5 unfortunate on-ice hockey accidents that could've been avoided with protective gear

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Aug 23, 2024 21:32 GMT

Hockey is a tough sport. Unfortunately, accidents are a part of the game. While the NHL has tried its best to reduce on-ice hockey accidents, some incidents were significant and caused serious injury. Due to their nature, these on-ice incidents led to the league mandating the use of specific types of equipment.

Let’s take a look at five such hockey accidents which could have been avoided with the use of protective gear.

5 unfortunate on-ice hockey accidents that could've been avoided with protective gear

#5: Ace Bailey

Irvine Bailey, known as “Ace,” played for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1926 to 1933. He was known as a fast, talented player and helped Toronto win multiple Stanley Cups.

However, Bailey’s career came to an end after getting hit by the Boston Bruins’ Eddie Shore. Bailey hit his head hard on the ice, fracturing his skull. This hockey accident was the worst of its kind at the time. Despite the career-ending injury, the NHL didn't mandate helmets until 1979.

#4: Bryan Berard

Berard, another Toronto Maple Leafs player, suffered a devastating injury when a high stick caught him in the eye during a game in March 2000.

Berard lost nearly all vision in one eye, but returned to the NHL, playing for a few more seasons despite limited vision. The incident prompted the NHL to institute mandatory visors in 2013. The mandate was part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and the NHLPA that was ratified 2013.

#3: Richard Zednik

In 2008, Richard Zednik of the Florida Panthers suffered a gruesome neck laceration during a regular season game. The unfortunate hockey accident occurred when a teammate’s skate blade caught Zednik in the neck, slicing his carotid artery.

The incident with Zednik regained notoriety following the tragic events involving former NHL player Adam Johnson. In 2023, Johnson suffered a neck laceration during a game in the United Kingdom and bled to death, prompting all junior leagues to mandate neck guards.

The NHL is yet to mandate neckguards, though some players have begun using them.

#2: Erik Karlsson

Erik Karlsson, defenseman for the Ottawa Senators, suffered a terrible injury during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013. Following a check along the boards, an opponent’s skate blade sliced Karlsson’s Achilles heel.

The accident raised concern about the gaps between skates and other lower body equipment. However, no extensive review has been conducted to determine if skates need to be modified in order to prevent a future incident such as this one.

#1: Clint Malarchuk

One of the most notorious on-ice hockey accidents occurred in 1989 when Buffalo Sabres’ goaltender Clint Malarchuk was caught in the neck by a falling opponent’s skate blade. The incident left Malarchuk holding his neck, and immediate medical assistance saved his life.

Malarchuk would return to the ice several months later wearing a dangling plastic piece covering his neck. While not mandatory, several goaltenders began using similar neck guards. In the years following the incident, goalie masks have been modified to cover vulnerable areas in goalies’ necks.