Minor Hockey Talks - Hockey Forum

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 7:49 am

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2024 12:13 am Next change to drop for 25/26 season will be the removal of body checking from A level U14 - U18 hockey.
OMHA will only have contact for AAA & AA hockey.

First step is the re-alignment of centers. This is actually to keep hockey viable in smaller areas where participation is falling right off the cliff. After this is done is next season, the removal of contact is the next step.

So in 25/26 all B centres move to A and it becomes non-body checking? I’m not sure folks will like that. I understand having a non-body checking option at BB, but forcing it on teams will no go over well, unless they give the option to go from B to AA with checking or B to A without it.

To me it makes sense to just go with AAA, AA, A all checking and allow centres to offer BB as non-checking.

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 7:57 am

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 7:49 am

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2024 12:13 am Next change to drop for 25/26 season will be the removal of body checking from A level U14 - U18 hockey.
OMHA will only have contact for AAA & AA hockey.

First step is the re-alignment of centers. This is actually to keep hockey viable in smaller areas where participation is falling right off the cliff. After this is done is next season, the removal of contact is the next step.

So in 25/26 all B centres move to A and it becomes non-body checking? I’m not sure folks will like that. I understand having a non-body checking option at BB, but forcing it on teams will no go over well, unless they give the option to go from B to AA with checking or B to A without it.

To me it makes sense to just go with AAA, AA, A all checking and allow centres to offer BB as non-checking.

There is no point of body checking in anything less than AAA/AA. Kids playing lower than AA are never going anywhere in hockey. The associated cost to the health care system and the health of these kids alone makes contact below AA not worth it.

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 7:49 am

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2024 12:13 am Next change to drop for 25/26 season will be the removal of body checking from A level U14 - U18 hockey.
OMHA will only have contact for AAA & AA hockey.

First step is the re-alignment of centers. This is actually to keep hockey viable in smaller areas where participation is falling right off the cliff. After this is done is next season, the removal of contact is the next step.

So in 25/26 all B centres move to A and it becomes non-body checking? I’m not sure folks will like that. I understand having a non-body checking option at BB, but forcing it on teams will no go over well, unless they give the option to go from B to AA with checking or B to A without it.

To me it makes sense to just go with AAA, AA, A all checking and allow centres to offer BB as non-checking.

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Apr 02, 2024 3:47 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 7:49 am

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2024 12:13 am Next change to drop for 25/26 season will be the removal of body checking from A level U14 - U18 hockey.
OMHA will only have contact for AAA & AA hockey.

First step is the re-alignment of centers. This is actually to keep hockey viable in smaller areas where participation is falling right off the cliff. After this is done is next season, the removal of contact is the next step.

So in 25/26 all B centres move to A and it becomes non-body checking? I’m not sure folks will like that. I understand having a non-body checking option at BB, but forcing it on teams will no go over well, unless they give the option to go from B to AA with checking or B to A without it.

To me it makes sense to just go with AAA, AA, A all checking and allow centres to offer BB as non-checking.

I actually improves choice for those that want REP hockey without contact.
A player can not leave the home centre to avoid contact hockey. So if you are an A centre you do not have the ability to say I'm going to go play in a different city so that I can play BB. Even though the level is lower.

Non-Contact at A works well in the GTHL (excluding the generally mis-workings of the GTHL overall). It will work perfectly in OMHA when the announcement comes next year. It will also impact the newly organized B level.