A crackdown on hitting to the head by Hockey Canada has players, coaches and officials at all levels of hockey in British Columbia scrambling to bone up on what they can and cannot do.
The new Hockey Canada rule 6.5 - head contact, lays out stiffer penalties for players who get their sticks, hands, elbows or shoulders up in an opponent's face.
After much negative publicity last season over the number of players suffering from concussions and the life-altering consequences to a person's quality of life, Prince George Minor Hockey chief referee Bill Van Helvoirt approves of the change.
"I don't disagree with the penalty," said Van Helvoirt. "I think it's a good call to make."
Van Helvoirt is in charge of enforcing the new standards and making sure his 120 referees in minor hockey and female hockey are making the proper calls.
Under the old rules, a player was handed a two-minute minor and a 10-minute misconduct for checking to the head. With the change, all contact, accidental or intentional, will be penalized.
"This is a much stricter rule, because any contact to the head whether it's accidental, by a stick, by an elbow, rubbing your hands in the guy's face are all going to be penalties this year," he said.
In minor and female hockey, any accidental contact to the head region is penalized with a two-minute minor, while intentional contact to the head is a double minor. If an injury results from the hit, the offending player would receive a five-minute major and a game misconduct, or a match penalty if the referee judges the hit as a deliberate attempt to injure.
Van Helvoirt said he expects the grumbling that usually follows any change to subside.
"By the time the season's over and [everyone] gets comfortable with the rule it won't be an issue," he said. "Something new, there's always some resistance from the players, from the coaches and the referees, because they've been around for [a long time] and they've got to change."
A modified version of the rule will also apply to junior and senior men's hockey, including the British Columbia Hockey League and the B.C. Major Midget League. The degree of violence associated with the hit will impact whether the penalty fits into one of three categories: minimal, moderate or severe.
Trevor Sprague, heading into his fifth season (fourth consecutive) coaching the BCMML Cariboo Cougars, said the new rule just means extra learning for everyone.
"It's part of the game and it's something that we're going to have to deal with," said Sprague, watching the Cougars play exhibition games at the Kin 1 arena against the Kamloops Blazers and Valley West Hawks on the weekend. "We'll get educated together.
"It comes down to [players] being aware of their own body and their stick and, maybe, having a little more control," added Sprague. "It's something the players have to be aware of and they'll have to find a knack in being a lot better without hitting to the head."
For additional information on the rule change visit the website www.hockeycanada.ca.
Rule 6.5 - Head Contact
(a) In minor hockey and female hockey, a minor penalty shall be assessed to any player who accidentally contacts an opponent in the head, face or neck with his stick or any part of the player's body or equipment.
(b) In minor hockey and female hockey, a double minor penalty or a major and a game misconduct penalty, at the discretion of the referee and based on the degree of violence of impact shall be assessed to any player who intentionally contacts an opponent in the head, face or neck with her stick or any part of the player's body or equipment.
(c) In junior hockey and senior hockey, a minor and a misconduct penalty, or a major and a game misconduct penalty, at the discretion of the referee based on the degree of violence of impact, shall be assessed to any player who checks an opponent in the head in any manner.
(d) A major and a game misconduct penalty, or a match penalty shall be assessed any player who injures an opponent under this rule.
(e) A match penalty shall be assessed any player who deliberately attempts to injure or deliberately injures an opponent under this rule.
Note: All contact above the shoulders (neck, face and head) is to be called head contact under one of the above (In minor hockey and female hockey).
For clarification into how the new rule on head contact will affect junior and senior hockey check out the website at www.hockeycanada.ca.
Source: Hockey Canada
