New rules on head contact for hockey in Canada

Hockey Canada's annual general meeting has resulted in a new policy on head contact: Zero tolerance.
About time.
Here's the Hockey Canada link and a story in the Globe & Mail.

Sometimes, being a tough hockey player is wrong

Present day hockey fans know Bill Masterton as the name of a trophy for the NHL player showing dedication to hockey.
But those of us of a certain age remember Masterton's true life storyline. How he tried to crack the NHL when it had only six teams, gave up and started a successful career and family only to return to the game in his late 20s when expansion doubled the number of NHL teams to 12.
Masterton landed a spot with the Minnesota North Stars, where he became the only NHL player to ever die as a result of playing.
Now, a Toronto Star investigation reveals the full story of what happened in 1968 and how, by today's standards, having Masterton on the ice was foolhardy and dangerous as he was playing with an untreated concussion. When he suffered a second hit to the head, it was fatal.
I recommend the story, especially for parents who have to hold back kids champing at the bit to play when they are hurt.









TheStar Star investigation: What really killed NHL's Bill Masterton

Hockey game honours Ian Jenkins

This is a very good idea.
As part of the funeral arrangements for 15-year-old Ian Jenkins, friends will play a hockey game, with everyone wearing Ian's No. 35.
The London Knights prospect from Michigan died Monday from head injuries suffered when he fell from a pickup truck.
Here's a link to a story from AnnArbor.com.
Here's a link with the details of the post-funeral hockey game.

15-year-old Knights prospect dies

The always excellent Morris Dalla Costa of The London Free Press wrote an excellent column today about Ian Jenkins, the London Knights goaltending prospect who died of head injuries Monday (May 23, 2011) after falling out of a pickup truck near Ann Arbor, Mich., last week.
Life's not always fair.

Celebration sours with fall from truck in Thamesford

On the heels of a similar accident in Michigan which killed 15-year-old future London Knight Ian Jenkins comes this story from Thamesford, Ont., where a junior hockey player fell off the tailgate of a pickup truck following a Victoria Day parade.
He was airlifted to hospital and it sounds like, thankfully, he's going to be OK.
But one wonders, are athletically gifted young people bigger risk takers than other kids? Is their judgment powered by joy and adrenaline instead of making more boring but safe choices?
Here's the Thamesford story link to The London Free Press.

NHL fighters have regrets

We're reading more and more that retired NHL tough guys hated what they were doing at the time, are worried about longterm health issues and regret the influence their fighting had on minor hockey players.
In the wake of the alcohol/prescription drug death of New York Ranger enforcer Derek Boogaard, here an excellent piece from The Globe and Mail quoting the likes of Stu "the Grim Reaper" Grimson, Tasered retired NHLer Ryan VandenBussche, former Toronto Maple Leaf Kurt Walker and, the gentle giant, Georges Laraque.

15-year-old goalie off life support

Ian Jenkins of Michigan had a bright future ahead of him in major junior hockey. Drafted two weeks ago by the London Knights, everyone expected he would eventually become the team's No. 1 goaltender.
No longer.
Ian was thrown from the back of a pickup truck near Ann Arbor, hit his head and has now been taken off life support in hospital.
His father issued a detailed statement, reported by Morris Dalla Costa of The London Free Press. On behalf of the family, Joel Jenkins expresses heartfelt appreciation for the concern and sympathy of the hockey community.

Fraudster's house for sale

In southwestern Ontario, this house represents the granddaddy of youth sports fraud. It's the upscale place now for sale by the former athletics director for high school sports in the region. He used $800,000 in fees paid by parents for their kids to play high school hockey, football, basketball, etc., to build a spectacular backyard and feed an untraceable lottery ticket buying habit.
If I were a catty comment kind of guy, I'd wonder if the athletics fees I paid on behalf of my two kids count as a downpayment on his house, which is now for sale as reported in The London Free Press.
Proceeds from the sale are supposed to help make some restitution.

More minor hockey fraud

Is it too tempting to rip off youth sports organizations?
The latest allegations come from Petrolia Minor Hockey, where $124,000 is missing. It's the second minor hockey group in southwestern Ontario to call the police regarding missing money this spring.
Here's the Petrolia Topic story.

Money missing from girls' hockey association?

Is it just me or are we reading too often about money missing or allegedly missing from youth sports organizations?
West London Optimists Minor Hockey Association, where my son played, lost maybe $200,000 to a longtime volunteer treasurer with a gambling addiction who, sadly, committed suicide when the crime was discovered.
High school athletics in the London area lost $800,000 to its former director, who spent it on his home and, apparently, lottery tickets.
The latest questions raised come from the girls' hockey organization in Woodstock, where $45,000 is missing and the treasurer has resigned, according to this story.
What goes wrong? Is it sloppy systems or a warped sense of volunteer entitlement or just plain criminal minds?

