I'm A Hockey Dad

Minor hockey registration (for young Canadian boys in particular) is dropping across the board and the powers that be at Hockey Canada will be talking this week about how to stem the tide.  It would seem the overarching issue is the perceived inherent danger of the game.  There is no doubt a fine line to be drawn between making the game safer and changing the way its played in a major way.

Another item not touched upon here, but which certainly needs to be discussed, is the cost of playing hockey which continues to rise with the price of ice and equipment. With two competitive players of my own I can certainly attest to how expensive hockey can be. By comparison, two growing Canadian sports soccer and basketball, both of which simply require a pair of shoes, shorts and a ball. There are, of course, other costs associated with playing these sports at a higher level, but I would guess these don’t touch hockey.

I’m not about to say I have any quick answers or that anyone can, but it would appear something needs to be done if hockey is going to remain Canada’s dominant game.

#imahockeydad

Nice piece from Daniel Tkaczuk in The Hockey News.  My own opinion is that the cons generally outweigh the pros.  We should be developing well-rounded athletes and individuals, not burning out over-extended hockey players. Every kid is undoubtedly different, but few are likely to want to play the same game 12 months of the year.

Cancer sucks and this young hockey player is out to kick its ass.  You can also find out more at the Minor Hockey Fights Cancer Web site.

Not at all hockey related, but a day that’s near and dear to this Hockey Dad’s heart.  Have a wonderful Mexican day.

Words of wisdom from a hockey recruiter. Note the last point about the parents.

This past weekend’s Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) provincial championships saw a record-setting 156 minute game between a couple of 9/10 year old teams that eventually ended in a 1-0 victory.  Five hours of goal-less hockey…yikes.

Walter Gretzky set the bar high for us all.  Thank you sir and Godspeed.

Scott Kelby on learning how to capture the great game in pictures.

Nice mention for the Devil and her Sharks mates.

This one is too much. Apparently some idiot father tried to blind opposing players during a game. The game was lost and disputed….you can read the rest.

Great Canadian band playing Canada’s great game.