NHL may engage NHLPA in discussions over equipment changes following Evander Kane wrist laceration

During a meeting between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Edmonton Oilers on November 8th, Kane was clipped by the skate of Lightning forward Pat Maroon, which caused a deep gash on his wrist and leaving him in need of urgent medical attention.

Now, as Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports, the NHL is contemplating engaging in discussions with the NHLPA on whether or not to mandate cut-resistant equipment to help prevent these types of injuries from occurring in the future. It's not as though these types of lacerations are a common occurrence, but lacerations do happen and, in Kane's case, he required emergency surgery to repair the damage.

A similar scenario occurred a couple of seasons ago involving former Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev, after he was clipped on an exposed portion of his wrist by an errant skate blade during a game against the New Jersey Devils, leaving him sidelined for several months and, like Kane, needing emergency surgery.

At the end of the day, it's up to the NHL and NHLPA to establish mandates that protect the players. I'm sure that some players will be opposed to wearing additional equipment, much like they were back when visors were mandated. However, if cut-resistant sleeves and socks can help limit the number of these freak accidents and keep players safer, I'm sure it will be discussed at length.