What was most interesting about our three games was how the referees were able to set the tone. After hearing the families of NJ repeatedly say, "in Jersey the refs put their whistles away and let the boys play." I had to ask if they were from Jersey because I was from Jersey too. The hitting wasn't so bad. In fact there was more skilled checking. It was done fairly well. It was mostly physical and not reckless. The real issue was interference. It wasn't called consistently. Although the checks were more check-like, they were just delivered late.
One referee set the tone, after the coach yelled at him about a penalty. The referee said something like, "boys get killed by hits like that. It won't be happening in my game." And you know what... the coach never said another word and the reckless hits never came again. Referees can manage a game and referees can lose control of a game. I am not willing to risk injury to my son or players because of a stray NJ referee that might relocate from Jersey to Maryland. Although all NJ referees don't put their whistles away, the familes from Jersey told me they did. Why would they lie to me? I'm from Jersey too.
An interesting piece of information for the debate on reckless hitting... I saw one of our defensemen follow through on a clearing attempt and slightly touch the face mask of an opposing player with his blade. He was called for high sticking. I think it was a good call. Unintentional, but the rule book states you must be in control of your stick. He got two minutes for that. This call was simple. Stick to face - two minutes. There was no discretion there. This is what we need for hits to the neck, head, and back. No discretion. Mandatory calls which I believe should be suspension of immediate game play. Set the tone, like the referee above did. Hitting players in the neck, head, and back won't be tolerated because it puts players at the greatest risk for harm. One and done.
In the tournament, perhaps one player would have been suspended for a game. Maybe two, if you count my son's hit. Of course the referee called it interference versus hitting in the back. It occurred in the center of the ice versus along the boards. But location shouldn't matter. You might argue, why do you need such a harsh penalty of an in-game suspension, if the players mostly played fairly and cleanly. The answer is easy... most kids respect the rules but the ones that don't harm players. The players that follow rules, will have little trouble adapting to the One and Done rule change. You must have mandatory strict penalties for the most harmful hits in the game. These hits to the neck, head, and back aren't checking. The players need to be taught how to check and punished when it is done wrong. Intent does not matter.
If you can write a rule that gives a two minutes non-discretionary penalty for a stick hitting the neck or head of a player then you can make a better mandatory rule for any contact to the head, neck, and back of a player. This isn't the NHL. Youth players are learning the skill of checking and how to have a physical aspect in their game. They players need to be thoroughly taught and penalized while they learn. Sitting the rest of the game for a potentially harmful hit, is the best way to teach them not to do it.
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