Brittanie Cecil Changed NHL Safety

The reason netting became mandatory at National Hockey League games is that in 2002, a 13-year-old girl named Brittanie Cecil was struck in the head by a stray puck deflected into the stands. She had been watching a Columbus Blue Jackets game against the Calgary Flames at Nationwide Arena when the puck hit her. Cecil later died from her injuries, making her death the only fan fatality in NHL history. After the tragedy, the NHL required protective netting above the glass behind both goals to reduce the risk of another fatal accident.

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