These little kids were frustrated during a practice. Wonder how they play the game now.
Minor Hockey Moments
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Hockey hot shots
I love these shots posted by the Toronto Star's Steve Russell on his blog. Shooting junior hockey can afford more opportunities than the pros. Russell's shots also provide ideas for parents shooting minor hockey games.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Minor hockey could be televised on Internet
This is an awesome possibility for parents and grandparents who can't be at every game - and coaches looking for an edge.
Calgary minor hockey is considering a plan to record games in HD for viewing live or later via the Internet.
CBC has the story.
Calgary minor hockey is considering a plan to record games in HD for viewing live or later via the Internet.
CBC has the story.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Linesman punched, teen player charged
Kids in their final year of minor hockey can create the biggest headaches for officials, coaches and opposing players.
An altercation at a midget house league tournament in Barrie, ON, did just that. The fact that the air was blue and punches were thrown was nothing new for teenage hockey. The fact that it was a linesman's face fielding the flailing torqued the situation.
A 17-year-old player left the ice - and the arena - before police arrived. They found him and charged him with assault.
The Barrie Examiner has the story.
An altercation at a midget house league tournament in Barrie, ON, did just that. The fact that the air was blue and punches were thrown was nothing new for teenage hockey. The fact that it was a linesman's face fielding the flailing torqued the situation.
A 17-year-old player left the ice - and the arena - before police arrived. They found him and charged him with assault.
The Barrie Examiner has the story.
Good hockey skills can be relative
Do genetics play a role in creating great hockey players?
Sometimes. Two of Gordie Howe's sons were good enough to play pro hockey and Marty was a great defenceman, if not truly a superstar. But there's no third generation of hockey Howes coming down the 'pike.
Bobby Orr's two sons, Darren and Brent, were not athletes despite the fact their father changed the way the game is played and, along with Howe and Wayne Gretzky, is the interchangeable answer as to who was the greatest player to ever lace 'em up in the NHL. None of Gretzky's kids have pro hockey potential.
But sometimes there is a second generation. One of the best 15-year-old players in Canada is Max Domi, the son of former Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Tie Domi. Max is a skilled forward winding up his minor midget days in Toronto and planning to continue his education and play in the United States instead of playing major junior in the Ontario Hockey League. No one wishes to jinx a teen, but there's a lot of buzz about Max's potential.
The OHL Belleville Bulls have lots of players with dads who played in the NHL. Carter Sandlak, who played minor hockey for the London Jr. Knights, is the son of former Vancouver Canuck Jim Sandlak. Bjorn Krupp is son of Ewe Krupp, ex of the Detroit Red Wings. Dylan Corson is the son of Shayne Corson, who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars. Dylan's uncle, by marriage, is Darcy Tucker, whose NHL career took him to Montreal, Tampa Bay, Toronto and Colorado. Andy Bathgate's father didn't play in the NHL, but his grandfather and namesake did - with the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins before finishing his pro career in the old World Hockey Association with the Vancouver Blazers.
Just for good measure, Belleville has the brother of an NHLer on the team, goaltender Malcolm Subban. Malcolm's brother, PK, is a rookie defenceman with the Canadiens.
So it seems sometimes at least hockey skills can be all relative.
Sometimes. Two of Gordie Howe's sons were good enough to play pro hockey and Marty was a great defenceman, if not truly a superstar. But there's no third generation of hockey Howes coming down the 'pike.
Bobby Orr's two sons, Darren and Brent, were not athletes despite the fact their father changed the way the game is played and, along with Howe and Wayne Gretzky, is the interchangeable answer as to who was the greatest player to ever lace 'em up in the NHL. None of Gretzky's kids have pro hockey potential.
But sometimes there is a second generation. One of the best 15-year-old players in Canada is Max Domi, the son of former Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Tie Domi. Max is a skilled forward winding up his minor midget days in Toronto and planning to continue his education and play in the United States instead of playing major junior in the Ontario Hockey League. No one wishes to jinx a teen, but there's a lot of buzz about Max's potential.
