Johnson, a former member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, died after his neck was slashed by an opposing player while playing for England's Nottingham Panthers last weekend.

Oshie was spotted wearing a cut-resistant turtleneck from his own Warroad Hockey brand in the warm-up to the Capitals facing the Islanders, and he later explained he made the decision with his family firmly in mind.

"We're grown men… if you don't want to do it (you don't have to)," Oshie told reporters after the Capitals' 3-0 defeat.

"You can make your own choices. I made my choice for my kids. I want to stick around for them. I'm just trying to decrease the chance of injury."

Oshie added that he felt the equipment did not serve as a distraction to his play at Capital One Arena and he hopes guards can be widely available for players in the NHL and down to youth level.

"I hope it shows (young players) that it's not a distraction. I hope if they're able, they can get some kind of neck protection," he said.

"I thought I played pretty decent tonight. Honestly, it was actually really comfortable. I didn't even notice it after one shift.

"(For the) NHL guys, I think it's super important that they know it's going to be available. Maybe the teams can help provide that."

Oshie was not the only player to sport a neck guard on Thursday after Buffalo Sabres defenceman Rasmus Dahlin (23) was seen wearing one briefly against the Philadelphia Flyers.

"I kind of tried it out for the first time during the game, but it didn't last that long," the Swede said following his team's 5-2 victory.

"For sure, I want to use it and I want someone to develop a nice, breathable neck guard. I think in the future, it's going to be a must."