Neck Laceration Protector Mandate On 30th October 2023, England Ice Hockey along with Ice Hockey UK (IHUK) and Scottish Ice Hockey (SIH), released a statement recognising the need for short, medium and long term action in response to the tragic death of Adam Johnson. Further to this statement, England Ice Hockey can confirm the short term action of the mandating of neck laceration protectors (neck guards) which comes into effect from 1st January 2024 as instructed below. Ref: IIHF Rule 9.12 Neck Laceration Protectors In October 2023 Ice Hockey UK (IHUK), England Ice Hockey (EIH) and Scottish Ice Hockey (SIH) issued updated safety information on the wearing of neck laceration protectors (commonly referred to as neck guards) by all players. Unless engaged in activities already covered by IIHF regulations, this confirms that IIHF Rule 9.12 on Neck Laceration Protectors will be enforced in the UK from 1st January 2024. In brief, the instruction outlines that:
• neck guards must be worn by all players for all on-ice activities. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes on ice training as well as games/tournaments;
• players should regard a neck guard as a normal item of protective equipment when on the ice (playing or training);
• as with any other protective equipment, neck guards must be worn without alterations and as directed by the manufacturers’ specification.
• It is strongly recommended that coaches wear a neck laceration protector whilst on the ice. Neck guards must meet the safety standard ISO 10256-5:2017 and/or BNQ 9415-970/2008. Equipment must conform to safety standards and be used only to protect skaters, not to enhance or improve playing ability or to cause injury to an opponent. Parental, guardian or any written consent requesting dispensation for a player not to wear a neck guard will not be accepted in any form of ice hockey in the UK. This mandate applies to all players and coaches in all forms of ice hockey within the United Kingdom, with the exception of Recreational Hockey where an extension to the mandated wearing of neck guards has been agreed due to supply issues (the strong recommendation remains in place at this level only). The mandate will apply for Recreational Hockey on the 1st April 2024, subject to the supply situation, however it will remain under review and we reserve the right to bring the mandate into force sooner. These instructions apply during any on-ice activity. Any individual taking responsibility for players should take all reasonable steps to ensure that this requirement is followed at all times. IHUK, EIH and SIH asks that the mandate is communicated to all players and parents / guardians (where U18), and reiterates that players are not allowed to take part in any on-ice activity without wearing appropriate neck laceration protection. With the assistance of clubs and leagues, the wearing of neck guards by players is now standard practice in ice hockey throughout the UK.

%document% IN THE MATTER OF ADAM ROBERT JOHNSON (DECEASED)

RESPONSE TO THE SENIOR CORONER’S REGULATION 28 REPORT OF 3 NOVEMBER 20231

1. This Response is filed on behalf of the Elite Ice Hockey League (“EIHL”).

2. The Senior Coroner South Yorkshire (West) (“the Senior Coroner”) commenced an investigation into the death of Adam Robert Johnson on 1 November 2023.

3. On 3 November 2023 the Senior Coroner issued a Report to Prevent Future Deaths under Regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013 and under paragraph 7, schedule 5 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

4. The EIHL is a Properly Interested Person for the purposes of the investigation and inquest.

5. The EIHL is to respond to the Senior Coroner’s Regulation 28 report by 29 December
2023.

6. The EIHL is a commercial organisation which manages the highest level of professional ice hockey in the UK. There are presently 10 teams in the EIHL, including the Nottingham Panthers and the Sheffield Steelers.

7. The National Governing Body for the sport of ice hockey in the UK is Ice Hockey UK (“IHUK”). The International Ice Hockey Federation (“IIHF”) is the worldwide governing body.

8. Adam Robert Johnson was a professional ice hockey player. On 28 October 2023 he was playing for the Nottingham Panthers in a game against the Sheffield Steelers at the Utilita

1 Served on the EIHL on 14 November 2023

Arena, Sheffield. During the game, Mr Johnson sustained an incised wound to the neck caused by impact with the skate of another player. He died as a result of his injuries.

9. The Senior Coroner identified a risk that future deaths will occur. The Matters of Concern are as follows:

“The International Ice Hockey Federation (“IIHF”) recommends that neck guards or protectors are worn, but there is no requirement for ice hockey players over the age of 18 to wear equipment designed to protect the neck.

