|
| |
::SPORTS NEWS::
LE Newsletter - February 2, 2012
|
| |
Hockey Canada Wants To Reduce Violence In Game
Source:
www.thestar.com - Bob Mitchell
(Jan 27, 2012) Major changes aimed at reducing fighting and
other
violent acts on the ice are coming,
Hockey Canada
president Bob Nicholson says.
But don’t expect fighting to be eliminated totally from the game
— something USA Hockey hopes to do at the junior level possibly
as soon as next season, Nicholson says.
“I could say we want to get fighting totally out of the game but
does that mean if you fight, you never play again?” Nicholson
said Friday in an interview.
Nicholson said Hockey Canada and USA Hockey are working closely
to reduce violence in the sport. He said Hockey Canada will be
sharing data collected from its various leagues over the past
two years with the Americans.
USA Hockey wants fighting eliminated at Tier I, II and III
junior levels and a formal vote is expected at its board meeting
in June. If passed, it could be in place for the 2012-13 season.
Under the American proposal, players who fight would receive a
game misconduct and be required to sit out the next game as
well. Increased suspensions would be imposed for every further
fight. The fighting regulations are based on rules now in place
for all NCAA games
Hockey Canada officials are also expected to look at various
options at their board meeting in May but the total elimination
of fighting isn’t going to be proposed because there are too
many scenarios that come with a such a ban.
In trying to reduce fighting, Nicholson said “the key” is, what
happens after you fight? And what happens after you have a
second or third fight?
“To say that we’re going to eliminate fighting totally, well,
you can’t say that unless that means you fight and never play
again,” Nicholson said. “We certainly don’t want to have
fighting at the junior level and below in hockey in Canada.”
Nicholson said officials need to come up with a fighting formula
that works.
“You might get kicked out of the game after the first fight and
get kicked out after the second fight and maybe you’ll get a
three-game suspension after a third fight but really, the person
you want to punish is the aggressor who starts the fight,”
Nicholson said. “You don’t want the toughest guy in the league
to go after the most skilled player and kicking both of them
out.
“Hockey Canada certainly wants to reduce fighting in the game.
There isn’t any fighting in minor hockey. There are suspensions
all the way through. That doesn’t mean there isn’t fighting. But
we want to put in place all different measures to reduce
fighting.
“But in doing so, we want to make sure we don’t increase other
types of violence (such as stick work, head shots, hitting from
behind). That’s sort of the tricky point. We want to reduce
violence in the game first and foremost. We don’t just want to
look at one aspect (fighting). You want to look at all of it as
you take on the fighting issue.” |
|
| |
|
::ENTERTAINMENT NEWS WITH A CANADAN TWIST::
