David Pastrnak is in the middle of a Winter Olympics dust-up, and it’s not about a goal, it’s about a neck guard, Team Czech, and what “mandatory” really looks like.

The rule is simple on paper, cut-resistant neck protection is required for everyone at Milano Cortina 2026.

For NHL stars, that’s a real adjustment, because most of them have not worn one in years. Pastrnak showed up in practice and interviews with a neck guard that instantly set people off.

From a distance, it reads less like protection and more like a thin band sitting high on his collar. That’s where the controversy lives, because the Olympics are supposed to be the showcase where kids copy what they see.

Pastrnak is also not some fringe name you can ignore, he is one of Czechia’s headline forwards and a Bruins face for a decade.

He’s sitting on 22-49-71 this season, and every opponent builds a game plan around No. 88.

The tricky part is comfort, because neck guards can feel hot, stiff, and annoying when you’re sprinting shift after shift. So players start hunting for the lightest option that still passes inspection.

David Pastrnak facing controversy over neck guard

Taking a look at Pastrnak's neck guard, it doesn't seem like he is getting much protection, and that's what is causing some controversy.

It appears he is going for comfort rather than protection.

So far, Czech hasn't had the greatest start to the Olympics, and one big reason is being down Pavel Zacha.

They lost their first game to a stacked Team Canada, 5-0, and are currently up 6-3 on France after things looked ugly in the second period.

Czech found themselves trailing France 3-2 after France scored three quick goals in just over 4 minutes.