The OHL Belleville Bulls have lots of players with dads who played in the NHL. Carter Sandlak, who played minor hockey for the London Jr. Knights, is the son of former Vancouver Canuck Jim Sandlak. Bjorn Krupp is son of Ewe Krupp, ex of the Detroit Red Wings. Dylan Corson is the son of Shayne Corson, who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars. Dylan's uncle, by marriage, is Darcy Tucker, whose NHL career took him to Montreal, Tampa Bay, Toronto and Colorado. Andy Bathgate's father didn't play in the NHL, but his grandfather and namesake did - with the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins before finishing his pro career in the old World Hockey Association with the Vancouver Blazers.
Just for good measure, Belleville has the brother of an NHLer on the team, goaltender Malcolm Subban. Malcolm's brother, PK, is a rookie defenceman with the Canadiens.
So it seems sometimes at least hockey skills can be all relative.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
You're ours, coach
Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons weighs in on new minor hockey rules in Toronto that will allow easier movement among young players from season to season, but not coaches. It's a bit of problem when so many coaches of kids are also fathers.
Simmons says, "... staid old North Toronto Hockey Association ... has taken petty to a new limit, threatening Select coaches from leaving North Toronto and taking players with them, which may be by the book correct on their part, but in the spirit of the new rule is downright nasty."
Should people volunteer wherever they like, or would it create organizational chaos?
I'm not sure what's right in El Toro, but cities like London there's something good to be said about playing and volunteering for teams in the neighbourhood in which you live. It builds a sense of community and provides an opportunity to get to know your neighbours.
Then again, there needs to be flexibility to have kids playing at the level that's right for them, especially among goaltenders.
Simmons says, "... staid old North Toronto Hockey Association ... has taken petty to a new limit, threatening Select coaches from leaving North Toronto and taking players with them, which may be by the book correct on their part, but in the spirit of the new rule is downright nasty."
Should people volunteer wherever they like, or would it create organizational chaos?
I'm not sure what's right in El Toro, but cities like London there's something good to be said about playing and volunteering for teams in the neighbourhood in which you live. It builds a sense of community and provides an opportunity to get to know your neighbours.
Then again, there needs to be flexibility to have kids playing at the level that's right for them, especially among goaltenders.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Sizing up minor hockey
Interesting thoughts today from Toronto Maple Leafs assistant captain Mike Komisarek on his size difference being a factor in making a hit on Colorado Avalanche Mark Olver look worse than it was intended to be.
He tells the Toronto Star, "I hit the guy, I thought the puck was there. I thought it was pretty good time. The only thing that might have hurt me was the height difference ... I go in and have my elbow to my body and try to get my shoulder to his chest. If that's not a clean hit then I don't know what is."
His comments follow the hit by Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, the biggest guy in the NHL, in Montreal.
It begs the question, should minor hockey be organized according to body size and ability, not birth dates, especially during the early years of checking?
He tells the Toronto Star, "I hit the guy, I thought the puck was there. I thought it was pretty good time. The only thing that might have hurt me was the height difference ... I go in and have my elbow to my body and try to get my shoulder to his chest. If that's not a clean hit then I don't know what is."
His comments follow the hit by Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, the biggest guy in the NHL, in Montreal.
It begs the question, should minor hockey be organized according to body size and ability, not birth dates, especially during the early years of checking?
'Weather' or not you care
We've all driven through weather we'd rather not to get to minor hockey games. And we know all leagues have policies and protocols for cancelling games due to road conditions. But this house league select situation in North York (Toronto) seems odd and harsh.
As the Toronto Star reports the Ted Reeve team failed to to make it to the first game of a best-of-three playoff series during last Wednesday's snowstorm - the same storm which cause big delays at Pearson International Airport and left my wife without a connecting flight home, but I digress.
The league's harsh answer wasn't to reschedule the game. It wasn't to count the game as a forfeit. It was to deem the Ted Reeve kids as forfeiting the entire series.
Which begs the question: Is minor hockey for kids?
Friday, March 25, 2011
Reimer started hockey at age 12
James Reimer, great goaltending hope for the Toronto Maple Leafs, didn't start playing hockey until age 12 in rural Manitoba, according to this SI posting.