“In due course the inquest will consider whether the use of a neck guard or protector could have prevented Mr Johnson’s death. At this stage in my investigation however, I am sufficiently concerned that deaths may occur in the future if neck guards or protectors are not worn”.

10. The IIHF Rulebook for 2023/24 says this:

“Rule 9.5 – Protective Equipment:

Equipment must conform to safety standards and be used only to protect Players, not to enhance or improve playing ability or to cause injury to an opponent. All players are strongly recommended to wear equipment made of cut resistance material for their safety. For all players in the senior competition category it is strongly recommended to wear a neck laceration protector in a proper way and that is not modified or damaged.

“Rule 9.12 – Neck Laceration Protector2

All players are recommended to properly wear a neck laceration protection. This protective device is recommended to cover as large of an area as possible on the player.

2 Different, more prescriptive rules provide for U18s etc. For the purposes of this Response, only the rule for adult games is set out.

11. EIHL follows the IIHF Rulebook for the purposes of games played under its auspices.

12. Since the inquest was opened, matters have moved on. On 4 December 2023, the IIHF issued the following statement:

“The IIHF Council, on recommendation from its Medical Committee, has decided to mandate the use of a neck laceration protector, specifically designed for this purpose, at all levels of IIHF competitions. The neck laceration protectors are now mandatory for the senior categories in addition to the U20 and U18 categories, for which neck laceration protectors had already been enforced as per IIHF Official Rule Book. “The exact date this mandate will go into effect for the senior categories will be determined by the supply situation. The IIHF remains in close contact with its suppliers to ensure they are able to respond to the current high demand. “Until the rule officially goes into effect, the IIHF continues to strongly recommend that neck laceration protectors are worn by all players performing in an IIHF competition”.

13. Following the IIHF statement, the EIHL issued the following:

“The Elite Ice Hockey League remains committed to player safety as our top priority, and we continue to work with players, officials, clubs, and relevant authorities to enhance this.”

“Since the tragic loss of Adam, we have continued to follow the International Ice Hockey Federation Council guidance and strongly recommended the use of neck laceration protectors. In light of the Federation’s decision to mandate the use of neck laceration

protectors for its competitions, the Elite Ice Hockey League will consider how best to implement this mandate and provide further updates to players, officials and Clubs as soon as possible and importantly when supply issues have been determined.”

14. It being noted that nearly all players in the EIHL have used neck protection since 28 October 2023, it has now been resolved as follows:

(i) The use of neckguards is to be mandated for all players in the EIHL from 1 January 2024 in training, pre-game and in game;

(ii) A temporary rule change has been put in place to sanction non-compliance pending the provision of the full rule change from the IIHF.

15. Accordingly:

(i) Action has been taken to protect the necks of ice hockey players in the EIHL;

(ii) The timetable for action is set out above.

16. The issue of whether the use of neck guards or protectors would have prevented Mr Johnson’s death will be the subject of evidence at the inquest.

Dated this 22nd day of December 2023

Served by Horwich Farrelly Solicitors

Dear Mrs Rawden, Re: Adam Robert Johnson (Deceased) We have now had an opportunity to review the Prevention of Future Deaths Report issued by the Senior Coroner on 03 November 2023. We can confirm that the International Ice Hockey Federation (“IIHF”) is the worldwide governing body for Ice Hockey, under whose jurisdiction Ice Hockey UK (“IHUK”) falls. IHUK in turn operates as the national governing body for the sport within the UK. The IIHF, on recommendation from its Medical Committee, has now decided to mandate the use of a neck laceration protector (or “neck guard”), specifically designed for this purpose, at all levels of IIHF competitions -

whose rule jurisdiction only covers the GB National teams, mandated neck guards for Senior Men and Women with immediate effect on 30 October 2023 - https://www.icehockeyuk.co.uk/player-health- safety-wellbeing-review-and-action-plan. This was in addition to the existing mandate for the U16, U18 and U20 categories, as official IIHF categories the latter two were already covered as per IIHF Official Rule Book. IHUK does not have jurisdiction to implement changes within the Elite Ice Hockey League (“EIHL”) rules which Adam Johnson was playing within at the time of the incident, nor the English Ice Hockey Association (“EIHA”, now known as England Ice Hockey or “EIH”), both parties named as Properly Informed Persons on the Regulation 28: Report to Prevent Future Deaths. The EIHL and EIH will be able to separately advise as to how they intend to address the decision taken by IIHF.

