As the NHL prepares to introduce mandatory neck guards for the 2026–27 season, new data reveals that most fans are in favor of the safety measure.
A sentiment analysis conducted by the data team at Canada Sports Betting analyzed 1,891 comments from the NHL subreddit related to the upcoming rule change. Of those, 40.35% were positive, 23.80% were neutral, and 35.85% were negative — showing overall support among the hockey community.
| Metric | Count | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Negative Comments | 678 | 35.85% |
| Neutral Comments | 450 | 23.80% |
| Positive Comments | 763 | 40.35% |
| All Comments | 1,891 | — |
| Non-Insulting Comments | 1,648 | 87.15% |
| Insulting Comments | 243 | 12.85% |
Many fans expressed strong support for neck protection, with one Reddit user writing:
“The faster these things get mandated, the faster the technology improves to make more efficient, less bulky, and better temperature regulated neck guards.”
Another added:
“One death as a result of a skate blade in the neck is one death too many… Sometimes you need to protect the players from themselves.”
The debate follows years of discussion around player safety in hockey — from the introduction of mandatory helmets in 1979 to stricter concussion protocols in recent seasons. The sentiment analysis suggests fans are increasingly prioritizing protection over tradition as the sport evolves.
Methodology
The data team at Canada Sports Betting performed a sentiment analysis on 1,891 comments from the NHL subreddit discussing the mandatory neck guard rule for the 2026–27 season. Comments were categorized as positive, neutral, or negative, and further analyzed for the presence of insults to assess tone and civility.
You can find the full dataset here.