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Hockey Calgary considers ban on bodychecking in peewee hockey

By Sean Myers and Deborah Tetley, Calgary Herald March 11, 2011

Hockey Calgary is poised to take a harder look this spring at the contentious issue of bodychecking at the peewee level.

President Perry Cavanagh expects a motion at the annual general meeting in June, which could either call for a committee to study the issue or possibly ask for physical contact to be eliminated from the game for 11-and 12-year-olds.

"It's obviously a risk and safety factor that we are obligated to review, discuss, analyze, debate and make a decision if we want to make any changes or modifications to the existing system in the spirit of understanding the risks," said Cavanagh.

"I suspect that there would be a direction to strike a subcommittee to come back to the board with recommendations for changes. That would be more practical and reasonable to do, rather than jumping to any conclusions or taking a knee-jerk reaction to it."

As of Thursday, Hockey Calgary's website features a page of links to studies, reports and articles on both sides of the body checking debate.

The discussion surfaces as Canada's highest level of hockey, the NHL, deals with outrage from across the country following a devastating check that resulted in yet another in a string of recent high-profile concussions from hits.

Violence in the game is once again front and centre following a vicious-looking check Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara levelled on Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty in a National Hockey League game on Tuesday.

Although the head-first hit into a stanchion that left Pacioretty with a severe concussion and a broken vertebra isn't directly connected to body checking among preteens, young players do try to emulate their hockey heroes which can lead to dangerous plays, says Cavanagh.

"That's always a concern we have. The kids are watching that level of play and they expect that to be the standard of play at the minor level and they're definitely emulating it.

"But really they are two separate and distinct issues. Head shots versus checking are different situations. Those things need to be dealt with independently, head shots will happen in a league where there is not body checking."

One peewee coach in Calgary -who supports body checking at that level -says his peers are divided on the issue.

"Some say checking should start at the atom level, when they are Timbits," said Troy Brazzoni, of the Westwood Hockey Association.

Brazzoni said pee wee is an appropriate age for players to bodycheck, but notes that the onus needs to be on the coaches to ensure kids are being taught to hit -and be hit.

"Checking is a big part of the game, so they might as well start learning how to do it and do it properly."

Cavanagh wants a review done that would take into account the latest research, including a study by the University of Buffalo that shows 66 per cent of injuries in hockey result from accidents, not body checking, and one completed last June at the University of Calgary that shows body checking dramatically increases rates of concussions in peewee players.

The author of the U of C study, sport epidemiologist Carolyn Emery, said body checking more than triples the risk of concussion and injury in 11 and 12 year olds.

The study compared injury and concussion rates between players in Quebec -where body checking isn't allowed until bantam -with Alberta peewee players. Emery said an estimated 1,000 game-related injuries and 400 game-related concussions could be prevented per year in 11-and 12-year-old Alberta players if body checking was eliminated.

"Not to say that there's not other aspects that need to be addressed, but certainly the science gives us pretty conclusive evidence that a strong consideration to delaying the age of body checking in competition needs to be considered," said Emery.

If Hockey Calgary did change its rules around body checking, Calgary players would still have to play against teams in other Alberta jurisdictions where it would still be allowed in tournaments and provincial playoffs.

This could be a problem said Hockey Alberta president Annie Orton, who said most parents in the province believe body checking belongs in peewee level hockey.

"It would make it difficult, because 90 per cent of our membership want it there. If Calgary chose to change, it would then make it more difficult for those teams that are playing within Calgary to play anywhere else."

Dean
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Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
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