More Guards On Stripes, Please

In my many years of playing, coaching, and officiating sports, it's become very apparent to me that the last one - officiating - might be the most important when it comes to having games. After all, officials in hockey do more than just call infractions as they legitimately work to manage the game as best they can, and not having officials generally means the games are meaningless. When's the last time anyone played a meaningful game without officials? The man pictured above, Dan O'Rourke, is an NHL referee, and he did something this weekend that I really hope more referees adopt when it comes to keeping officials on the ice.

According to Scouting the Refs, O'Rourke donned a neck guard on Thursday when the Anaheim Ducks visited the Montreal Canadiens. As far as I can tell, O'Rourke hadn't been injured in any previous games, so this new equipment for him could either be a preventative measure or part of the NHL's testing for protective equipment. Here's a look at O'Rourke wearing the neck guard in game action.

Honestly, I'm surprised more officials haven't opted in wearing more protective equipment with the way guys fly around the around the ice with little awareness for the stripes. I know a lot of officials wear equipment underneath their sweaters and pants for errant pucks that may strike them, but a skate blade is a completely different hazard in terms of the damage it can do.

As far as I can tell, I didn't see any images of O'Rourke wearing a neck guard in the AHL when he was working his way up, so there's no precedent of him wearing it before in other leagues. According to Scouting the Refs, O'Rourke was wearing the neck guard today in the game between the Los Angeles Kings and Boston Bruins, so it seems this may be a longer-term addition to his equipment bag than the "tried it, hated it" approach some players have.

I'm hoping the NHL makes the equipment mandatory for both players and officials when one considers the damage a skate blade can do. Here's Steve Miller doing his job and getting clipped by a skate.
Canadiens forward Charles Hudon hopped over the boards and clipped Miller's hand as he entered the playing surface, slicing him open. The officials quickly blew the play dead to ensure that Miller could get off the ice and receive treatment. Six stitches and some bandages later, Miller was thankfully back on the ice for the third period after a moment that that could have been much worse.

Linesman Steve Barton was doing his job when a dumped-in puck went high and caught him in the neck. The neck guard could have taken some of the impact away that Barton felt on this one.
Barton would leave the game for precautionary reasons, but that one seems a little too close for comfort when talking about neck guards.

There will always be some danger that players and officials will face when they're on the ice and the game is moving at high speeds. There are videos on various sites of officials being hit in the face with skates, pucks, sticks, and being bodychecked at speeds that no one should have to endure, but having a little extra protection in sensitive spots like the wrists, hands, and neck may save a life one day for the guys who are rarely involved in the play.

If Dan O'Rouke is the guinea zebra, let's hope he encourages his officiating colleagues to adopt the same protection so they all remain safe on the ice from a tragedy no one wants to see.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!