Minneapolis Hockey's response to Jack Jablonski injury

[SWPrez]

...No checking behind the goal line...

I strongly advocate cleaning up the game. I'm not sure that no checking behind the goal line is the way to do it. If the existing rules and standards were strictly enforced, that would go a long way toward solving the problem.

I'm not sure any rule changes are needed. I'm not sure any of USA Hockey's official enforcement standards need changing. I am sure that many infractions currently go uncalled, and that does need to change. I also think coaches and players will push whatever boundaries are in place, and if the standards on the ice are lax, then dangerous play is the result. We (hockey associations, districts, MN Hockey; parents; coaches; players) need to insist that the rulebook is enforced, and support referees if they make a "marginal" call when player safety is at stake.

Search for USA Hockey rules 2011-13, read through the preface and section 4, penalties. Lots of stuff we see in youth and high school hockey is against the rules, and is enough of an issue that USA Hockey has added strongly worded Standard of Play and Rules Emphasis to the preface. Hard checks of any kind into the boards are not permitted. "Finishing a check" is not permitted. Checking anyone who doesn't have the puck is not permitted. Yet I see it every game.

Jack's Pledge is a good step in the right direction. Good to see that Associations are taking some initiative and ownership in this. I think the Associations should band together and demand that their District's officials call the game by the book.

Bandy, agree.

The association policy that Minneapolis is adopting should be available in the next day. It covers virtually everything you have covered in your email. We are not asking MN or USA Hockey for rule change - but for the rulebook to be followed closely and as intended by those who drafted the rules.

The Jablonski's have approved the pledge. A website will be up approximately in the next 48 hours.

Minneapolis Hockey Association will provide free "In Our Hearts" helmet stickers to all teams that have their coaches and players take the pledge.

The Jablonski injury was tragic, but this will be the Bill Masterton moment of this hockey generation.

[BenDangle]

SWP:

Just so you know, my District 6 association has approved the Pledge.

I love the pledge and am ready to take it. Here is a fault to it and where I think there is flaw.

Please respond when you get chance.

We got a note from a mom on our team that said, "we're taking the pledge, we're getting stickers." I'm like great!!! so I ask her last night what the pledge is and she said she didn't know. I asked her if the association plans to have parents or players sign a document. She said, "no I don't think so" and "the stickers will be here next week". Essentially all we are going to get is a sticker, without a true pledge taking place.

Here is my fear. Is Jack's Pledge, just a sticker? Or will it become more? Because our association is heading down sticker alley right now and it makes me sick. I want the changes your association is seeking and leading others toward. It also makes me sick that my 3 kids will have a sticker on their helmet and really won't have a clue as to why or how it got there....nor will the parents stop yelling at refs, etc...

The problem is I don't think most people have read it nor want to take the time to read it and most important want to change the parental behavior portion of the pledge. they just want to put a sticker on the helmet to make themselves feel beter.

Again i applaud your efforts, a lot of good will come of this. keep up the good work.

[SWPrez]

SWP:

Just so you know, my District 6 association has approved the Pledge.

I love the pledge and am ready to take it. Here is a fault to it and where I think there is flaw.

Please respond when you get chance.

We got a note from a mom on our team that said, "we're taking the pledge, we're getting stickers." I'm like great!!! so I ask her last night what the pledge is and she said she didn't know. I asked her if the association plans to have parents or players sign a document. She said, "no I don't think so" and "the stickers will be here next week". Essentially all we are going to get is a sticker, without a true pledge taking place.

Here is my fear. Is Jack's Pledge, just a sticker? Or will it become more? Because our association is heading down sticker alley right now and it makes me sick. I want the changes your association is seeking and leading others toward. It also makes me sick that my 3 kids will have a sticker on their helmet and really won't have a clue as to why or how it got there....nor will the parents stop yelling at refs, etc...

The problem is I don't think most people have read it nor want to take the time to read it and most important want to change the parental behavior portion of the pledge. they just want to put a sticker on the helmet to make themselves feel beter.

Again i applaud your efforts, a lot of good will come of this. keep up the good work.

No sticker alley here. While the support for Jack is appreciated, pressing that sticker onto your helmet has to have meaning.

A Pledge must be signed by player and coaches and placed in their Team Books. They will be provided on the website in PDF form. We will not be "sticker police". Each association must mind their own players. Moms, Dads, Boards that want safer hockey need to self enforce.

Associations must commit to taking a serious stand regarding what is going on with dangerous play - checking from behind, boarding, head checks, etc. Minneapolis has committed to doubling the penalties we have deemed as dangerous (served on our bench). Mandatory.

While this mainly applies to Bantams, where checking is allowed, I have seen checking from behind at the Peewee levels and girls levels. All of them need to have tighter rules enforcement. All levels need coaching that prepares them for checking (angling work, etc.).

An association looking for stickers with no long term meaning can print their own - and some teams already have. We just won't post them up on the website as an association that is committed to safer play.

It is our goal, and I think I can say the Jablonski's goal, to have kids pressing these stickers on helmets a decade from now and having it mean something. The sticker means nothing without the association taking a stand for safer play.

Minneapolis has. A parent of a player playing against our association knows that we will take considerable action against players that play dangerously. We only ask other associations to step up with us. Our policy will also be posted on the website and a generic association copy will be there for other associations.

[BenDangle]

Amen...what he said (fingers crossed that my assoc has this approach).

Just a sticker is an insult to the pledge.

[MWHockey]

Amen...what he said (fingers crossed that my assoc has this approach).

Just a sticker is an insult to the pledge.

SWPrez and Bandy,

I think rule changes are going to be hard, but if there were one it would really be a simplification of the existing rules as I stated in my letter to the Strib last week (http://www.startribune.com/opinion/othe ... 44678.html). Although this is my last few months on the board and in youth hockey, I'm going to see that the pledge and all of its components get weaved into fabric of our association. This comes down to teaching, learning and enforcement at both the team and association level. Of course, refs are the game enforcement officials I'm a strong advocate of simplifying their job. Refs are people and people make mistakes, especially in a game that moves as fast as ours does. I'm frankly amazed at how good many of them really are. In fact, I think refs need to discuss and reaffirm support for calling a clean game before a game starts so there is absolutely no discussion when/if a player gets ejected. A few simple changes would go a long way toward making the game safer for the kids who, I feel compelled to add, are still playing a kid's game.