‘I don’t think many guys love it’: Auston Matthews weighs in on a new Olympic rule

According to Olympic rules, a neck guard is mandatory and for some players including Auston Matthews -- they aren't the biggest fan of the decision.

Keeping players safe on the ice has become a priority in today's modern game, and for hockey players they've come a long way from basic protection to the latest in advanced technology that helps keep them fit, and also safe from any potential scary incidents.

While the NHL doesn't impose a mandatory neck guard, you do see a lot more players nowadays sporting more protection, and with the introduction of Warroad -- which is essentially chain mail armor (created with help by former NHLer TJ Oshie) it's become clearer than ever that safety comes first.

Auston Matthews not a fan of neck guard, but isn't complaining too much

But for Olympians, they really don't have a say in the matter as all IIHF games sanctioned under that body needs to have mandatory neck protection. This is due to the tragic death of Adam Johnson in 2023 during a game in Britain which stunned the hockey world.

While protection is clearly a top priority, for some players, it's not the most comfortable change.

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.

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:

I mean, I don’t think many guys love it. But I think once you kinda get out there, you don’t notice it much.

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Matthews' teammate on the Maple Leafs, Matthew Knies, has already decided to sport the Warroad gear and has explicitly stated that he prefers to be safer and make sure there are as minimal risks as possible.

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.

For a guy who has dealt with some injury scares before, it's much better to be safe than sorry.

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