• Communicate With Your Son or Daughter

    As a parent, one of the most important steps is to communicate with your son or daughter and explain to them why certain infractions are being emphasized. If you as a parent show frustration when a penalty is called so will your child. Be positive and avoid reacting negatively when a penalty is called.

    Respect The Officials

    As a parent you are encouraged to visit the Hockey Canada website to gain an understanding of the standard of play and rules emphasis initiative. Be patient with the officials as they refine their game management techniques in an effort to make the game safer and more exciting for the players. Also take the opportunity to read the Hockey Canada rule book and learn about the different rules of the game. Next time you are at the rink, try watching the game from the perspective of the officials.

    Work With Your Child’s Coach

    As a parent, you are an important component of the team’s structure. Work with your child’s coach to support the rule emphasis and work with your coaches to teach the players what is expected of them. A major key is to encourage respect for the officials, their teammates and other players around them.

     

    Teach your Child Not to Play Through Pain

    If your child gets injured, see your doctor. Follow all the doctor's orders for recovery, and get the doctor's OK before your child returns to play.

     

    “Trying to get back to sport before a full recovery can result in re-injury.” -Lindsey Dietrich, M.D.

  • The three most important rules to tell your child before they step on the ice:

    1

    Never hit another player in the head.

    2

    Never dangerously check from behind.

    3

    Never use the stick as a weapon.

  • Guidelines for Play, Re-Injury Prevention

    Information via Lindsey Dietrich, M.D.

    Before you allow your Child back on the ice after an injury, Check through these steps:

    - Movement is pain-free. If something still hurts, don’t use it.

     

    - For lower-body injuries, bearing full weight on an injured hip, knee or ankle without limping. If you are limping, you are still not ready to return to sports.

     

    - For upper-body injuries, executing a throwing movement with proper form and no pain.

     

    - No swelling. Swelling is a sign of inflammation, so any evidence of it means it’s too early to return to sports.

     

    - Full range of motion. Compare the injured part with its uninjured part on the opposite side of the body to see if you have regained range of motion.

     

    - Strength is full or close to 90 percent. Again, compare with the uninjured side to see if strength is similar.

  • Make sure your child's coaches:

    If your Child's Coach isn't doing the things listed, you can always email/approach them in a friendly manner and explain your concern for the safety of the young players.

    1

    Enforce all the rules of the game and encourage safe play

    2

    Understand the special injury risks that young players face

    3

    Limit body checking or, if checking is allowed, teach the proper "ready" position to anticipate body checks.

    4

    Above all, keep ice hockey fun. Putting too much focus on winning can make your child push too hard and risk injury.

  • Commonly Asked Questions

    How Can a Concussion Be Prevented?

    Never Check To The Head –

    Hockey Canada adopted a new penalty for the 2002-03 season that is enforced at all levels of play within hockey in Canada. The penalty is checking to the head, and it was hoped that the enforcement of this rule would address and lead to the reduction of concussions in hockey at all levels of play within Hockey Canada.

     

    Never Hit From Behind –

    Beginning with the 1985-86 season, Hockey Canada introduced a rule to eliminate checking from behind. With the implementation of rules, prevention and awareness Hockey Canada will continue to decrease the number of concussions in the game. But it takes more than this; it takes cooperation from all involved including parents to continue to enforce respect and safety in the game.

    Do Hockey Helmets Prevent Concussions?

    Is there such a thing as a concussion helmet? The answer is a resounding NO! Helmets are important and very effective against localized head injuries such as skull fractures but they have limited effectiveness against concussions. Suffice it to say that regardless of what you hear or read, concussion helmets do not yet exist. Reducing the concussion risk will require behavioural adjustments on many fronts.

    Do Mouthguards Prevent Concussions?

    Although the facemask does prevent dental injuries, it is still recommended that all players who play hockey wear an internal mouthguard. Dental injuries still occur despite the use of a facemask. Properly fitted mouthguards have been shown to significantly reduce dental and oral injuries in hockey. However, their role in preventing or reducing the severity of concussions has not been scientifically proven.

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