Taking a run at minor hockey

A cool day for family athletics - providing personal thrills and lessons for minor hockey.
It started with a high school cross-country meet at Springbank Park bringing together the best of the best from London and area to compete in the WOSSAA (Western Ontario Secondary Schools Athletics Association) championships.
Our younger son, who shunned minor hockey despite his older brother's uncurbed enthusiasm, barely qualified by finishing 15th last week in the city championships. He might have finished higher, but he ran the last third of the 6 km race in his socks after taking off his shoes when one lace became untied. He did it not thinking of himself, but because completing the race was important for the team.
At WOSSAA, running with about 150 high-placing athletes, he finished 19th, the best among juniors from his high school and one of the best in the city, but not nearly good enough to advance to the Ontario final.
Still, there were congratulations, applause, admiration and pride. No parents screamed insults. No peers tried to injure him.
Now comes the contrast.
At my older son's midget hockey game, respect, honour and sportsmanship were given the short shrift.
Adam, who has not been playing at 100% and has always been a defence-first defenceman, scored his first goal of the season. He was very involved in the play, drawing one deserved penalty and one that was a bit of a mystery. And he was, late in the game, part of a two-on-none breakout on an empty net and let his teammate pot the goal.
It was after than empty net goal when the lack of minor hockey sportsmanship reared its head. An opposing Stratford Warrior slashed my son on the arm as he and teammates were skating back to their bench. The game was 5-2 with only seconds left to play. What was the point, other than to assault?

Maybe if minor hockey wants to continue to attract families and the best young athletes, the sport needs to take a lesson in athletics from high school cross-country runners.
As is uncanny tradition, I missed taking a photo of my son's rare goal. I was at the far end of the rink. But I did snap this shot of one of his teammates scoring on Stratford.