It has also opened the door for new technology when it comes to on-ice protection from skate blades. BETTER PROTECTIONGianfranco Talarico started the company after watching a youth player get sliced in the thigh by a skate blade, just missing a femoral artery. Talarico has many times since cited research that found lacerations — often to the face, presumably from sticks as well as skates — to be a leading cause of emergency room visits among ice hockey players in the U.S. from 1990-2006. The death of Connecticut high school player Teddy Balkind from a skate cut to the neck in 2022 brought the conversation back to the forefront. The International Ice Hockey Federation announced in December it will mandate neck guards at all levels of tournaments it runs.

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Persons: Adam Fantilli, Fantilli, Michael Stuart, Clint Malarchuk, Richard Zednik, Philadelphia's Claude Giroux, Carlo Colaiacovo, Ron Hextall, that’s, ”, Colaiacovo, Gianfranco Talarico, ” Talarico, “, Teddy Balkind, Johnson, Oshie, Ed Kinnaly, Carter Hogg, Charles Popkin, Andrew Saleh, Popkin, it’s, Bill Shaffer, Luke, Shaffer, Martin, Nick Meldrum, Meldrum Organizations: Columbus Blue Jackets, USA Hockey, Daredevil Hockey, “, ” Hockey Canada, NHL, Pittsburgh, Hockey, Bauer Hockey, American Hockey, San Diego Gulls, Conicity Technologies, Associated Press, Toronto Maple Leafs, Denver University , Michigan State, Penn State, Denver, Ice Hockey Federation Locations: U.S, Connecticut, Washington, balaclava, Pittsburgh, ”