NHL 2023-2024 Out of Town: Regular Season II - Patrick Roy named Isles Coach

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I wholeheartedly disagree with this thinking. I have always been easily the smallest guy in any league I've played in. If I had learned hitting at 13 or 14 I would have had too many concussions to count.

Instead we started learning at 10 in hockey schools how to properly hit/receive hits and started body contact in games in 11AA....it was huge personally for me to learn to take hits at that age when kids are generally max 100 lbs rather than to wait until everyone else had a massive growth spurt and i was still 80 lbs soaking wet.

They are hurting undersized kids by not teaching them not only how to hit, but more importantly how to protect yourself and take a hit properly at a young age. Just my two cents of course, I understand not needing physicality at that age, but I guarantee you I would not have went from 14 to 18 years old with zero injuries had they not started us early.

That’s anecdotal though. I’ve coached 8U and I’m coaching 12U right now. The size and skill differential at mid- to lower levels of hockey makes it a non starter. And the reasoning behind it is scientific and statistical - with injury proclivity and the like. Kids in the upper 10% of the size or even more importantly skating ability spectrum may be able to avoid hits but the average youth town hockey player cannot. Even at the club level where I live it’s very apparent.

Agree to disagree here but as someone in that world on a couple different levels right now I’m very glad for no hitting. The game is plenty physical already at the 8U level, and at the Pee Wee Major level even more so.

 

[NDiesel]

That’s anecdotal though. I’ve coached 8U and I’m coaching 12U right now. The size and skill differential at mid- to lower levels of hockey makes it a non starter. And the reasoning behind it is scientific and statistical - with injury proclivity and the like. Kids in the upper 10% of the size or even more importantly skating ability spectrum may be able to avoid hits but the average youth town hockey player cannot. Even at the club level where I live it’s very apparent.

Agree to disagree here but as someone in that world on a couple different levels right now I’m very glad for no hitting. The game is plenty physical already at the 8U level, and at the Pee Wee Major level even more so.

Yeah, completely anecdotal and in fairness that was almost 20 years ago. At the house level and below I do agree there is probably no need to worry about hitting at that age, but as you get into guys who plan to play competitively i think there is benefits in at the very least teaching hitting/protection.

But I still do think a kid my size would struggle to protect themselves just learning how to hit at age 13/14...some of the kids I played against then were bigger than I am today.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Yeah, completely anecdotal and in fairness that was almost 20 years ago. At the house level and below I do agree there is probably no need to worry about hitting at that age, but as you get into guys who plan to play competitively i think there is benefits in at the very least teaching hitting/protection.

But I still do think a kid my size would struggle to protect themselves just learning how to hit at age 13/14...some of the kids I played against then were bigger than I am today.

And that’s part of the issue - having different rules for higher levels furthers the issue of kids getting left behind if they’re not playing club at 9 years old - either from choice or affordability. Bifurcating the rules would hurt the late bloomers and make it even worse as far as the haves and have nots. And it’s already pretty bad compared to 20 years ago.

 

[NDiesel]

And that’s part of the issue - having different rules for higher levels furthers the issue of kids getting left behind if they’re not playing club at 9 years old - either from choice or affordability. Bifurcating the rules would hurt the late bloomers and make it even worse as far as the haves and have nots. And it’s already pretty bad compared to 20 years ago.

I'll definitely take your word for it here seeing as I haven't been involved in minor hockey since I played in it myself - but ill just agree to disagree on our stances.

I get the feeling that as you push back the age to introduce hitting that that particular crop of kids is going to experience troubles protecting themselves at higher levels. Maybe studies are already proving me wrong on this

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I'll definitely take your word for it here seeing as I haven't been involved in minor hockey since I played in it myself - but ill just agree to disagree on our stances.

I get the feeling that as you push back the age to introduce hitting that that particular crop of kids is going to experience troubles protecting themselves at higher levels. Maybe studies are already proving me wrong on this

Don’t need to read the whole study, but this was one of the findings. 66% reduction in concussions among Pee Wee (11-12 yo) players after banning checking.