So, what does that say about all those long drives and oodles of money spent on tournaments for 9-year-old AAA players? Is it worth the cost, time and travel to create elite teams at an early age in the name of "developing" skills?
So, what does that say about all those long drives and oodles of money spent on tournaments for 9-year-old AAA players? Is it worth the cost, time and travel to create elite teams at an early age in the name of "developing" skills?
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Coach did what?
I've heard minor hockey coaches accused of many things, but this is a first.
In Winnipeg during post-game handshakes, a 12-year-old player complained that the opposing coach punched him in the stomach and hurled abused at him. The referee didn't see it. Police are investigating.\
I came across the story reading the Winnipeg Sun.
In Winnipeg during post-game handshakes, a 12-year-old player complained that the opposing coach punched him in the stomach and hurled abused at him. The referee didn't see it. Police are investigating.\
I came across the story reading the Winnipeg Sun.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Penguins GM gets it right on Matt Cooke
I like what Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero said about the NHL suspension of player Matt Cooke for a stupid elbow to the head of a New York Ranger. Next move: Get Cooke off the team, and maybe out of the NHL.
Here's the Shero statement:
Here's the Shero statement:
Ray Shero Statement on Matt Cooke Suspension
Monday, 03.21.2011 / 5:40 PM / Features
Pittsburgh Penguins
Following is a statement from Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Ray Shero after the National Hockey League ruled today that Penguins forward Matt Cooke will be suspended for the rest of the regular season (10 games) and the first round of the playoffs:
“The suspension is warranted because that’s exactly the kind of hit we’re trying to get out of the game. Head shots have no place in hockey. We’ve told Matt in no uncertain terms that this kind of action on the ice is unacceptable and cannot happen. Head shots must be dealt with severely, and the Pittsburgh Penguins support the NHL in sending this very strong message.”
Crosby could change hockey
Does Sidney Crosby really want to change the tone of both the NHL and minor hockey everywhere?
All the world's best player has to do is say he wants Matt Cooke off his team, even before the NHL and the lame players' association deal with a suspension over the rogue player's latest offence, a nasty elbow to the head of a fellow players' association member.
Crosby has the power, influence and respect to make a difference - assuming he's thinking clearly enough to do it as he recovers from a significant concussion himself.
Kids are watching, captain.
All the world's best player has to do is say he wants Matt Cooke off his team, even before the NHL and the lame players' association deal with a suspension over the rogue player's latest offence, a nasty elbow to the head of a fellow players' association member.
Crosby has the power, influence and respect to make a difference - assuming he's thinking clearly enough to do it as he recovers from a significant concussion himself.
Kids are watching, captain.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Speaking out about coach
A fear of many parents when their kids fall under the influence of a sports coach is this situation unfolding in Hamilton. One wonders how big this case is going to get - or is the peewee hockey coach not guilty of anything?
Hi-tech helmet helps research brain injuries
The issue of brain injuries in minor hockey continues to raise concerns in Canada as evidence as to how widespread the problem is mounts.
Mary Ormsby of the Toronto Star writes about an innovative University of Toronto project called BrainFit that uses special sensors inside helmets of minor hockey players as young as 10 to measure hits to the head. It's one of several research projects that are either ongoing or have concluded - projects that will inevitably lead to significant changes in minor hockey and perhaps other youth sports.
It seems clear now that, driven by research and the legitimate concerns of parents, deliberate body checking will disappear from most levels of minor hockey in Canada soon. Further, I'm betting that new rules governing contact with heads will be introduced, much in the same vein as rules to expel players from the game for hitting from behind were instituted about five years ago.
In concert with all of this will be, I predict, new helmet and mouthguard regulations forcing all players to wear mouthguards and allowing referees to expel players for wearing shoddy helmets, be they ill-fitting or too old to be considered safe.
All of which will add to the cost of playing this recreational sport - and much of which could be avoided if kids were just taught to play with sportsmanship.
