After Adam Johnson's death shocked the world one week ago, the ripple effects have continued to permeate the hockey world. Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin wore a neck guard for one period of play Wednesday night against the Flyers, joining a handful of NHL and AHL players who were seen sporting the safety gear for the first time in their professional careers this week.

"It started off, I mean, just knowing what's going on — a tragedy," Dahlin said. "It's sad what happened, and, you know, I kind of tried it out. Too bad I tried out for the first time during the game so it didn't last that long. But it's for sure, I want to use and I want someone to develop a nice, breathable neck guard. I think in the future, it's going to be a must."

What You Need To Know

  • Adam Johnson, a former Penguins prospect who was playing for the Nottingham Panthers in the EIHL, died on Nov. 28 at age 29 after another player's skate blade caught his neck

  • Last year, Connecticut high school hockey player Teddy Balkind died at 16 after his neck was cut by a skate

  • USA Hockey recommends but does not require players to wear a neck guard

Dahlin took his neck guard off after the first period, saying it was too warm for him to continue playing comfortably. Neck guards are offered as a turtleneck base layer or a separate, unattached collar.

Both USA Hockey and the NCAA do not require neck guards, whereas Hockey Canada does require all "players registered in minor and female hockey" to wear certified throat protection. Two of the five Canadian junior leagues, the OHL and QMJHL, already required the protection to be worn by their players, and both the WHL and KIJHL announced that they would be joining them in requiring neck guards this week.

"We had to," Dahlin said of playing youth hockey in his home country of Sweden. "I mean, in Sweden, the pro leagues have to use them. So for me, it wasn't a big deal growing up. And then I got here and then I somehow just stopped using them. But I think it's an important equipment to use because the bad things can happen."

Sabres goaltender Devon Levi could have stopped wearing his neck guard while playing for Northeastern University, but opted not to step away from the safety measure.

"I never really felt like it got in the way of my game, you know? I'm used to it. I mean, I've been wearing it since, like, I can't even remember — since I was a little kid. So it just feels natural to wear one," Levi said to Spectrum News 1 after practice on Thursday. "I never took it off. So I think having not taken off, just like having it all the time there, it's just normal. It also makes me feel a little bit more protected so I'm just a little bit looser out there, just not really scared."

As Levi's game evolved, he did choose to take off the hard plastic throat shield attached to his mask, while continuing to wear a turtleneck underneath his uniform.

"The dangler, though, I took off because I feel like that got in the way a little bit of my head," Levi said. "I just like being able to get like full rotation. But other than that, like the neck guard doesn't get in the way."

As he backed up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on Wednesday night, Levi noticed his star defenseman try to find comfort with the neck guard for the first time in years.

"It was funny on the bench," Levi said. "He's like, 'I feel like I can't do it,' but, you know, I think it's just something that like, if you want to do it, it's something that I think you get used to easily. But I know a lot of guys have a hard time, just like, adding an extra piece of gear to your equipment. It doesn't feel natural. So there's two conversations."