Even with all of the different pieces of protective hockey gear that players wear, like elbow pads, shin guards, ice hockey pants and hockey gloves, there are still a few parts of the body that are left exposed because of the small gaps between each of these larger pieces of equipment. That's where protective hockey accessories come into play – neck guards and slash guards provide some added coverage and protection in vulnerable areas that would otherwise be unguarded.

Neck guards are made with cut and abrasion-resistant material that is fashioned in the shape of a collar which is worn around the player's throat to protect it from nicks, cuts and scratches. Although USA hockey does not require players of an age to wear neck guards, they do strongly recommend that players take advantage of the protection that neck guards offer. Hockey Giant also highly recommends that all players seriously consider wearing proper neck protection. Most neck guards are not built to protect the player from the impact force of a puck or stick; rather, neck guards are worn to protect the player from glancing blows with sticks, pucks and skates. There is no guarantee that the player will not suffer an injury to the neck or throat while wearing a neck guard, but the damage can be minimized substantially. Kevlar and other highly durable materials are woven into the fabric of hockey neck guards to provide increased cut-resistance.

Hockey wrist guards, also called slash guards, are typically worn around the player's wrists just the same way that sweat bands are worn. Slash guards are made with comfortable, moisture-wicking fabric that contains plastic inserts for added protection. When you're handling the puck, other players will often use their sticks lift, poke, slash, hook and chop your hockey stick, hands and wrists. There's usually a small gap in coverage between your elbow pads and the cuffs of your gloves, which is the area that the slash guards are designed to protect.