Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Adam Johnson unfortunately passed away on Saturday night during a hockey game in England. An opponent's skate caught Johnson in the throat after the opponent collided with another player. The game was stopped as medical personnel attended to the 29-year-old. His tragic passing has sparked a number of heartfelt tributes from around the hockey world. And it's also sparked a desperate plea from Pascal Vincent, head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“We're males and we're strong and we have a lot of testosterones and we want to show it to the world. Yeah. Okay. But what's the cost?” Vincent said in a statement shared by Blue Jackets reporter Mark Scheig.

The neck guard conversation

Johnson's death has sparked a conversation about the use of neck guards in the NHL. While cuts to the neck are uncommon, they have happened before. In 1989, Buffalo Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk took a skate to the neck after an opponent crashed the net. In 2009, Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik took his teammate's skate to the neck during a play along the boards.

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“When you see this you're wondering, can we prevent the next one?” Vincent continued, via Scheig. “Is there a way we can prevent that? If it's wearing the neck guard or turtle neck guards, I don't know what it is, but why not? Why not? That's how I see it.”

Currently, there is no mandate in the NHL on wearing neck guards during a game. On Sunday, players for the AHL's Providence Bruins wore neck guards prior to their game against the Springfield Thunderbirds. One has to wonder whether neck guards become mandatory moving forward.

This is an unspeakable tragedy that has certainly rocked the hockey community. May Johnson rest in peace. Hopefully, his friends, family, Nottingham Panthers teammates, and any others affected by this tragedy can heal and find peace.