In an effort to keep young players on the ice and out of the emergency room, the Ontario Hockey Federation is banning bodychecking for recreational players between the ages of six and 21.
The rule change announced earlier this week by the largest provincial branch of Hockey Canada affects house league players drawn from all skill levels as well as the select teams comprised of the top house league players.
Players in the federation's higher level "rep" teams are not covered by the ban, however.
In a statement, the OHF said its ban should "bring the focus back to the basics" of the game.
"The removal creates a safer environment for new players that join the game at any age to develop the fundamental skills of skating and puck handling without the concern of being intentionally hit by another player," the OHF said.
"At the end of the day hockey is a sport intended to give health benefits and life lessons to participants, and the OHF wants to highlight these core attributes of the game."
According to OHF Executive Director Phil McKee, the decision reflects an "evolution" of thinking in the sport.
"A lot of our associations have removed it from house league hockey over the past ten years. And we decided this is the time to standardize it across the Ontario Hockey Federation," he told 麻豆影视 Channel on Friday, explaining that the new rule is intended to improve player recruitment, retention, skills development and safety.
Reacting to the rule change, one of the first researchers to demand a ban on bodychecking in recreational hockey leagues said it was a step in the right direction.
"I know some parents keep their kids out of hockey, especially out of competitive hockey, because they worry about the injuries that might ensue when kids are allowed to bodycheck," York University health professor Alison Macpherson told The Canadian Press on Thursday.
"Kids are more likely to play if they think they're not going to get hurt," she added. "Which is great because we have an obesity epidemic."
Several studies have linked body contact to increased injuries among players, including one published last year that found youngsters allowed to check their opponents were not only more than twice as likely to get injured, they were more likely to suffer concussions.
Comparing the experience of Pee Wee players in Alberta where bodychecking is allowed, and Quebec where bodychecking is banned, researchers concluded that removing body contact could prevent 1,000 game-related injuries and more than 400 concussions.
But some believe learning to deal with bodychecks early is essential for anyone who wants to excel at the sport.
University of Buffalo brain injury researcher Barry Willer is among those who extol the merits of young players learning how to give and take a bodycheck.
"If you introduce it to them when they're young, you get much more minor injuries and the kids learn to bodycheck and they learn to take a check better, earlier," Willer told CTV Calgary.
Acknowledging that the contentious debate is far from settled, McKee said fans and players of the sport should not see this change as a step towards eliminating checking from the game altogether.
"It's a move to remove it from a level where the focus should be on skating skills, puck development," he said.
"And if you want to move to a level with bodychecking, we have those levels at minor peewee and above for players at representative levels and that will continue to be in place in the future."
While Hockey Canada sets the rules for the game nationally, provincial branches who seek permission to research the issue can set their own rules.
So far, only the OHF, the Saskatchewan Hockey Association and the Ottawa District Hockey Association have applied for the permission and funding to do so.
According to Hockey Canada's rulebook, bodychecking is first permitted among the 11- and 12-year-olds playing on Pee Wee division teams.
"There will always be those who object," McKee said. "We believe it's a positive decision for hockey, for players and for parents as well as administrators."
The OHF represents approximately 40 per cent of the registered players in this country. Of those, approximately 70 per cent, or more than 150,000 play recreational hockey.
With files from The Canadian Press