 

[NDiesel]

Don’t need to read the whole study, but this was one of the findings. 66% reduction in concussions among Pee Wee (11-12 yo) players after banning checking.View attachment 777671

Well yeah, pretty straightforward that banning checking would reduce all kinds of injuries, especially concussions.

What I'd be curious about is does that lack of exposure at a younger age end up meaning that a higher number of concussions happen when they're introduced now at age 13 (I think that's the age in Canada?) vs when they had already been doing it for 2 years?

Concussions already happen less often in Peewee than Bantam and Midget from a couple studies I've perused, by introducing hitting at that age now is there a risk of increasing the concussion rates at those ages?

I suppose the argument to be made is when is the appropriate age to introduce that "risk" to kid's brains. Probably not 11

 

[Ben Grimm]

https://thehockeynews.com/news/thn-archive-infamous-bruins-and-rangers-brawl-led-to-fierce-reaction-from-the-nhl

 

[Hookslide]

Agree to disagree. In all my years of watching and coaching since the 70s, I never saw a kid in Squirts or Mites get hurt by a hit when hitting was allowed. There is just too much padding, and the impact is tiny.

But I've seen multiple kids in Bantams get sent out to the quiet room because they never learned to keep their head up, or spent the last 6 years catching suicide passes because no one could hit them.

You hit the nail on the head, teach when they are young and it is a normal part of the game, too many bad habits get picked up when they are young and are difficult for some to get over. I would rather get hit as a mite for the first time rather than as a Bantam.

 

[ODAAT]

You hit the nail on the head, teach when they are young and it is a normal part of the game, too many bad habits get picked up when they are young and are difficult for some to get over. I would rather get hit as a mite for the first time rather than as a Bantam.

yes, me too, I had a great coach in Major Bantam who also coached my first year of Midget AAA, for the life of me I can`t recall his first name as we didn`t dare call a coach anything but coach. His son, Mark Patterson has a cup of coffee in the NHL but his old man ran more than a few practices where we literally had drills where he coached us on how to best receive a hit.

We worked on spinning off a check to the point where we weren`t getting clocked head on and I had never played for a coach who would literally bench anyone who hammered someone from behind and this was when that was a fairly well accepted part of the game but he did. I recall like it was yesterday, him saying how much of a coward someone has to be to hit someone from behind

He was ahead of his time, easily the coach who I learned the most about the game from

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Kids need to learn to hit and be hit before they get too strong to do it for the first time and are adult size.

Not to mention all the pads make hockey hits at kid speed not hurt at all.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Kids need to learn to hit and be hit before they get too strong to do it for the first time and are adult size.

Not to mention all the pads make hockey hits at kid speed not hurt at all.

They are allowed to hit at 13. What age do you think is appropriate?

 

[BigGoalBrad]

They are allowed to hit at 13. What age do you think is appropriate?

Middle school 6th grade 11.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Middle school 6th grade 11.

Yeah I think that’s a couple years too early. Based on the preponderance of concussions when hitting starts it’s too young imo and in the opinion of most hockey bodies everywhere now.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Yeah I think that’s a couple years too early. Based on the preponderance of concussions when hitting starts it’s too young imo and in the opinion of most hockey bodies everywhere now.

1 year before high school hockey is too late. Not to mention with youth participation down and schools struggling to field teams it’s less likely they get to play JV or freshman hockey so they have only one year to learn so they can be able to duck hits from 18 year old adult seniors?

If the fancy designer expensive travel junior development leagues want to postpone it that’s fine it’s just rich kids with parents who can afford to put them on the ice 2 hours per day every day drive to all the practices etc.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

1 year before high school hockey is too late. Not to mention with youth participation down and schools struggling to field teams it’s less likely they get to play JV or freshman hockey so they have only one year to learn so they can be able to duck hits from 18 year old adult seniors?

