The NHLPA says the Calgary Flames cannot mandate its players wear protective foot and ankle equipment commonly known as "shotblockers." Flames general manager Jay Feaster instructed his players get fitted for the guards after Calgary captain Mark Giordano suffered a broken ankle and veteran forward Lee Stempniak broke his foot after being hit by pucks last month. Flames players have informed the Players Association they were strongly encouraged by Flames management to wear the shotblockers, but were told the equipment wasnt mandatory. However, Feaster says this is a mandatory team policy which may create a problem as such a policy could be viewed as a CBA violation. (CBA 30.3 Amendments -- The NHL and its Clubs shall not, during the term of this Agreement or any extension thereof, amend or modify the provisions (or portions thereof) of the League Rules or any of the Leagues Playing Rules in existence on the date of this Agreement that affect any terms or conditions of employment of any Player, without the prior written consent of the NHLPA which shall not be unreasonably withheld. The NHL shall furnish proposed amendments to and/or modifications of League Rules that affect any terms or conditions of employment of any Player upon the NHLPAs written request.) "No team can unilaterally make a piece of equipment mandatory," Mathieu Schneider, Special Assistant to NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr, told the Dreger Report. Equipment discussions and proposed changes are expected to funnel through the newly-formed equipment sub-committee before moving on to the joint competition committee and, ultimately, to the board for final approval. All Flames players are complying with managements policy and are currently wearing some form of additional foot protection. The NHLPA intends on reaching out to the NHL to discuss its concerns with Calgarys approach. While very sensitive to why the Flames are doing what they are doing, Schneider worries about "knee-jerk" reactions by NHL clubs and the potential for unintended consequence, such as another injury if teams are allowed to armor their players without going through the appropriate procedural steps. Schneider points toward the ongoing work being done between the league and PA on potential changes to shoulder pads as an example of how thorough the process of full-scale equipment changes has to be. Years ago, players opted for a much larger shoulder pad for added protection. Now, the focus is on developing a smaller and less damaging shoulder pad, in hindsight, correcting an issue that was created by good intentions and in the spirit of safety. 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Thats 14 consecutive losses to the two-time defending champs, and most of them were over before they even began. Result notwithstanding, Sundays game had a very different feel to it.Rafa Benitez says he will take the positives after his first match in charge of Newcastle ended in a 1-0 defeat to Leicester on Monday Night Football. Shinji Okazakis first-half overhead kick at the King Power Stadium was enough to send the Foxes five points clear at the top of the Premier League, while Newcastle remain second bottom with 24 points from 29 games.The visitors started the game on top as Ayoze Perez squandered a presentable opening but they were soon punished by the league leaders, and Benitez admitted he was disappointed with the goal his side conceded. Okazaki scored an overhead kick to put Leicester in front in the first-half Im not happy [with the goal] because the ball bounced too many times and it is something we have to analyse, Benitez said.But I want to think about the positives because the team reacted well in the second half and we were pushing. Thats the positive thing for me. We need to analyse and improve.It was a pity because we started really well and had two good chances. After 20 minutes they started pushing and when they scored they had the game they like to play on the counter-attack. Okazaki celebrates his fifth Premier League goal of the season We had to close it down but they are fast and aggressive on the counter. We still had chances at the end of the game, like with Moussa Sissoko. We could have had a goal against a good team, because they play with a good tempo.Jamie Vardy appeared to be in an offside position when he nodded across goal for Okazaki to acrobatically volley home, but Benitez was keen to focus on what his team did well at the King Power Stadium.Normally I dont analyse these things because I cant change anything, he added. We were creating chances and had good team spirit, everything was there and now we have to correct the little things.The team was doing well and you could see the commitment and passion in the players.I am happy with the players that came from the bench as well, they were trying everything. It was a pity that we couldnt win, but the team showed they are convinced they could win.They remain one point behind Sunderland and Norwich in the battle for survival, with the Black Cats up next in the Tyne-Wear derby, live on Sky Sports next Sunday. Jamie Vardy looks to escape the attention of Vurnon Anita at the King Power Stadium And Benitez appealed to the Newcastle supporters to get behind his team as they search for the win that could take them out of the relegation zone.ddddddddddddEvery game will be important for us, he continued. We know it is a derby and we know how important it will be for everyone but I have the feeling our fans are really good and they know they are our No 12. We need them for the next game.We will train tomorrow and try to recover the players as soon as possible, and have one day off before we start working again. They need to rest and work hard, so we will manage the weeks workload. Leicesters Mark Albrighton joins Patrick Davison in the King Power Stadium tunnel to discuss their 1-0 win over Newcastle On his first impressions of Newcastle, Benitez added: I like the people, the staff, everybody is trying to help. The fans, the city, everybody is behind the team.Everything is positive and now we have to give them what they expect on the pitch. We cannot change this result but we can be happy in terms of the commitment of the players and we have to approach the next one with this in our head. Also See: Okazaki sends Leicester five clear Carra on Toons lack of quality Positive signs for Rafa? Leicester 1-0 Newcastle recap ' ' '