Legal Vipers

Home | About the Team | Contact Us | Sponsors| Honour Role|

TRAVEL THE VIPERS'SITE
Schedules Schedule Ice Times Arena Maps	Meet the Team Coach Profiles Awards Support Team Player Profiles Statistics	In Action: Snap Shots Media	The League: NCHL Drayton Valley Wildcats Onoway Ice Dogs Vipers Facebook

Latest News

The league is serious about Head Hits

Ray Tremblay: Website's reporter

The League's Board of Directors met today at the Ramada Inn in Stony Plain to take care of the league's business and also to ensure a proper start to the new season. Of the many items on the agenda, one in particular, proved quite interesting to me and I'm sure to you too.

Head hits have become a major concern to Hockey Canada, hockey players, officials, families and fans at all levels of the game in the last few years, as more and more players fall victims to severe head hits. In fact one of our players has decided to hang up the skates somewhat prematurely this year as a result of a head hit received at a hockey game. Others are considering doing the same and understandably so. These young men, playing the game we love, have families and need to remain healthy in order to provide for them. With the rash of head injuries in the last few years alone, you can't blame them for considering quitting.

However not everything is bad. "Starting immediately this upcoming season, hockey Canada's new head contact rule will be implemented to cut down on the number of concussions and other serious injuries suffered in the game.This rule will be assessed based on a zero tolerance policy for contacts above the shoulders".(Quote from a letter from Brad Robbins, (Senior Manager, Operations),sent to the League's Board of Directors and read at the meeting of September 24^th).

Penalties for Head Contacts

Rule 6.5 Clause C:

In Junior and Senior, a Minor and Miscdonduct penalty or a Major and a Game Misconduct penalty, at the discretion of the Referee based on the degree of violence of impact, shall be assessed to any player who checks an opponent in the head in any manner.

Rule 6.5 Clause D:

A Major and a Game Misconduct penalty, or a Match penalty shall be assessed any player who injures an opponent under this rule.

Rule 6.5 Clause E:

A Match penalty shall be assessed any player who deliberately attempts to injure or deliberately injures an opponent under this rule.

Well this new rule will undoubtedly generate a lot of discussion and possibly controversy, but in my opinion, it is a huge positive for the game of hockey for the players and the fans!

Copyright © 2008, Legal Vipers Senior Hockey Club.Hosted by Ray's Web Design.