. Of course, any player on the NHL roster last season will also be unaffected.
Exempt Prospects (NHL Games Played)
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Cam Lund (11)
Igor Chernyshov (28)
Ethan Cardwell (13)
Luca Cagnoni (9)
Nolan Allan (43)
Any other prospect, including the likes of Filip Bystedt and Quentin Musty, will be required to wear neck protection when playing at the NHL level moving forward.
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