It seems the Drumheller hockey community isn’t warming up to new rules to take hitting out of hockey at the peewee level.
Hockey Alberta announced last week that it would be eliminating body checking from the peewee division starting in the 2013-2014 season.
“Our players’ safety is the foundation in making this decision,” said Hockey Alberta’s Chair of the Board, Rob Virgil. “There is overwhelming evidence that body checking is the single most consistent risk factor for injuries and concussions in youth ice hockey.”
Jason Ewing is president of Drumheller Minor Hockey. While he is not speaking on behalf of Minor Hockey, personally he doesn’t like the change.
“I am not sure if giving them two more years of non contact is doing anything for them. The kids are bigger in bantam, so maybe they can hit harder, but maybe they can take a hit. So, I personally would like to see it stay in peewee and educate the kids on the proper way of hitting and not headhunting. Perhaps that would stop some of the concussions,” said Ewing.
He said his opinion so far matches the position he has heard in the Drumheller hockey community.
“Most of the feedback I have gotten is they are not happy about it,” said Ewing. “There are some concerns about moving into bantam and kids are bigger. I believe it was back in 1982 when they moved it from bantam to peewee, so what makes us go back the other way?”
According to a letter from Hockey Alberta to it members, the decision wasn’t taken lightly and it details the process. “This decision comes after several years of consultation, research, discussion and debate within this province. After consulting with our members at the 2011 AGM (Concussion Summit), 2012 AGM (Body Checking Summit), and with a survey of members in 2012, the Hockey Alberta Board of Directors established a Body Checking Review Committee. This committee, comprised of Hockey Alberta members, volunteers and staff, was tasked to review member feedback, the relevant scientific research and the positions of other Hockey Canada branches,” it states.
For Ewing, he doesn’t see changing the age making much of a difference.
“I would like to see more education around it because you step into bantam and you are still going to have kids learning to hit. I haven’t looked at the stats and everything else but I don’t’ see how being two years older is going to stop the concussion, for 14-year-old hitting a 14-year-old as opposed to a 12-year-old hitting a 12-year-old?”
In the end, he says they have little choice but to change.
“It is just an adjustment we’ll have to get used to,” he said.
