This is due to the tragic death of Adam Johnson<\/a> in 2023 during a game in Britain which stunned the hockey world.<\/p>\nWhile protection is clearly a top priority, for some players, it’s not the most comfortable change.<\/p>\n
Auston Matthews is a player who is being forced to wear something he isn’t used to, and it certainly brought forth an interesting look on Monday during practice.<\/p>\n
But the Maple Leafs and Team USA captain wasn’t too concerned long-term about them, though admitted that they weren’t necessarily the comfiest thing on the planet:<\/p>\n
I mean, I don\u2019t think many guys love it. But I think once you kinda get out there, you don\u2019t notice it much.<\/p>\n
So while Matthews might not put this on his list of essential equipment once he returns to the Maple Leafs, at least for a couple of weeks he’ll have a bit more protection than he’s used to.<\/p>\n
For a guy who has dealt with some injury scares before, it’s much better to be safe than sorry.<\/p>\n
Previously on Hockey Patrol<\/p>\n
POLL<\/p>\n
28 MINUTES AGO|20 ANSWERS<\/p>\n
\u2018I don\u2019t think many guys love it\u2019: Auston Matthews weighs in on a new Olympic rule<\/p>\n
Do you think neck guards should be mandatory for NHL players?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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![\"Team](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/641069.webp.webp\" "\\"Team")
<\/p>\n