Mary Ormsby of the Toronto Star writes about an innovative University of Toronto project called BrainFit that uses special sensors inside helmets of minor hockey players as young as 10 to measure hits to the head. It's one of several research projects that are either ongoing or have concluded - projects that will inevitably lead to significant changes in minor hockey and perhaps other youth sports.
It seems clear now that, driven by research and the legitimate concerns of parents, deliberate body checking will disappear from most levels of minor hockey in Canada soon. Further, I'm betting that new rules governing contact with heads will be introduced, much in the same vein as rules to expel players from the game for hitting from behind were instituted about five years ago.
In concert with all of this will be, I predict, new helmet and mouthguard regulations forcing all players to wear mouthguards and allowing referees to expel players for wearing shoddy helmets, be they ill-fitting or too old to be considered safe.
All of which will add to the cost of playing this recreational sport - and much of which could be avoided if kids were just taught to play with sportsmanship.
Minor hockey minds score big win in London
Kudos to decision-makers involved with minor hockey in London, Ont., for coming up with a better way to organize teams in the heartland of hockey.
Devoted and season-long readers of this blog might recall the chaos, anger and hard feelings born during a money-grabbing, team stacking tryout process last fall in which the London Junior Knights organization exercised its right to skim the best players from the city's neighbourhood hockey organizations with no regard for what families wanted.
The season unfolded as predicted. Junior Knights teams won. Ho hum. Neighbourhood teams were generally (but not always!) mere sparring partners.
Now, as publicly explained today by London Free Press sports columnist Morris Dalla Costa, the Junior Knights will reduce the number of teams it fields to one elite AAA team per age group and one AA "farm team" of skilled competitive players. All other kids get to play for their neighbourhood "A" teams without the silly threat of bouncing them "all the way down to house league."
Of course, due to low registration numbers, A and AA teams will still be lumped together to form viable leagues.
Best of all for families who like to vacation or have kids in summer sports, the tryout process will happen in the spring, not August like last year. Minor hockey volunteers will like this, too.
Devoted and season-long readers of this blog might recall the chaos, anger and hard feelings born during a money-grabbing, team stacking tryout process last fall in which the London Junior Knights organization exercised its right to skim the best players from the city's neighbourhood hockey organizations with no regard for what families wanted.
The season unfolded as predicted. Junior Knights teams won. Ho hum. Neighbourhood teams were generally (but not always!) mere sparring partners.
Now, as publicly explained today by London Free Press sports columnist Morris Dalla Costa, the Junior Knights will reduce the number of teams it fields to one elite AAA team per age group and one AA "farm team" of skilled competitive players. All other kids get to play for their neighbourhood "A" teams without the silly threat of bouncing them "all the way down to house league."
Of course, due to low registration numbers, A and AA teams will still be lumped together to form viable leagues.
Best of all for families who like to vacation or have kids in summer sports, the tryout process will happen in the spring, not August like last year. Minor hockey volunteers will like this, too.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Edmonton hockey player guilty of assault
Seventeen days in hospital. Surgery to have part of his bowel removed. Tyler Hoekstra paid a heavy price for participating in minor hockey.
He was speared by another midget AA player, who was subsequently charged, tried, convicted and sentenced in Edmonton.
Here's a link to The Canadian Press story. Let's hope we never have another assault like this one in kids' recreation.
He was speared by another midget AA player, who was subsequently charged, tried, convicted and sentenced in Edmonton.
Here's a link to The Canadian Press story. Let's hope we never have another assault like this one in kids' recreation.
Hockey's violent: Deal with it
Years ago, I was Steve Buffery's editor at a newspaper near Toronto. He's now a sports columnist with the Toronto Sun and weighs in with a column about the latest dustup about hockey hits and violence.
Not sure I entirely agree with him, but then again Steve prefers boxing and raised a daughter, not a minor hockey-playing son.
As a companion piece, I recommend Don Cherry's now iconic rant from last Saturday's Hockey Night in Canada Coach's Corner segment.
From a minor hockey perspective, I wonder if the Zdeno Chara hit is a lesson to organizers about what can happen when players of dramatically different body sizes share the ice. Just sayin'. You think maybe it's dangerous if players with size advantage don't have exceptional sportsmanship?
