Mandatory Neck Protection Comes to PWHL as League Tweaks Rules Before Upcoming Season
The league also will test a penalty-shot overtime option in 12 preseason scrimmages as it seeks greater consistency and fewer stoppages.
- On Thursday, the PWHL mandated cut-resistant neck protection for all players in the upcoming 2026-2027 season, meeting International Safety Equipment Organization and American National Safety Institute standards.
- The league introduced this measure to reduce serious injury risks from skate blades, following neck guard requirements adopted by several organizations after the fatal on-ice accident involving Minnesota native Adam Johsnon in England.
- Rule updates also permit players to bat the puck above shoulder height and cradle it on stick blades; the league clarified legal body checking, allowing players to use body position to separate opponents from the puck.
- The PWHL announced a 42-member officiating team for the new season and will pilot a new overtime rule in several preseason scrimmages, offering the non-offending team a choice between a 4-on-3 power play or a penalty shot.
- Training camps open November 18 with the regular season beginning December 5, reflecting the league's commitment to safety innovation. PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Jayna Hefford said, "Player safety and innovation have been at our forefront.
39 Articles
39 Articles
Perham Focus
PWHL mandating neck protection for all players
The mandate is among several rules added to the rule book for the 2026-27 season
Oskaloosa Herald
PWHL mandates neck guards for all players beginning with its fourth season
The PWHL is mandating neck guards for all players beginning this season. The league announced the rule change on Thursday, a month before its fourth season begins. High-sticking the puck is now allowed without a stoppage in play, and the…
Hockey: The LHPF changes certain rules and imposes the wearing of the neck guard in anticipation of the 2026-2027 Sasion.
PWHL’s New Rules for 2026-27 Include Legal High-Sticks
Go ahead and bat it down. Knock it out of the air. This season, it’s legal. The PWHL announced its rule changes for the 2026-27 season on Thursday, headlined by a radical rewrite of Rule 82: high-sticking the puck is no longer an infraction at all. Where the old rulebook stopped play when a puck […]
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