Hockey Alberta, acting on the decision made by its board of directors, is eliminating bodychecking in the peewee 11-12 age division.
Starting next season, the rules of play for the atom age division will also apply to the peewee division and penalties will be assessed to players who bodycheck.
Coaches will still be required to take the Checking Skills Program in peewee and encouraged to teach safe checking skills in a practice environment.
“Our players’ safety is the foundation in making this decision,” said Rob Virgil, Hockey Alberta’s chair of the board. “There is overwhelming evidence that bodychecking is the single most consistent risk factor for injuries and concussions in youth ice hockey.”
The rule change will affect almost 4,000 players in the province.
Last year the board of directors established a bodychecking review committee to review relevant scientific research, member feedback from past annual general meetings and a recent survey, as well as the positions of the Hockey Canada branches as they developed recommendations on options for bodychecking in minor hockey.
Data showed a three-fold increased risk of injury, including four times the risk of concussions, for peewee players in Alberta leagues with bodychecking, compared to those in Quebec without it.
Quebec banned peewee bodychecking in 1985.
The committee debated and decided upon the following recommendations, which were recently presented to and approved by the board.
• Create an overall player safety strategy that includes a focus on the reduction of serious injuries in the game at all levels.
• Continue to work within the guiding principles of the long-term player development plan and allow these principles to frame the decision-making process around player development programs at all levels.
• Remove bodychecking from all categories of the peewee age group.
“Hockey Alberta should be commended for taking a leadership role in creating a safer playing environment for our youth,” said Dr. Brian Benson, director for the Sport Concussion Clinic at the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre. “Recent evidence suggests removing bodychecking at the peewee level will reduce the rick of concussions and injuries overall by more than three-fold.”
The St. Albert Merchants wrapped up one of their best Capital Junior B Hockey League seasons in years at their awards banquet this week.
Netminder Justin Pawlenchuk was honoured as the most valuable player. Pawlenchuk appeared in a league-high 29 games and posted a 16-10 record, 3.50 GAA and one shutout in 1,611 minutes.
In the playoffs he started all 14 games and finished 8-6 with a 3.06 GAA in 844 minutes.
Ryan Harrison was presented with the outstanding forward and top scorer awards.
Harrison potted 13 goals and recorded a team-high 29 assists and 42 points in 33 games. The rugged centreman also led the Merchants in penalty minutes with 124.
Rounding out the trophy winners were Alex Hawirko (leadership award), Danny Rombough (best defenceman award and co-rookie of the year) Casey Reid (co-rookie of the year), Tyler Pennington (unsung hero award) and captain Brady Reid (most commitment and dedication award).
The Merchants fell one win short from advancing to the league final and the provincial championship. In the semifinals the Money Men lost 3-2 to the Wetaskiwin Icemen in the seventh and deciding game. The win was the Icemen’s third in St. Albert in the series.
In the playoffs the Merchants swept the Edmonton Mustangs in the best-of-three qualifying round and went the distance in the best-of-five quarter-finals to defeat the Beverley Warriors. Three games against Beverly were decided in overtime. In game one Brady Reid scored the 5-4 OT winner in Edmonton. Beverly won game four 3-2 in the fourth OT period in St. Albert. In game five Mike Roeleveld, the Merchants’ top playoff scorer with seven goals and 17 points in 14 games, tied it on the power play with 21 seconds to go after Beverly went ahead with 69 seconds to play. In the extra period Blair Macuch sniped the 4-3 series winner for the visitors.
In league play the Merchants finished third in the west division at 22-12-4.
To see the team picture of the award winners, visit www.stalbertgazette.com.
The North Red Wings skated away with the Alberta Challenge hockey crown with five bantam female St. Albert Raiders in the lineup.
The Red Wings edged the South Coyotes 2-1 in the May 5 tournament final at Medicine Hat.
Representing the Raiders on the winning team were forwards Carly Chikie, Jaime Kidd, Alexia Shaw and Kyrelle Skoye and netminder Natalie Bender.
Skoye ranked second on the Red Wings in goals with two and tied for third in points with three in five games.
In the B final the South Lightning beat the North Predators 4-3 in overtime.
The Predators’ roster featured defencemen Sutton Foster and Allyson Short and forward Miranda Gaudet of the Raiders.
The C final was also decided in overtime, with the South Flyers prevailing 3-2 against the North Royals.
Defencemen Hayley Basterash and Madison McCoy and forward Jamie Jones of the Raiders played for the Royals.
The four-day tournament featured 120 of Alberta’s top 1998-99 born female athletes.
In early April, regional camps were held in the north and south, from which 60 athletes were identified and then drafted by one of three teams in each of the zones.
