Hockey neck guard bill turns to wider look at sport safety

Benjamin Edward “Teddy” Balkind, 16, died after his neck was cut by a skate during a Jan. 6 hockey game. The head of Balkind’s school said in a recent letter that the injury occurred while the student was skating upright and “through no fault of anyone’s, or any lack of control.”

Legislation calling for mandatory neck guards has received a mixed response. The Connecticut Association of Independent Schools supports the bill. Rick Branson, executive director of the organization, said in a written testimony submitted to the children’s committee that many of the 89 CAIS schools and their athletic associations are now recommending or requiring neck guards.

“We recognize that schools cannot eliminate all risk to students and student athletes, but this legislation is an appropriate action for student safety,” he wrote.

However, the bill is opposed by the Sports Medicine Committee of the Connecticut State Medical Society, which says there isn’t sufficient medical evidence to support the proposal. In written testimony, the committee noted how USA Hockey, the governing body of organized hockey in the U.S., recommends but does not mandate neck guards. Also, the committee said research shows the majority of hockey-related neck lacerations are superficial, and available neck protectors don’t eliminate the risk of laceration from a skate blade.