A hockey mom’s quest to make ‘the best neck guard’ — and get players to wear it

Hockey's

Safety Efforts

In 2024-25, a total of 396,525 youth players were registered with USA Hockey. All of them, effective Aug. 1, 2024, were required to wear neck protection during games and practices following a new USA Hockey rule covering all age classifications except adults.

All players entering the NHL in 2026-27 and beyond must wear neck guards as part of the new collective bargaining agreement between the league and NHLPA. Neck protection was already mandatory for professional players in England, Finland, Germany and Sweden. In Canada, neck guards are required in minor hockey, CHL and women’s hockey.

These rules satisfy Teri Weiss personally and professionally. She is the mother of Boston Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei. Her son’s safety was the reason Weiss founded Skate Armor, a Wisconsin-based company that designs and manufactures neck guards.