News

As the Goalline Trails West Hockey site first reported this news on January 26th, a major minor hockey association in Canada, the Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association (PCAHA), has taken formal steps to eliminate body checking in minor hockey. The PCAHA is the governing regional association for Minor Hockey in BC's Lower Mainland. In what the association has called “an extraordinary general meeting,” on Sunday January 22 the association considered the extent to which body checking should be permitted in Minor Hockey. Their view is that for many minor hockey groups it should be eliminated altogether. 

 

The delegates attending voted 123 to 39 in favour of eliminating body checking at "C", or “recreational” hockey levels of Pee Wee, Bantam, Midget and Juvenile. The delegates also voted to support a forthcoming resolution at BC Hockey's June Annual General Meeting to further eliminate body checking at the Pee Wee "A" level.

 

For those who may not know, Hockey Canada prohibits body checking below PeeWee age level (11-12 years old) and in female hockey. Recent concerns about hockey injuries, in particular head injuries and concussions, have led to discussions at the national, provincial, and regional levels about the appropriate age to introduce body checking skills and whether body checking is a necessary component at recreational or “C” levels. 

 

The Trails West Hockey association, a major Calgary based minor hockey association, has posted some great news items on its site, including the story on body checking, along with a fantastic post on concussions and how to care for them. 

 

Let us know what you think…should body checking be eliminated from minor hockey?

 

~ Editor, Goalline Nation