Amusing blurb in Steve Simmons' column for Sun Media newspapers today. He writes, " The latest minor hockey problem around Toronto: Testing timekeepers. Clocks are being improperly run in local rinks - and probably across the country - while kids with cellphones communicate with friends."
Hiring teens or 20-somethings to run time clocks for kids' hockey games is relatively recent. Used to be the norm that parents from the home team would train for two minutes, then take on the task. But when referees had to make complex calls, usually involving staggered penalties, the wheels could fall off. More importantly, parents didn't like doing it because, A. the timekeepers booths are cold, and B. they didn't really get to watch the game.