Winnipeg Jets superstar forward Mark Scheifele fortunately avoided what could have been a horrifying injury in Wednesday night’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Scheifele was defending against Blackhawks rookie phenom Connor Bedard, who attempted to skate around the veteran center. Scheifele reached around and tripped Bedard, whose skate nearly cut him in the neck:
Thankfully, the skate missed Scheifele’s neck, and the veteran standout avoided a potentially serious injury. The Jets went on to fall 2-1, with Bedard himself scoring the overtime winner to secure the victory.
29-year-old American hockey player Adam Johnson (he previously played for the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins) died in a tragic on-ice accident on Oct. 28 during an Elite Ice Hockey League game in Sheffield, United Kingdom, when an opponent’s skate cut his throat.
Johnson was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. After his death, the English Ice Hockey Association and every major junior league in the Canadian Hockey League made neck guards mandatory.
There have been many calls for the NHL to follow suit and make neck guards mandatory as well, but that hasn’t transpired.
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Scheifele is off to another strong start for Winnipeg, racking up 12 goals and 36 points through his first 33 games. The Jets (20-9-4) are one point behind the Colorado Avalanche for tops in the Central Division with two games in hand.
