Body checking will be eliminated from Peewee hockey in Alberta, beginning in the 2013-14 season.
Hockey Alberta, the governing body for amateur hockey in the province, announced the changes on Wednesday.
They say the decision is based on the safety of Peewee players.
“There is overwhelming evidence that body checking is the single most consistent risk factor for injuries and concussions in youth ice hockey,” says Hockey Alberta Chair Rob Virgil in a statement.
Hockey Alberta’s Board of Directors established a committee to review body checking in 2012, and used research, member feedback and a recent survey to come up with their recommendation that body checking should be removed from all categories of the Peewee age group.
In addition, players who body check will receive a penalty.
It’s a move that at least one local doctor is supporting.
“Recent evidence suggests removing body checking at the Peewee level will reduce players’ risk of concussions and injuries overall by more than three-fold,” says Dr. Brian Benson, director of the Sport Concussion Clinic at the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre, in a statement.
Coaches will still be required to take the Checking Skills Program in Peewee and encouraged to teach safe checking skills in a practice environment.
Hockey Alberta had previously decided to remove body checking from the Atom age division, which includes children age 9 to 11-years-old.
Peewee hockey players range from 11 to 12-years-old.
Not everyone supports the decision, some well-known names have taken to Twitter to voice their concerns:
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