This is my first draft of a letter to USA Hockey. I will review it for a few days for editing purposes and then decide where to send it. I do not believe anything I am writing is new. I simply believe it needs to be continuously put out to be read, heard, discussed, and hopefully addressed.
To All Participants of USA Hockey,
Youth ice hockey is a physical sport. It is not a reckless sport. Youth ice hockey is made of up several components; leagues, clubs, parents, and youth players that typically take their lead from USA Hockey. USA Hockey sets standard and provides educational material to address the safety and educational needs of the players, coaches, clubs, and leagues.
I have been involved with youth ice hockey for 5 years. There is a systemic flaw that I believe USA Hockey must address. You are the leaders and your name is being used by leagues and clubs. That flaw is the failure of leagues and clubs to adequately and fully follow your policies, procedures, and standards.
Leagues and clubs are selling themselves based on USA Hockey standards; however these standards aren’t being fully followed, enforced, or implemented to the highest possible degree. USA Hockey’s zero tolerance policy is a good example of a standard that is not fully followed or enforced by clubs and leagues. The scale of this systemic flaw is epidemic, in my opinion, but I recognize it varies from club to club or league to league. There are many leagues and clubs that do a good job. This is not about them.
I also believe that this flaw is not necessary a purposeful act on behalf of leagues and clubs but none the less it occurs. The failure to fully utilize and enforce USA Hockey standards leads to the harm of youth ice hockey players. I will not accept this as a part of business as usual. USA Hockey must demonstrate a proactive role in ensuring leagues and clubs fully meet USA Hockey standard. Point and period. You also need a clear direct method for parents and participants to direct concerns back to USA Hockey. A method that involves a timely response to our concerns.
The flaw is not only held by the above mention but also by the referee associations. The referees are not effectively trained or educated to make calls as indicated by USA Hockey. Rules are not enforced as written. You can not hide behind the word "discretionary". I just reviewed USA Hockey's new checking packet with regard to rule changes. After 150 hockey games, I can tell you that referees rarely make a call with regard to checking being a play for the puck. Checking has morphed into a NHL standard of free hits to the player with the puck, near the puck, or who has delivered the puck. This is the biggest cause of injury. Failure to differentiate between hitting and checking is a problem. It is what causes the greatest harm to our children.
Discretionary calling is not of value to youth ice hockey. The gray area is not effective for teaching youth players how to manage their behavior. While USA Hockey has very clear and easily identifiable standards for proper and improper checking and reckless contact; it seems the referees miss far too many penalties. Two players, for instance, received full straight armed punches last week, in a game I saw, to their face guards, after the whistles. The penalty for one was 2 minutes for head contact and the other one was just broken up. Is this discretion? What tone did the referees set in this game? The coach of that team, on his own, suspended the players for one game each. Where were the referees? Why is there such disparity in what to call?
I might argue that failure to clearly, fully, and accurately referee games is of more harm to the youth players then clubs and leagues that fail to follow USA Hockey standards to the letter. Spare me the discretionary rhetoric of the referee calls. While you all (all being everyone involved) hide behind “ref’s discretion”, youth players are seriously injured. The tone and safety of a game is set by the referees. If the referees fail to call a clean tight game immediately as outlined by USA Hockey, the youth players will push limits. Adults are responsible for managing the youth players.
How do you address the failure of the refereeing system? The blame is not on the referee. The first step is to increase the number of referees on ice or implement an off ice official that function only to enforce USA Hockey’s zero tolerance policy and enforce improper checking, contact to the head, neck, or back, and other behaviors that put youth players at risk. It is not acceptable to leave a such a significant component of youth ice hockey (refereeing) undertrained and under-supported. Support the referees with education and man-power. Do not blame individuals. Standards of practice can not only be on paper, they must be standards demonstrated in action. I believe USA Hockey has a clear responsiblity to ensure their standards are enacted at all levels of youth ice hockey, to the highest possible degree.
The second step is to provide adequate training and support to the referees so they can best understand how to manage a game. This requires a 10 fold increase in referee evaluations and a mechanism to get immediate feedback from players, parents, coaches, and clubs to respected referee associations. Discretionary calling is not an excuse for poor work quality. You have to increase the number of evaluated games and you have to do it as “surprise evaluations”. The referees need to be taught to error on the side of safety and not reckless play and realize at anytime their game may be evaluated. The good referees will only get better and the poor referees will learn or leave.
In addition to these steps, strong referees must be rewarded and poor referees disciplined. I am aware that pieces of my above suggestions exist. They need to be improved apon. The current system, to ensure the games are called with the highest standards to match USA Hockey’s rules and regulations is weak, to the point of neglect for the safety of our youth players. You must address the system of refereeing and policing safety in youth ice hockey games. This neglect will utimately fall on USA Hockey, if not addressed.
Finally, the penalties for youth players need to be different the NHL. You currently have it backwards. The clubs, leagues, and USA Hockey are taking penalties that are used for elite athletes and applying them to youth players that are physically and mentally still maturing. This is wrong. The NHL penalties do not work for youth players as a method to best reduce risk of harm to the players. The failure to make the calls is one issue I already addressed but the failure to use a penalty that actually shapes and prevent behavior is evident and it must be addressed aggressively.
There is argument to remove checking from youth ice hockey. I do not believe this is needed. Checking is not the issue. Reckless hitting and abusive bullying physical hits are the problem. I believe 98% of the players play with respect but make mistakes. I believe that 2% of the players intend to bully and harm and are allowed to get away with it. The solution is in increasing penalties for the most dangerous hit in youth ice hockey. The solution is in removing the reckless players quickly and immediately from the game. Further discipline can occur later if merited.
Institute a mandatory 5 minute major penalty for checking or forcefully contacting a player in the neck, head, and back. The player should also receive an automatic 10 minute misconduct. You have to understand a 2 minute penalty for elbowing or a 2 and 10 for boarding is weak. Discretion is less important than just strong penalties. The 5 minute major impacts the player, the coach and team, and the 10 minute misconduct removes the player. If the player can’t follow the zero tolerance rules of USA Hockey when penalized, eject the player. I don’t understand what youth ice hockey is afraid of. You are the adults in a youth league. Penalize the problem players, educate them, and remove them if they can’t learn and get along.
A player that receives two penalties for checking or contacting the head, neck, or back of a player, shall be suspended from immediate game play. The bench will have to serve the 5 minute major penalty and the 10 minute misconduct. Hit the players and team where it hurts if you truly want to reduce the most dangerous behaviors in youth ice hockey. If a team continues to get penalties like the above, I would suggest removing goals from their score and forfeiting games. The strength of these penalties will not harm competitive play and it will raise the standard of safety in youth ice hockey. A win win situation.
Finally, USA Hockey has set standards aimed at best managing a great sport. There is hope to expand youth ice hockey in the United States. There is desire to teach players, improve safety, and create a great experience for the player and parents. Changing checking to Bantam level without addressing my concerns but more so without ensuring clubs, leagues, and referees follow what has already been outlined by USA Hockey, will only mask the problem of injuries coming from reckless hitting. The emperor wasn’t wearing clothes. Rewriting your policies and procedures, without ensuring USA Hockey standards are followed to the highest degree and failing to deliver strong penalties for dangerous hits and contact, is like walking naked on the ice surface and saying you have latest in stealth impact protection.
Gary Pilarchik
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