Opinion: Cheers for hockey hits on small players upset Sask. ref

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I have worked a few thousand games over 36 years of reffing hockey in Saskatchewan, from under-11 to senior leagues. I do it because I love the game, and for the exercise I get.

I suppose I have always had the battle in my mind between good sportsmanship and the win-at-all-cost mentality.

So the game I went to officiate this weekend was in the smallest of small-town Saskatchewan and the opposition was from another very small town. The age category was under 15 (players aged 13 and 14).

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The people in charge have now decided the under-15 division is the best age group to introduce full body contact into the game. Both teams had players ranging from 6’6″ to under 5′ and the home team had a girl playing who was about 5′ tall.

I didn’t have individuals step on a scale, but I would estimate weights ranged from 65 pounds to 235. My personal goal in these events is to get everyone’s kid home safe. My only tools to accomplish said goal are my past experiences, my knowledge of the rules, and hopefully some influence with the coaches behind the bench.

Three minutes into the first period, the hometown girl was hit with a “clean” open-ice hit and I was in front of the visitors’ bench to hear the loud cheer that came from it. I commented to the bench: ”Really, boys? Big cheer for knocking over a very small girl?”

Unfortunately, this kind of set the standard for the disrespect displayed by both teams for the opposition’s players in this “game” that afternoon.

I coached a bit of baseball over the years, and always stressed to my teams that the opposition was not the enemy, but a bunch of kids who wanted to play ball too. Without them coming to play, there would be no game.

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But the loudest cheers from the bench and the parents in the stands at this game were constantly from hits, not goals or good hockey plays. I can’t count the number of times I heard “Hit him!” screamed from the fans or coaches.

I called what I could for penalties, mostly on actions I felt were dangerous or dirty, but as a person in my position there is always only so much I can control. I can’t stop the six-foot, 200-pound kid from destroying a five-foot, 80-pound player.

I can only call penalties after the play and hope no one is going to the hospital on a stretcher.

At the end of the first period, I talked to both coaches and explained that going forward I only wanted to see the big physical hits dished out to players of equal size, and, if the bigger players put big hits on smaller players, I would call appropriate penalties.

I was told by the coach whose team was up 3-0 on the scoreboard that they would continue to play hard. In the end, the visitors won 9-3 or something, and all of the players skated off after the game. No injuries.

I guess that was a win for me. I can’t help but think, though: how many of these kids played the game with a carefree, unafraid attitude and went home thinking they had a fun time?

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I remember back to when I was 14 playing hockey on the pond Sunday afternoons and how it was the best feeling ever. There was a love for the game and a respect for the opponent. Winning was never the main goal.

Maybe those days are long gone now. Seems now all that matters is the final score at game’s end, and not much about how you got the win matters.

At the end of the day, it’s still a game. A great game in my opinion, but one that evokes an extreme range of emotions in Canada. Stats will back that up. Only one-quarter of one per cent of kids in Canada who play minor hockey will ever make the NHL.

So moms, dads and grandparents: Relax and enjoy this great game.

Dale Neudorf lives in Meadow Lake and has officiated hockey games in Saskatchewan for 36 years.

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