If the fancy designer expensive travel junior development leagues want to postpone it that’s fine it’s just rich kids with parents who can afford to put them on the ice 2 hours per day every day drive to all the practices etc.

That’s a pretty poor categorization of what club hockey is now. Town leagues are not what they were - Chelmsford lost over 40 Pee Wees this year alone. There’s a lot of hockey between town and the elite high end clubs now. Lots and lots of kids play club that aren’t on the elite teams of the Jr Bruins or Boston Advantage or Top Gun. Not to mention they’re the ones that would want to have hitting, not the house programs.

 

[Hookslide]

yes, me too, I had a great coach in Major Bantam who also coached my first year of Midget AAA, for the life of me I can`t recall his first name as we didn`t dare call a coach anything but coach. His son, Mark Patterson has a cup of coffee in the NHL but his old man ran more than a few practices where we literally had drills where he coached us on how to best receive a hit.

We worked on spinning off a check to the point where we weren`t getting clocked head on and I had never played for a coach who would literally bench anyone who hammered someone from behind and this was when that was a fairly well accepted part of the game but he did. I recall like it was yesterday, him saying how much of a coward someone has to be to hit someone from behind

He was ahead of his time, easily the coach who I learned the most about the game from

Hate the hit from behind, but there are players who put themselves in a bad position.

 

[Hookslide]

Kids need to learn to hit and be hit before they get too strong to do it for the first time and are adult size.

Not to mention all the pads make hockey hits at kid speed not hurt at all.

I also think some of these kids when they turn 13- 14 starting to get into the "MACHO" time of their life, now think they have a license to kill.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I also think some of these kids when they turn 13- 14 starting to get into the "MACHO" time of their life, now think they have a license to kill.

When’s the last time you’ve watched 13-14 hockey though? You have to have your stick on the ice to body check. It’s a different world from even 10 years ago.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Torts makes a good point.

Might tie-in with why it seems like there has to be a skirmish/fight after so many legal hits nowadays. Used to be a guy took a big legal hit, got up, game continued on, tried to pay the dude back later in the game with a hard hit.

100%. I know Trouba's not exactly popular in these parts at the moment, and fairly so, but the amount of times in the last couple of years he's made big clean hits and then been challenged by opponents afterwards is ridiculous. Sometimes he's earned his team a PP as a result, through instigator penalties, and that's how it should be officiated. If a guy knocks you or a teammate down fairly, just cop it and carry on. If you want to respond, make some good hits of your own.

 

[Gee Wally]

 

[The National]

That’ll be cool, that place looks sick. Can put a sponsor logo on each tile.

 

[Dreghorn2]

Having been in the Sphere for a U2 concert i can say that this is a brilliant idea.

There are so many things they can do with both the inside and outside screens that can make the whole experience really special. The interior of the venue itself can be both intimate or expansive with the click of a mouse button.

Kudos to the NHL for this decision.

 

[whatsbruin]

My nephew is 13 and plays Bantams in MA. He’s small, but can handle the rough stuff. I am amazed/concerned however that his age group is still coed.

Too many times this year, I‘ve seen the girls on his team take big hits, that have injured them.

Don‘t get me wrong, they are all excellent players and very tough girls, but at 13/14 there is a huge size and strength discrepancy among the boys, never mind the girls.

It’s not like the boys are going out of their way to hit/injure the girls, a couple of times they were hurt during accidental collisions, with no intent.

The problem is that some of these 14 year olds are enormous, and to me, it’s just an unnecessary risk to have girls playing with and against them.

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Middle school 6th grade 11.

What age do kids play tackle football ?

 

[sarge88]

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What age do kids play tackle football ?

My town it starts in 3rd grade.

 

[08SeaBass08]

Having been in the Sphere for a U2 concert i can say that this is a brilliant idea.

There are so many things they can do with both the inside and outside screens that can make the whole experience really special. The interior of the venue itself can be both intimate or expansive with the click of a mouse button.

Kudos to the NHL for this decision.

I’ve got floor tix for U2 there in February. Can’t wait to see the place.