Kostuch knows too well the impact of hitting in minor hockey

Last summer, Hockey Canada ordered all of its branches to prohibit bodychecking until players are at least 11 years old and in the peewee division. The ruling came one year late for one young man who has spent the past 15 months dealing with the effects of a severe concussion.

Ken Campbell tells Matthew Kostuch's story, which also appears in print in the March 30, 2009 edition of The Hockey News magazine.

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dirtweazle Posted
(2009-10-11 21:39:22)

I see this as a ref problem.. Having both my boys in hockey now. We have gone through our share if injuries over the years. It honestly comes down to Home Biased reffing calling the games in one direction. This gets the kids angry and frustrated. It makes for a game system that is unfair and it will ultimatly lead to serious injuries. They need to call the game by the rules and in fairness to both teams. Coming down HARD on kids who do not abide by the rules or intends to injure someone. They are kids. They need to be taught how to play the game properly. I dont want to see checking taken out because it is part of the game. Starting at Pewee level is good.

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petergriffin Posted
(2009-10-11 21:35:04)

I too, feel bad for the kid. You never want to see a youngster get hurt. However, I totally disagree with no bodychecking until pee-wees or later. By teaching the kids how to play the body from the start, you give them time to learn how to hit and also how to take a hit much more safely and at a time when most kids are about the same size. When you get to pee-wees, you get a very wide range in size and that leads to a lot of smaller kids getting beat on because they're intimidated by something (hitting) they've had very little experience with. Another issue is with today's equipment. Ever notice how hard the plastic is on elbow pads, shoulder pads, etc? Any wonder why there's more concussions these days? Try smacking that off your head and see how it feels. What was wrong with the old foam pads?