Peter Tessier: There's a Crisis in Minor Hockey Happening My thoughts on the latest black eye in minor hockey and how the proposed solution is far from close to what's needed.

The problems you speak of are in all sports on the youth level. It's because adults have no perspective as to what athletics are all about. All they see is their son or daughter playing in the pros or getting that college scholarship and if any ref misses a call, or the coach doesn't play their kid right, they take matters into their own hands. It used to be only about winning, and that was bad enough. Now its about 'fairness' and making sure their kid doesn't get cheated, whether the team wins or not.

It's also making sports the preserve of the rich. You have to have $$$$ like mad to pay for all those games, travel team tournaments, off-season training and the like. And all that time they treat their kids like professional athletes, who get paid to workout 8 hours a day and play 12 months a year. Where is the fun, the educational experiences, learning how to lose with class, win with dignity, respect authority, be part of a team, learn how to deal with bad breaks and adversity. Our society is much worse off because adults are forgetting what kids, sports and fun are all about.

This problem isn't with everyone and it's not seen in the majority of minor hockey rinks. There is trash everywhere and it shouldn't fall on the shoulders of Hockey Canada. This should be a provincial level problem and even the provincial organization should only have to provide a clinic before the season to remind scumbag parents not to be scumbags. After that, it's the minor hockey associations problem and they should be the ones to ban the parents from the arena's. There's not a minor hockey association in the country that doesn't know who the poopbirds in the community are. All that aside, it all falls on the dirtbag parents who can't keep their mouths shut.

Am I to deduce that you are advocating eliminating fighting from the professional ranks? I sure hope not! I've played since I was 9, through college, and the beer leagues you speak of. While I, nor anyone I know would advocate parents or kids getting involved in violent acts on the ice, the stands, or parking lots, plenty of us enjoy the traditions of the NHL as it was, and is today. Please don't try to change the NHL! Should you find yourself appalled by the current NHL, may I suggest the KHL or Ice Capades?

This problem isn't with everyone and it's not seen in the majority of minor hockey rinks. There is trash everywhere and it shouldn't fall on the shoulders of Hockey Canada. This should be a provincial level problem and even the provincial organization should only have to provide a clinic before the season to remind scumbag parents not to be scumbags. After that, it's the minor hockey associations problem and they should be the ones to ban the parents from the arena's. There's not a minor hockey association in the country that doesn't know who the poopbirds in the community are. All that aside, it all falls on the dirtbag parents who can't keep their mouths shut.
- thirstyfin

It goes up the latter for a lot of reasons one of the most important being insurance.
A standardized process from the top down helps all associations. What we need is leadership and direction from the top- admit that what parents chase to points of obsession is nothing more than a lottery ticket's chance of success.

Am I to deduce that you are advocating eliminating fighting from the professional ranks? I sure hope not! I've played since I was 9, through college, and the beer leagues you speak of. While I, nor anyone I know would advocate parents or kids getting involved in violent acts on the ice, the stands, or parking lots, plenty of us enjoy the traditions of the NHL as it was, and is today. Please don't try to change the NHL! Should you find yourself appalled by the current NHL, may I suggest the KHL or Ice Capades?
- Hokeeguy9

I'm saying that there are people/fans who don't want to watch it and can show how it
Impacts a team negatively. At the highest level of the game the violence is decreasing. Yet at the grass roots the violence and aggression is happening away from the ice in greater frequency for all the wrong reasons.

This was a great read, thanks Peter!

Am I to deduce that you are advocating eliminating fighting from the professional ranks? I sure hope not! I've played since I was 9, through college, and the beer leagues you speak of. While I, nor anyone I know would advocate parents or kids getting involved in violent acts on the ice, the stands, or parking lots, plenty of us enjoy the traditions of the NHL as it was, and is today. Please don't try to change the NHL! Should you find yourself appalled by the current NHL, may I suggest the KHL or Ice Capades?
- Hokeeguy9

Wow, you really could not have missed the point more thoroughly if you tried.

