Joey Payeur
If body checking in high school boys’ hockey in Ontario goes the way of the dinosaur, high school boys’ hockey in this area won’t be far behind.
That’s the stance of Muskie head coach Jamie Davis in light of a motion to remove intentional body contact from that level of the game is being presented for a vote at OFSAA’s annual general meeting April 16-17 in Richmond Hill.
“That wouldn’t be high school hockey,” said Davis.
“I’m definitely not in favour of [the motion],” he added. “It would be like turning football into flag football.
“[Body checking] is part of the game.”
Davis said he could see NorWOSSA folding and have players at that age level either joining a Midget ‘AA’ loop or looking to Manitoba to play.
The Muskies even could become a strictly independent team like the ones they have in Manitoba, Minnesota, and Illinois, he predicted.
Davis said NorWOSSA and OFSAA games make up less than 50 percent of the Muskies’ schedule every season, with the rest comprised of tournament and exhibition play.
“There are other solutions if they go that way,” he hinted.
OFSAA executive director Doug Gellatly wouldn’t speculate on whether the motion will pass.
“This is the first time this motion has been made,” he noted.
“I don’t think it has to do with the concussions that are being suffered at the pro level,” Gellatly added.
“But we are an educational organization that wants the safety and health of the students to be first and foremost.”
Gellatly wasn’t convinced the threat of players departing the high school ranks to play Midget, if the no-checking rule comes into effect, will be of a crippling nature to the organization.
“It’s hard to say but there’s two ways to look at it,” he remarked. “Some high school kids might change to play rep hockey.
“But [a no-checking rule] might draw other kids in, and even lead to an increase in registration to play high school hockey because of having all those kids who like the game but don’t want contact or their parent don’t want contact.”
Davis disagreed with Gellatly’s vision of a no-checking world at the high school level.
“There’s not a lot of open-ice contact in high school, anyway,” he reasoned.
“I can see them looking at bringing in harsher penalties for charging and boarding and hitting from behind,” Davis added.
“But I think Hockey Canada has already done a good job in those areas.”
Gellatly also doesn’t think taking hitting out of high school boys’ hockey will be a detriment to the development of any future professional prospects.
“The high school game is not the pathway to the higher levels,” he stressed.
“Most trying for that go to Midget ‘AAA’ or maybe play high school in Grades 9 and 10 and then go to junior.”
Davis believes the push to remove body checking from high school boys’ hockey will fall by the wayside when things get down to the nitty-gritty at the OFSAA meeting.
“The motion will not pass on a province-wide level—that’s my prediction,” he said.