Bobblehead Buff

Every sports-minded kid has at least one, and Steve Buffery is no exception.
The Toronto Sun sportswriter and my Berkshire travel buddy celebrates sports dolls in this clip from the Sun.
Amusing how few of his bobbleheads actually look like the athlete. My favourite is the black Doug Gilmour.
Many thanks to Twitter connection Rob Granatstein for tweeting about Steve's dolls.

Max Domi: Knights or nothing?

Interesting that the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons suggested weeks ago that future pro Max Domi would only play major junior in the OHL if it could be with the London Knights. Interesting that famous dad Tie Domi is rumoured to be interested in becoming an OHL assistant coach and the Knights have an opening. Interesting that London Knights coach Dale Hunter and general manager Mark Hunter each played a style of NHL hockey Tie (and likely Max) admired. Interesting that London has a history of developing NHL-bound talent.
This story of a deal with Kingston is also interesting, as reported on London's AM 980 website.

Windsor would've done better

Do you think the Memorial Cup should have been held in Windsor instead of Mississauga? I do. This sort of confirms it, courtesy of the Toronto Sun.

Max Domi taken in OHL draft

Future pro Max Domi, the 15-year-old son of former Toronto Maple Leaf Tie Domi, was drafted in the first round by Kingston in the Ontario Hockey League draft, despite his dad insisting Max had decided to go the U.S. college route and that there was no "deal" that Max would change his mind if he could play in Kingston with Doug Gilmour's team.
Good to know trash talk is not limited to on the ice. Nevertheless, all the best to Max and his hockey endeavours.

The Last Supper

Tonight's the wrap party for this season's hockey team. It was my son's major midget year and, unless he decides to taper down with juvenile or decides to coach, marks the end of his minor hockey team involvement.
It's a pot-luck house party, a tip of the hat to frugality after mounting an epic road trip to a tournament near Nashville last January.
Over the years, the team parties we've attended have taken many forms, from cramming into restaurant booths, to renting a bowling alley, using a community hall and trucking barbecues from whomever lived closest to backyard parties and the aforementioned pot luck. Loved them all, but the best was likely reserving a private room at the Mandarin and letting the teens go wild at the buffet.
For the third year season in a row, I've taken the best of our hockey photos from the winter and compiled them as a slide show on a DVD, complete with family-friendly music. I've already put snippets on YouTube and Photobucket (55,000 image views since November!), so much of it won't be a surprise.
But I did sneak something in that'll surprised our 20-something coach, thanks to his mom.

Ontario ends body checking in house, select minor hockey leagues

With safety and participation in mind, the Ontario Hockey Federation has opted to ban body checking for all age groups in house and select minor hockey leagues.
This is a good thing.
It allows parents to rest easy and for a more broad spectrum of kids to get involved with hockey, focusing on the fun of skating and puck handling without worrying about getting smoked by someone with a body size advantage. It brings house league into line with adult beer leagues, where exercise and fun are the order of the day, not fantasies about playing in the NHL.
Appropriately, body checking remains part of the complete game in competitive leagues where the level of skating skill, anticipation and coordination is higher and where kids can do a better job of protecting themselves.
The move also creates two distinct products for kids and parents to choose, without giving up on hockey totally.
The OHF news release can be read here.

Former Flyers captain adds to concussion discussion

Wondering what former Philadelphia Flyers captain Keith Primeau is up to, years after being knocked out of pro hockey with a series of concussions?
He's helped launch a website, with information of interest to minor hockey players and officials called Stop Concussions. The site had a launch ceremony today at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Support the greatest playoff beards

Playoff beards are an NHL tradition - sometimes even for junior hockey for those who can.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation has partnered with the NHLPA in a beard fundraiser in which fans can sponsor their favourite NHL players' beards or grow one of their own during the playoffs.
To encourage a fuzzy face, click NHL beards.

Long-time volunteers bow out

Nice piece in the Dunnville Chronicle about a pair of hockey buddies - 

Mel Langkamer and Dave Dunham - retiring after volunteering together for 40 years. It's a minor hockey not without the expected political overtones. Among the pros they influenced: Nathan Horton of the Boston Bruins. Read it the Chronicle.

One to admire

Wasn't it only about five years ago when Steve Downie's future as a hockey player was in tatters? There were odd incidents involving a black teammate, nakedness on a team bus and cramming rookies into the bus's toilet. There was the bounce from the Windsor Spitfires, a blip with the Philadelphia Flyers. But look at him now. Downie is the most impressive member of the upstart Tampa Lightning in the NHL playoffs. Says so here.