Minnesota Hockey District 12

NEW Mn. Hockey Boarding and Check from behind rule

Click on link to review the Mn. Hockey Rule in regard to Boarding and Check From Behind.... Effective Jan. 25, 2012

All members of District 12 Hockey;

Within the past several weeks we have read about several very unfortunate injuries to players in the state of Minnesota. Below you can review a letter sent from the President of Mn. Hockey, Please take a few moments to read this letter.

Also in the officials section of D-12 Hockey there is posted a letter from Eric Olson, the president of the Mn. officials association to officials. Please be aware that checking from behind and head contact are not legal in the sport of hockey, these infractions will result in penaty. I am hopeful that all parents, coaches and players will support the officials on the ice. Winning the game is the reason for playing it, however winning should never be at the expense of injury to a player. Referees are there to enforce ALL rules of hockey and also ensure that it is played safely.

I am sure that no one wants to witness the types of injuries that have made headlines in the past weeks.

Thank-you,

Steve Oleheiser

Director District 12

Letter From The President Of Mn. Hockey

District 12 Tournaments Feb. 17,18,19

Bantam A Eveleth

Bantam B Grand Rapids

Peewee A Hibbing

Peewee B International Falls

2012 Mn. Hockey State Tournament Locations, March 16,17,18

Youth Girls

Junior Gold A Plymouth (Wayzata) 19&Under B Minnetonka

Junior Gold B Plymouth (Wayzata) 14&Under A Faribault

16&Under Plymouth (Wayzata) 14&Under B Blaine (Fogerty Arena)

Bantam A Cottage Grove 12&Under A Blaine (Fogerty Arena)

Bantam B Coleraine (Greenway) 12&Under B Fairmont

Peewee A Alexandria

Peewee B Aurora-Hoyt Lks (Mesabi E.) 19&Under A S. St. Paul (Wakota Arena)

On-Line Background Submission

Coaches and Volunteers (Board Members, Locker Room Monitors and any adult who is in direct contact with players) must submit a background screening athorization. This can be done by accessing the link provided

Safety Committee Report- Sept. 2011

As we approach the coming year much has happened that impacts the committee and Minnesota Hockey. I will summarize these below.

The first item is the concussion issue, new rules enacted by USA Hockey, and the mandatory education and training requirements as set out by the Minnesota legislature. These are all related issues and it is important to know what we have done to date and what the board should be considering. I have attached a copy of the Minnesota Statue for your reference.

Coaches will comply with the education this year through the USA Hockey on line modules
Officials will receive training in their fall clinics.
Parents will have access to the CDC training on concussions by link from our website and the Think First website.
Parent awareness will also be targeted through the use of articles in both on line newsletters and Let’s Play Hockey
The Concussion Protocol Document has been revised to comply with the statute and is posted on the MNH website and hopefully District sites. We can customize these for local associations if they wish. The revised document is attached.

For the most part we are already in compliance with the statue. There is one part that is generating questions and the board needs to decide how best to handle it. The statue requires a written approval to return to play by a physician that meets these requirements:

(2) trained and experienced in evaluating and managing pediatric concussions; and

(3) practicing within the person's medical training and scope of practice.

I am told by medical people that very few doctors can meet the experience requirement. The second line is pretty vague. By adhering to the letter of the law it could be interpreted that parents will be required to seek out brain trauma specialists of which there are few in Minnesota. This will take time and money. #3 significantly expands the requirement to mean any doctor

The next issue is more complicated.

1) Who will decide if the doctor who gives permission to return to play is qualified to make the assessment?

2) What if a family decides a doctor in not necessary,

3) Who is supposed to receive this permission? The coach/ Association/ or Minnesota Hockey?

4) What in fact is supposed to happen with these permission slips?

It makes sense that if a player is suspected of having a concussion the first step is removal from the game/practice and the parents have the responsibility to make the proper determination of how and when to seek medical care. It also makes sense to me that if a player is removed for a possible concussion that a no same day return policy makes sense and in tournaments no RTP until after the tournament. These would have to be voted on at the board level. I believe we already have a rule that if a player is removed from a tournament game by the on site trainer, there is no return to play the same day.

The statue does allow for more stringent requirements and processes as determined by the organization.

