Bodychecking will not be allowed in North Shore youth hockey games for recreational players up to the age of 19 starting next season after a rule change voted in by the Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association at their general meeting Sunday.
The new rule takes bodychecking out of C-level recreational leagues at the pee wee (age 11-12), bantam, midget and juvenile levels within the PCAHA, an association that covers the Lower Mainland from Hope to the Sunshine Coast. Bodychecking will still be allowed in A-level rep leagues from pee wee and up (there is no B-level hockey in the PCAHA).
Representatives from the 42 PCAHA-member minor hockey associations - including North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Hollyburn and the Winter Club on the North Shore - voted on the issue with 123 votes for the change and 39 against it.
The change is meant to address player safety and enjoyment in light of recent concerns raised about hockey injuries, particularly head injuries and concussions.
Some questions have been raised about how eliminating bodychecking at these levels will change the fabric of the sport, said West Vancouver Minor Hockey Association president Tim Murphy, but he added that overall the change was widely supported by the hockey community.
"I've had very few complaints about this," said Murphy about what he's hearing from his members. "It wasn't unanimous but it was certainly a strong majority."
North Shore Winter Club director of hockey Todd Harkins said he took a poll of all his members and the results closely mirrored the PCAHA vote with about 75 per cent in favour of the change.
Harkins is also the head coach of the Vancouver North West Giants major midget team and this season he's had four of his players miss time with concussions. The change at the recreational level is a smart one that should limit injuries, he said.
"Every time you play any type of sport, you're putting yourself out to be injured. It comes with the territory. But I also feel that if you can control that to a certain extent then as adults we have to do our due diligence and make sure that that's taken care of."
Players intent on pursuing the game at it's highest levels will still have the opportunity to play with bodychecking in rep A-leagues.
"I think it's important to have a stream for those that are going to the NHL because hitting is in the NHL," said Murphy, a father with one son currently playing in a bodychecking league. "If your aspirations are to play in the National Hockey League, you have to offer that stream to people who are willing to take that risk and play that game."
Murphy said he expects more players might continue on in the game now that there will be a non bodychecking option. "Some kids drop out of hockey because of the hitting aspect of it," he said. "At the rec level, there's a lot of skill development that doesn't go on because hitting is becoming a bit of an impediment, using intimidation. I think that intimidation factor is now out of the league at the house level and I think it will be more dependent on skill - passing, shooting, scoring, skating."
