USA Hockey

The week prior to June 13, 2019 the USA Hockey Board of Directors came out with a 'Declaration of Player Safety, Fair Play and Respect'. In the commitment of "Creating a safe and fair environment for all participants" the Board has declared upon an absolute ludicrous and unfair rule to all participants of this great sport.

"UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT - A bench minor penalty for shall be assessed to any team whose players or teams or team officials commit the following action while on the players' bench: [5] Banging the boards with a stick or other object, including skates or arms, at any time, including after a body check regardless as to whether the check is being penalized."

The audacity of USA Hockey to strip away all energy in the game is quite frankly an insult to all that play the game. The right to celebrate in the name of "continued improvement in the game of hockey" has been stripped away. What has made our game interesting is the physical play which hockey has defined itself in. We separate our game in this and for that we are prideful. If you take this away, you take away all energy and fight and all spirit for this great game.