Dear Mrs Rawden, Re: Adam Robert Johnson (deceased) Thank you for your letters with reference to Adam Robert Johnson, and for sharing the information available to you at that time. We are happy to assist you at this time with the following information, as requested. Regulations around neck laceration protection The relative rarity of this type of injury means that there is relatively little research on the topic. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) maintain records of injuries at all their Championship events; their registry records one neck laceration (of minor severity) in the 7,000 games for which records are held; this equates to an estimated risk to an individual player of one injury (of any severity) for every 300,000 games they play. The IIHF rulebook for 2023-24, which applies to all parts of the sport in the UK, contains the following references to neck protection: “Rule 9.5 – Protective Equipment: Equipment must conform to safety standards and be used only to protect Players, not to enhance or improve playing ability or to cause injury to an opponent. All players are strongly recommended to wear equipment made of cut resistance material for their safety. For all players in the senior competition category it is strongly recommended to wear a neck laceration protector in a proper way and that is not modified or damaged. “Rule 9.12 – Neck Laceration Protector All players are recommended to properly wear a neck laceration protection. This protective device is recommended to cover as large of an area as possible on the player. “A Goalkeeper may attach a throat protector to the chin of their facemask. It must be made of a material that will not cause injury. Players who play in senior categories but are of the age as “Under 20” and “Under 18” categories must wear the appropriate protective equipment of these U20 and U18 categories in accordance with the specific rules.” Rules 202.5 and 202.6 require all players in the U20 and U18 age categories respectively “to wear, in a proper way, a neck laceration protection. It is recommended that this protective device covers as much of the players body as possible.”. Rule 102.6 extends this requirement to the Women’s U18 category. England Ice Hockey Limited Ice Sheffield, Coleridge Road, Sheffield, England S9 5DA Company No: 3730185 Registered in England & Wales 1

On 4 December 2023, the IIHF released a statement mandating neck laceration protection at all levels of IIHF competition, acknowledging the exact date for the imposition of the mandate would be under review given the high demand and supply issues of the neck laceration protector. (https://www.iihf.com/en/news/56022/iihf_mandates_neck_laceration_protection_at_all_le). Neck laceration protection The current international standard covering the design and construction of neck laceration protectors (ISO 10256-5:2017) is essentially unchanged since it was first introduced; it is currently under review, with key stakeholders within the global ice hockey community actively engaged in its revision. English Ice Hockey Association response On 30 October 2023, the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA) along with Ice Hockey UK (IHUK) and Scottish Ice Hockey (SIH), released a statement recognising the need for short, medium and long term action in response to Adam Johnson’s death. The statement confirmed that neck laceration protectors would be strongly recommended at all levels with immediate effect and become compulsory from 1 January 2024 at all levels of ice hockey in the UK. The statement can be found here: https://englandicehockey.com/eiha-update-player-safety/ A further update, a copy of which is attached for your convenience, will be published on 30 December 2023 to confirm the mandate, with the exception of Recreational Hockey (the community level of the sport) where the supply of neck laceration protectors has meant that the strong recommendation has been extended until 1 April 2024. EIHA, along with IHUK and SIH, are committed to undertaking a player safety equipment review and procedures for ensuring player safety at all levels of the sport in the UK. Governance structure of Ice Hockey in the UK The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) is the worldwide governing body for the sport, under whose jurisdiction we fall. Ice Hockey UK (IHUK) is the recognised National Governing Body across the UK, with overall responsibility to the IIHF for the conduct of the sport, and with operational responsibility for delivery of the GB National Team programme, representing the sport at international level. There are a number of constituent member organisations who fall under the overall umbrella of IHUK. The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) is a commercial organisation who manage the top-level of professional ice hockey in the UK; this is the league in which Adam was playing at the time of his untimely death. The EIHL hold operational responsibility for the conduct of the sport in their league, within the rules laid down in the IIHF rulebook. The English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA), now known as England Ice Hockey, is responsible for the organisation and delivery of the sport in England and Wales, at all other levels. Scottish Ice Hockey (SIH) undertakes this role for Scotland and Northern Ireland. England Ice Hockey Limited Ice Sheffield, Coleridge Road, Sheffield, England S9 5DA Company No: 3730185 Registered in England & Wales 2

We trust this clarifies the existing situation and organisational responsibilities for the time being and is helpful to you. We remain available to assist you in your investigations in any way.