St. Louis Park Hockey Officials Don't Support Rule Change

The national organization that regulates youth hockey has bumped the checking age up from Pee Wees (11 and 12 year olds) to Bantams (13 and 14), a move that was not endorsed by some key hockey officials in St. Louis Park.

USA Hockey passed the rule change with 88 percent of the vote on Saturday during its annual meeting. Those in favor of the change, which will take effect in the 2011-12 season, say it will enhance safety for young players. Hal Tearse, who heads up Minnesota Hockey's safety committee, said there are a lot of injuries at the Pee Wee ranks, and he thinks it’s because their skating skills are so unpolished, making checking that much more dangerous.

“Taking checking out of Pee Wee will allow them to develop skills they need,” Tearse added.

But hockey leaders in St. Louis Park have not been as supportive. Steve Rosen, president of the St. Louis Park Hockey Association, said he would have actually gone the other way with the rule, allowing even younger players to check. If players learn and get comfortable with checking earlier, he said, they would be better at it and less susceptible to injury when they are older. The youth hockey president added that good body-checking isn't necessarily about hitting as hard as you can, but simply about separating an opponent from the puck.

“The problem right now is that coaches aren’t teaching the appropriate way to check,” Rosen said in an earlier interview. “We try to get our coaches to teach the right techniques."

Shjon Podein, a former NHL player and current St. Louis Park resident who is as the boys hockey coach at , agreed with Rosen.

"I understand USA Hockey's idea," Podein said in an earlier interview. "But to be honest, I'd like to see us introduce these kids to proper checking at an even younger age."

Podein said he would be comfortable with kids in the under-8 age group being allowed to check. The former NHL player has a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy who both play hockey.

"I think we need to go back to teaching (checking) properly," Podein added.

The man Podein is taking over for on the bench, Tim Donahue, also criticized the rule change.

“I think they’re going in the wrong direction,” Donahue said of USA Hockey in an earlier interview.