Major Penalties---Holy Hannah!!!

[dogeatdog1]

Over the weekend I saw multiple games at multiple levels at multiple arenas. All of which had at least one Major Penalty assessed. Also saw more than one game with multiple 5 and 10s. How many kids are going to be banned from hockey after their 4th Check from behind? Anyone else think this is Crazy? Can anyone clarify what the rule is an who is policing this?

[redtundra]

The penalty issue is indeed a problem. Unfortunately, it is only one that will take time. I reffed many years of youth, and still ref high school and college hockey. Checking from behind has actually become quite clear - and the kids are starting to adapt to a difficult situation. If you check a player in the back (I mean check - not bump into), it is checking from behind and is either a 5 min. major and a 10 minute misconduct, or a 5 min. major and a game disqualification (at least in high school - USA hockey may still call it a game misconduct, but the result is the same). Referee discretion to give the game penalty based on severity. There is no longer any gray area (the player turned into it at the last moment!) The player delivering the check is 100% responsible for where the check is delivered. If the player being checked turns into it at very last second, it is still checking from behind major penalty. The State High School league even interprets a cross check in the back in front of the net (not along the boards even) as a checking from behind requiring a 5 min. major and a 10 min. misconduct at a minimum. I would still lean to calling that a cross check because the boards are not in play - just saying... Boarding (definition is the player is "violently thrown into the boards as a result of a check") is a 5 min. major miniumum. No 10 min. misconduct. BUT a game disqualification may be added based on severity. I would never assess a boarding penalty unless a player is "thrown" or "launched" into the boards. A huge hit that is along the boards rather than 3 or so feet away from the boards should never be called boarding. It may be charging or something else (usually a 2 min. minor), but not boarding. I will say that the number of injuries sustained from a player contacting the boards as a result of checking from behind or boarding seems to have been greatly reduced - thereby reducing injury. I would strongly urge all players, coaches and parents to re-assess the purpose of checking. It is NOT to intimidate or hurt the opposing player. That level of thinking is outdated. It IS to dispossess the opposing player of the puck so your team can gain control of the puck. Hard play should be encouraged. Dirty play should be penalized. Hope this helps.

[Bluewhitefan]

Over the weekend I saw multiple games at multiple levels at multiple arenas. All of which had at least one Major Penalty assessed. Also saw more than one game with multiple 5 and 10s. How many kids are going to be banned from hockey after their 4th Check from behind? Anyone else think this is Crazy? Can anyone clarify what the rule is an who is policing this?

The death penalty (4th offense and you're done) does not exist. D6 instituted it and then repealed it. The rules are the same as last year until MN Hockey takes up the issue again.

[Stripes2011]

this is an adjustment from old style hockey. really its fairly simple, If you see Jersey # do not check the person, contain them. Do Not Cross Check the person in front of the net anymore, and when checking someone remember your purpose is to seperate them from the puck, Not put them in the fifth row. Some of the added force used when playing the body is now needed to be controlled.
The sooner players, coaches, parents, fans..... all understand this the sooner the high degree of penalties will subside.

[Stripes2011]

"Redtundra" worded much better then me... well written!

[dogeatdog1]

Good to see that the X strikes and you are out is gone. I still think that we will be working on the powerplay and penalty kill skills for a long time. It seemed at least in the games that I watched every hit was a hit to the head, board and or check from behind. I only saw one 5 minute penalty without the extra 10 and that was in a squirt game! Might as well play no check hockey until highschool.

Refs gone wild my is my 2 cents.

[luckyEPDad]

What coaches need to work on is having teams advance the puck through the neutral zone instead of throwing it into the corners and chasing it down. Teams that dump and chase will ring up the penalty minutes and lose a lot of games. We might actually see passing and stick handling in boys hockey. What a treat!

[Reincarnated]

so we are saying the "stop" signs worked?

[wannagototherink]

As far as penalties go...Minnesota Hockey is the only body that has implemented such harsh penalties. I would argue that if you have watched a good number of youth games so far this season, you would have to notice that a majority of any physical play, not just that around the walls has greatly disappeared. I have watched games in not only Minnesota but also, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado and New Jersey so far this winter. I can assure you that the physical play has not deminished at all in those other states as it has here, not even close. I do not think we will see how this is affecting players here in Minnesota until our kids are competing against those players from around the country. Certainly, player safety should be a priority and I am by no means arguing against that. I do think that the bubble that is Minnesota Hockey is going to begin taking opportunities away from Minnesota kids because I (key word I) do not believe they are going to be prepared to play the physical style that is played at higher levels...and no High School Hockey is not that high of a level anymore. We can romanticize all we want about checking simply being about separating the man from the puck (I know that's what the rule book says), but in the real world outside of Minnesota that is simply not the case. I may be wrong but I guess only time will tell.

[Toomuchtoosoon]

I have seen about 8 majors given in all the bantam games I have seen so far, and not a single one was deserving in my opinion. Boarding is now called whenever a check makes a noise along the boards. Kids fighting for position along the boards and someone gets pinned-CFB or boarding. The pendulum has swung too far.

[observer]

Coaches should know you can't beat a superior opponent shorthanded. Zero penalties is the goal. It seems the majority called are the dumb and not worth the risk types and very few are hardworking accidental. That's on the coaches.