Conclusion:

Increased awareness, new rules, and training will certainly have an impact on concussions and hopefully other types of serious injuries. A change in the data collection protocols and process will make it hard to compare to our current data so it will be very difficult to determine if our efforts are successful. Hopefully the incidence of concussions per player games will decrease.

I would suggest that the best defense is a good offense. In this situation it is very clear from the data that skill matters as the lower the skills the higher the injury levels. The primary skill determinant is skating. I would suggest that if we focused on skating skills in every association in the state, our injury levels would drop.

Minnesota Hockey Safety Committee

Hal Tearse, Chair

Mn. Hockey Concussion Managment Protocal

Mn. Statute On Concussions

Concussions in Hockey

Below are informational links provided by Mn. Hockey and USA Hockey. As many are aware Mn. Hockey and USA Hockey have intiated steps to decrease incidents of concussions in the game. Referees have been instructed to call a penalty if contact is made to the head. The reason for contact will not be the issue, whether incidental or intentional, all contact to the head will result in a penalty. The only descresion that a referee will have will be to determine if the incident warrents a minor or major penalty. Also checking from behind will be strictly enforced. it will not be a matter of location on the ice, a check from behind will result in a penalty. I ask that all involved in the game of hockey, players, coaches and fans to be aware of this new direction given to the referees. These calls will happen and the officials on the ice will make the call, please support them. Remember this focus is to decrease the incidents of concussion, you may not agree with the call, however it is to make ALL players of the game more safe. I know of many players who have suffered concussions, in the video link, I now wonder what their life will be in adulthood.

Thank- you for your support.

Steve Oleheiser

District 12 Director

USA Hockey Exec Committee Meeting Minutes & Presidents Comments

Link to Mn. Hockey Concussion Article

Article on MN. Hockey Web Site with information on Concussions in Mn. Hockey and plans by USA Hockey to change and impliment rules to decrease occurance.

Link to Video on Concussions in Hockey

September 25, 2010

MINNESOTA HOCKEY

SUGGESTED PROVISIONS FOR ASSOCIATION OR TEAM LOCKER ROOM MONITORING RULES AND POLICIES

Background.
In June 2010 the USA Hockey Board of Directors with a nearly unanimous vote adopted a policy mandating locker room monitoring for all USA Hockey youth teams, including teams of all USA Hockey affiliates. The policy originated with the Coaching Section and the Risk Management Committee, and was supported by the Legal Council. The rule simply provides that teams "…have at least one responsible adult present directly monitoring the locker room during all team events…." USA Hockey 2010-11 Annual Guide, p. 35. The details of how to implement the rule were left to the affiliates and the teams to determine.
Suggested Policies and Rules

1. The "responsible adult" can be the coach, but it might be more practical to add the team manger and/or selected team parents. Coaches have many tasks, and are not always in the locker room. Suggest choosing several parents to be certain every team event is covered.

2. "Responsible adults" should be of sufficient maturity (an early twenty- something is not mature enough to supervise a bantam locker room).

3. All locker room monitors must be screened in accordance with the MN Hockey Screening Policy. Screening involves no cost to the affiliate.

4. The locker room monitors should be carefully chosen, and understand that their role is strictly supervision of the locker room. The non-coach locker room monitors are not coaches and should not attempt to be such.

5. The locker room monitors must be gender correct.

6. "All team events" means both games and practices, and monitoring is required whenever players are in the locker room. The staff must come early and stay late.

7. The locker room monitors must be physically in the locker room. One cannot supervise from the hallway. This applies even if other parents are in the locker room to assist a player with his or her equipment.

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8. All recording devices should be banned from the locker room, including cell phones and cameras.

9. At a minimum the locker room monitors’ specific duties should include:

a. Responsibility for locker room security, including allowing only team- authorized persons to enter the room and locking the room when the team is on the ice. Responsibility for the locker room key.

b. Collecting and safeguarding any cell phones or other recording

devices brought by players.

c. Being in the locker room at all times when a coach is in the room with a single player.
. This policy has given rise to numerous questions and possible interpretations. The MN Hockey District Directors recommend that the rules adopted by each local association or team include the following provisions:
Questions? Comments?
Please contact your District Director or Bruce Kruger, Risk Manager, Minnesota District, USA Hockey. 763-478-4671 or kruger444@hotmail.com

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