PWHL mandates neck guards

The Professional Women's Hockey League will require all players to wear cut-resistant neck protection for every game and pre-game warm-up beginning this season. The league introduced the requirement through a new regulation designated as Rule 9.10. Executive vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford stated that player safety and innovation have been central to the organization since its start. She noted that the current rule updates reflect those founding objectives.

The mandate follows a shift in safety standards across several amateur and professional hockey organizations. These groups adopted the rule after the death of Adam Johnson. Johnson, a 29-year-old from Hibbing and a graduate of Minnesota Duluth, suffered a fatal neck laceration from an opponent's skate during a professional game in England in October 2023. While the National Hockey League and the National Collegiate Athletic Association have not required the gear for all players, the NHL now mandates it for rookies entering the league this season. Rieger Lorenz, a rookie wing for the Minnesota Wild, is currently the only Wild player required to wear the protection.

The PWHL is beginning its regular season schedule with twelve teams divided into two conferences. The league will play a combined total of 180 regular-season games through April 18. The Minnesota Frost, one of the league's expansion teams, will open its schedule with games on December 5 and December 10. Those matches will take place against San Jose and Las Vegas, respectively.

Alongside the neck protection rule, the league approved other changes to gameplay. Officials will now permit body checking when a player has established and maintained body position to separate their opponent from the puck. The rulebook also allows players to high-stick pucks. The league is testing an overtime protocol during the preseason regardless of whether a team has already won an overtime period earlier in the schedule.

The new overtime rules apply to three-on-three periods. If a minor penalty is assessed, the non-offending team may choose to take a penalty shot instead of a four-on-three power play. Any eligible player in the lineup can take the shot.