How to Build a Better Mouse Trap and Decrease the Number of Concussions in Youth Ice Hockey

How to Build a Better Mouse Trap and Decrease the Number of Concussions in Youth Ice Hockey

Leagues and clubs are concerned about our children’s safety and take harm seriously. I got to witness the way two clubs handled a child’s behavior after he repeatedly caused head contact to our players with over the top checks. He gave one player a concussion after serving 3 or 4 penalties. The child ultimately got a 2 game suspension after the clubs talked and reviewed video. When we played them again…he played with more respect and still was able to show off  his skills. Did the current rules and standards work to prevent head contact and injury? Yes and no but mostly no.


Let’s consider the hits to the head and neck and for the most part hits to the back, that cause head impact, to be the mouse. Or the behavior we want to trap, like a mouse, and not let on the ice. Current rules and standards of USA Hockey are the mouse trap.


We aren’t dealing with adult ice hockey players. We are dealing with children, teens and young adults. What works to shape their behavior are immediate and consistent punishment with severe consequences. That type of penaly is needed when it comes to punishing unwanted behavior. In the case of youth ice hockey the unwanted behavior is contact the head, neck and back. The mouse we want off the ice.

Think about your own kids. What is more a powerful punishment? A punishment that may or may not occur depending on how you feel that day?  A punishment that may occur based on who is present and how badly they view the act? A punishment that may equate to a 10 minute grounding, 1 day grounding, 3 day grounding or maybe a week to a month of being grounded? A punishment they know they get every time no matter what the circumstances are, is the most effective form of punishment.


The answer, to elaborate, is any punishment that is always delivered in the same way. This is a behavioral principle that has been proven time and time again. The quickest way to remove or extinguish behavior you don’t want is to punish the behavior all the time, the same exact way. The punishment has to be significant and delivered the same way every time. That principle is the key. It can’t vary or it won’t be as effective.

When it comes to concussions and head injuries, we all want to reduce them. We can reduce concussions and head injury by building better rules and standards, the mouse trap, based on what we know today. We must deter the mouse from coming on the ice.


We know we are the adults and if we come down hard on players they listen. The above example of suspension and club review was hard and serious. It came after players were injured. It worked for the next game and will probably work for the next game and probably most games after that for that player.  In some cases it might work forever, if we lived in la-la land. There are more players on the ice. That type of harsh punishment is always needed and was done quickly and efficiently but the mouse trap (current rules and standards) didn’t prevent the mouse or head contact from coming on the ice. Two kids ended up hurt. One went to the ER directly from the game and another was diagnosed with a concussion the next day. The mouse trap failed those two boys. It failed. There are different types of penalties and punishment. Greater focus is needed on the front end of punishement - prevention and not the back end of punishiment or post-inury.


The current hockey rules and safety standards need to be revised to address behavior no one believes belongs on the ice and that is contact to the head, neck and back. Nobody is for this. Yet, it continues occur at a rate I consider to be epidemic. Epidemic in the sense that is occurs above the level that it should otherwise be, it can be reduced significantly.


So if we were to build a better mouse trap what would we need? We would need a simple trap that provides immediate and consistent punishment with consequences that are considered severe to the player and team. Anything short creates room for players and teams to take chances. Players need to learn from the Mite level that if they hit a player in the head, neck or back then they don’t play anymore that game. Nothing is more painful to a child then not being able to play. We aren’t talking about a 2 minute grounding or 2 and 10 or a 5. They don’t play. If you want to maintain the physical play of hockey and decrease the reckless play in hockey, you need better methods to extinguish hits to the head, neck and back. Immediate game suspension would have prevented two children from getting harmed in the above example. The one and done penalty or zero tolerance is needed. You can't play anymore that game if you hit someone in the neck, head or back.


Youth ice hockey has an old mouse trap mostly built for adult mice. A new mouse trap built for children, teens and young adults is needed.

Check the Wrong Way (safety & respect) You Don’t Play Today

An absolute change to the rules for head, neck and back contact are needed to reduce dangerous and reckless contacts to the lowest possible level. We can’t prevent all injuries but we can reduce them. Head, neck and back penalties should not be left to interpretation. They should not be based on harm. They should be mandatory and immediate. We can do better. This simple rule change will reduce concussions in youth ice hockey.