Opinion: As long as violent checking into the boards

[MineralMan]

is allowed in professional hockey, It will continue to occur in youth hockey. Since the paralyzing injury to a prep hockey player in Minnesota this week, there's been a lot of talk about instituting new rules for prep hockey. This will not work, until similar rules are applied to professional hockey. Young athletes will emulate the style of play seen in professional hockey, despite new rules.

[bluedigger]

1. Rules will work if they are necessary and enforced, usually.

You will never get 100% compliance, of course. Humans just aren't like that.

More generally, though, it seems that all "contact" sports are coming under greater scrutiny for acceptable levels of risk of injury. It's certainly visible in the NFL as they continue to adjust rules limiting contact. I think the NHL is still a major injury away from acting.

I'm sorry to hear about the hockey player in MN. It happens too often.

[MineralMan]

2. I know the NHL has serious penalties for

checking from behind, but other types of violent checking can be seen in every game. It seems to me that prep players may not discriminate as well, from lack of experience. The current rule proposals being talked about in Minnesota, following that boy's injuries, address the kind of penalties that can be assessed in cases where checking from behind occurs. And, yet, during a game less than a week later, there was a very serious check on a player after play had stopped. That led to a fight on the ice and several players were ejected. It looked a lot like a typical NHL fight.

Rules are not always the answer, sadly. Youth players will emulate the behavior they see in professional sports. That will not change, rules or no rules.

[bluedigger]

3. I'm not sure what your argument is.

You are conflating a few things here, and that may be ok, as they may relate to one another. Should we not play hockey because it is inherently violent? That seems to be where you headed to me.

College hockey is my favorite, because fighting isn't tolerated. It makes for a better game. Say what you will about the ncaa (I'm no fan), but in this case, it has had a positive influence on sports.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

4. I hear where you're coming from but

what is 'violent' checking? Obviously hitting from behind is wrong as is boarding, but most checks in hockey along the boards look and sound far worse than they really are. Sadly injuries do happen, and young men with big aspirations, and hormones raging and adrenaline rushing will make poor decisions, BUT Accidents will happen in any contact sport. Personally I'm not fan of changing more NHL rules.