[Newsbot]

Title: No-checking hockey stirs controversy
Category: Sports
Posted By: Hyack
Date: 2010-10-29 22:06:15
Canadian

[KorbenDeck]

Its not hockey if there is no checking. They need to come up with a new name

[Unsound]

Ringette?

[OnTheIce]

KorbenDeck KorbenDeck:

Its not hockey if there is no checking. They need to come up with a new name

Coming from a hockey player and coach....

Hockey is 10x better without hitting. Look at how fixed we as Canadians are to the World Juniors and the Olympics when hits are few and far between.

There will come a time in the NHL when open ice hits and massive checks aren't allowed, and that day get closer every time a superstar has his career cut short due to head injuries.

[CDN_PATRIOT]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

There will come a time in the NHL when open ice hits and massive checks aren't allowed, and that day get closer every time a superstar has his career cut short due to head injuries.

That will be sad day for hockey, and sports in general, and I for one hope to never see it. Players know the risks before they step onto the ice. No one is forcing anyone to play that doesn't want to get hit.

If it's really that violent, people who are against physical sports could always play non-physical sports, like....badminton, or table tennis.

-J.

[KorbenDeck]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

KorbenDeck KorbenDeck:

Its not hockey if there is no checking. They need to come up with a new name

Coming from a hockey player and coach....

Hockey is 10x better without hitting. Look at how fixed we as Canadians are to the World Juniors and the Olympics when hits are few and far between.

There will come a time in the NHL when open ice hits and massive checks aren't allowed, and that day get closer every time a superstar has his career cut short due to head injuries.

I dunno without hitting I always found hockey was no fun to play. There are suppose to be risk that's what makes it fun.

[OnTheIce]

KorbenDeck KorbenDeck:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

KorbenDeck KorbenDeck:

Its not hockey if there is no checking. They need to come up with a new name

Coming from a hockey player and coach....

Hockey is 10x better without hitting. Look at how fixed we as Canadians are to the World Juniors and the Olympics when hits are few and far between.

There will come a time in the NHL when open ice hits and massive checks aren't allowed, and that day get closer every time a superstar has his career cut short due to head injuries.

I dunno without hitting I always found hockey was no fun to play. There are suppose to be risk that's what makes it fun.

Hitting is such a tiny part of the game. Skilled players avoid hitting whereas slower, less talented players, rely on contact as their size is their only asset.

I wouldn't say eliminate contact, but eliminate the career ending shots that show players have little respect for one another. Catching a guy with his head down isn't as cool as it once was.

[Hyack]

KorbenDeck KorbenDeck:

Its not hockey if there is no checking. They need to come up with a new name

They have, it's called......figure skating....

[QBC]

When you go out to compete in any contact sport, you know the risks before you step out onto the floor, ice, turf or grass. If you don't want to take the risk, don't play. If you don't want hitting to be a part of hockey, I don't have a problem with non-contact leagues, but leave the traditional game as is and don't force players, as asserted in the article, to join if they don't want to just to get your numbers up. They can start up a new pro hockey league, NWHL. (National Wuss Hockey League) What a big draw that would be....

[OnTheIce]

QBC QBC:

When you go out to compete in any contact sport, you know the risks before you step out onto the floor, ice, turf or grass. If you don't want to take the risk, don't play. If you don't want hitting to be a part of hockey, I don't have a problem with non-contact leagues, but leave the traditional game as is and don't force players, as asserted in the article, to join if they don't want to just to get your numbers up. They can start up a new pro hockey league, NWHL. (National Wuss Hockey League) What a big draw that would be....

But what is the "traditional game"?

The first games of hockey certainly didn't have hitting, nor did they have areas of the ice the goalies couldn't go. The game has evolved as we have.

Hell, the first games of hockey is when they started using boards....contact has evolved into the traditional game as we know it.

The NHL is has already gone ahead with a head shot ban, isn't that against the traditional rules of the game as most people see them?

At what point do we finally say, "ok, it's time to make a change"?

[Lemmy]

I don't think there needs to be debate about checking vs. non-checking. We should have both. But I agree that checking should be removed from all local-league/house-league hockey (but kept in rep/AAA and junior). The skill level in most local-league hockey makes body checking very dangerous. Kids just aren't strong enough on their skates to give or take a check safely.

Serious injuries are actually quite rare in minor hockey, largely due to the crackdowns on head-checks and checking-from-behind. I've officated many thousands of hockey games and (knock on wood) I've never seen a really bad injury. But I can tell you that MANY more kids get hurt playing local-league hockey than rep.

You don't need to take checking out of rep-cailbre hockey to make it safer. What is needed is better coaching. Kids get hurt when games start to get out of hand. 100% of the games I see going south get that way because of bad coaching. Kids can be coached and instructed to check safely. Kids can be coached respect for their opponent. Kids can be coached good sportsmanship. When hockey isn't that way, it's because the coach winds the players up: "FINISH THE CHECK! "GET YOUR MAN AND DRIVE HIM INTO THE BOARDS", "KILL HIM!". I hear this shit from the benches all the time. You can tell when you're in for a bad game after the first minute of play. When coaches yell at kids (and refs), you've got a shithouse on your hands. You can alter the rule-book all you want, but you'll never improve minor hockey without a completley different approach to coaching.