Not sure I entirely agree with him, but then again Steve prefers boxing and raised a daughter, not a minor hockey-playing son.
As a companion piece, I recommend Don Cherry's now iconic rant from last Saturday's Hockey Night in Canada Coach's Corner segment.
From a minor hockey perspective, I wonder if the Zdeno Chara hit is a lesson to organizers about what can happen when players of dramatically different body sizes share the ice. Just sayin'. You think maybe it's dangerous if players with size advantage don't have exceptional sportsmanship?
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Police investigate minor hockey hit
It's not just the NHL where brutal hits can harm an athlete's future. Just ask the people in Kanata and Cornwall, where a teen goalie with hopes of a partial US college scholarship is recovering after an unnecessary hit in a playoff game.
The Ottawa Citizen reports police are investigating whether charges should be laid. I'd say yes, assuming what I've read is correct. Let's see what the police determine.
The Ottawa Citizen reports police are investigating whether charges should be laid. I'd say yes, assuming what I've read is correct. Let's see what the police determine.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The Hanson Brothers - The Hockey Song
Thinking I like Stompin' Tom doing the song he wrote, but this works, too.
The most expensive sport for your kid ...
When it comes to spending money on your child, there's no shortage of options. Hockey can be an expensive way to go, but is it the most expensive youth activity? Personally, I think it's the best money we ever spent, but then again we were never faced with crazy league schedules (well, not too crazy compared to others) and excessive and expensive tournaments (OK, going from London to Franklin, TN, might've been more than most teams do). I'm actually surprised at how high soccer is on the expense list, but the overall winner is no shock.
Here's the list QMI's canoe website.
Here's the list QMI's canoe website.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Peewee teammates make NHL
What are the odds of two peewee teammates becoming stars in the NHL? Ask PK Subban of the Montreal Canadiens and Steve Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning. They played peewee together in North York, Ont. CBC has photos of the pair when they were 12. Click here to see them.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Referees get rough ride
Abuse of minor hockey officials is common, but it's usually verbal. Manitoba seems to be upping the ante with players as young as peewee pushing, spitting on and whacking referees to protest calls. It's no wonder kids quit as referees and young adults can't be bothered with the aggravation. And, it should be noted, referees often really do make mistakes that influence the outcome of games and add to the frustration of all.
CBC reports on the situation in Manitoba, which is not happy.
My own son retired from refereeing hockey at age 17, but continues to officiate minor soccer. Several of his peer group, including at least one on his midget hockey team, continue to referee hockey.
The respect flows from coaches and parents. If they set the tone for abuse of officials, the kids take the cue and run with it.
But referees also have an obligation to be consistent and accurate - and to play their role in the game well.
CBC reports on the situation in Manitoba, which is not happy.
My own son retired from refereeing hockey at age 17, but continues to officiate minor soccer. Several of his peer group, including at least one on his midget hockey team, continue to referee hockey.
The respect flows from coaches and parents. If they set the tone for abuse of officials, the kids take the cue and run with it.
But referees also have an obligation to be consistent and accurate - and to play their role in the game well.
Ken Dryden on The Game
 |
| The pose that made Ken Dryden famous. (Wayne Newton photo) |
QMI sportswriter Steve Simmons is an all-star among hockey writers in Canada. I never miss his Toronto Sun column.
Follow this link to what happens when the two of them talk hockey - in Dryden's case, reluctantly.
Teen athlete dies after game
For parents with teenagers in sports, stories like this one about 16-year-old high school basketball player Wes Leonard, who died after a game, boggle the mind. How can the heart of a vibrant, fit young person just stop?
It's always sad when a young person dies, but when it's so sudden, so unexpected, the pain must be magnified for family and friends.
Here is a helpful article from Fox News.
It's always sad when a young person dies, but when it's so sudden, so unexpected, the pain must be magnified for family and friends.
Here is a helpful article from Fox News.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Boy reporter quizzes Stanley Cup champs
This is a hoot - check it out. Child reporter interviews members of the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, including Brian Campbell of Strathroy, Ont.. Click here for the Fox News link.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
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