Neck guard
A neck guard is a piece of protective equipment worn by an ice hockey player around the neck area. The guard is designed to prevent injury to the neck by pucks, hockey sticks, and skate blades.
This piece is critical to goaltenders, who are more likely at risk to be injured in this area. Goalie Clint Malarchuk suffered a severe injury during a game in 1989 when two players collided in front of his goal and one player's skate caught on his neck, slicing open his internal jugular vein. Marlarchuk made a full recovery, but would have almost certainly died were immediate medical attention not available. Ever since then, many NHL goalies have worn neck guards, such as Henrik Lundqvist, Marc-André Fleury, and Semyon Varlamov. However, it isn't required for NHL goalies to wear them.
On February 10, 2008, Florida Panthers forward Richard Zedník was behind the play and skating into the right corner of the Buffalo Sabres' zone, when teammate Olli Jokinen lost his balance after being checked by Clarke MacArthur. Jokinen fell head-first to the ice, his right leg flew up and struck Zedník directly on the side of the neck, hitting Zedník's external carotid artery. Clutching his neck, Zedník raced to the Florida bench, leaving a long trail of blood along the way, and nearly falling into the arms of a team trainer. He fully recovered from the injury.
The neck guard contains fabric that is BNQ-certified. Most neck guards have a moisture system which helps keep the guard cool, ensuring the player's neck won't get too hot while working.