Peter, this was a great (frank)ing blog. This stuff has been going on for far too long and I hope it continues to get brought to light. Over zealous parents living their dreams out through their kids have been (frank)ing with the minor ranks for far too long.

Wonderful blog! It perfectly describes what was one of the major factors for my dropping out of my local minor hockey program at the Bantam level just a few years ago (besides my falling behind in talent). Frankly, it's embarrassing how invested some parents are in their kids' social- or at least SHOULD be social-activities. I stick to intramural or simple road hockey with friends these days!

As much as I get the vibe on HB that people don't like the members of the show, Hockeycentral at Noon had Mark Messier on a few weeks ago, and he spoke of the issue of the hockey 'system' and how it's geared to sending players up through the ranks to get drafted into the NHL, yet(as stated) less than 1% ever get close.

I thought it was very informative, and Messier had a few ideas on how to make some changes. Given the scarcity of ice and rising costs, however, I don't know it'd work, having a 'competitive' and 'rec' streams for kids.

As for the violence aspect among parents, the various hockey organizations have to step up to ensure the safety of players, coaches and referees. While people are adverse to being a snitch, at the same time people have to be held accountable. Whether they become not welcome at games, to the more extreme of jail time or charges for aggressive parents, it has to happen.

Am I to deduce that you are advocating eliminating fighting from the professional ranks? I sure hope not! I've played since I was 9, through college, and the beer leagues you speak of. While I, nor anyone I know would advocate parents or kids getting involved in violent acts on the ice, the stands, or parking lots, plenty of us enjoy the traditions of the NHL as it was, and is today. Please don't try to change the NHL! Should you find yourself appalled by the current NHL, may I suggest the KHL or Ice Capades?
- Hokeeguy9

Now question his manhood! Yeah!

After playing AAA midget I had lost all interest in hockey from the politics, bickering, obvious coaching bias, etc etc. I stopped playing after that and not until a year later while playing on a lake with some friends did I rediscover my love of hockey again. Reality is hockey is a sport like soccer, skiing , basketball, but many don't realize this growing up - it was more like going to school - way too structured and taken way too serious.

I'm saying that there are people/fans who don't want to watch it and can show how it
Impacts a team negatively. At the highest level of the game the violence is decreasing. Yet at the grass roots the violence and aggression is happening away from the ice in greater frequency for all the wrong reasons.
- Peter.Tessier

Peter, First, thanks for the reply and your honesty. However, I disagree with part of your response. While I agree, that fighting has been decreasing at the NHL level, it is also coinciding with a significant rise in cheap shots, stick work, and borderline hits due to the lack of respect players have for each other, and lack of retribution from a six foot five 250lb hammer. The game can and should police itself.

I will agree that parents and kids pulling the garbage we see all too often is on the rise, and it shouldn't be. However, I see it as more of a decline in the moral fabric of society in general, than a hockey specific problem.

All this being said, I still stand by my earlier offer of having you and those that see the NHL the way you do, watch the KHL and the Ice Capades. I appreciate your views and respect them, however, I'll keep the NHL, with its so called violence in tact.

Wow, you really could not have missed the point more thoroughly if you tried.

Peter, this was a great (frank)ing blog. This stuff has been going on for far too long and I hope it continues to get brought to light. Over zealous parents living their dreams out through their kids have been (frank)ing with the minor ranks for far too long.
- sanfordnson

Peter made two points. One was about violence in the NHL, and the other as it relates to the youth leagues. I agree with his point about parents living vicariously through their children or taking out their own life's frustrations on the ref, another parent, etc etc., that is not disputed one iota. However, he also referenced fighting and violence at the NHL level. That is where we disagree. You only referenced his views on violence on the amateur level.

Violence in sport is reflective of violence in North American society as a whole.

This whole undercurrent of "I will not allow you to disrespect me" has gone mainstream. Whether it's a road rage incident or a hockey incident, the root problem is the same. North American society is violent and glorifies violence. North America is full of Tony Soprano wannabes.

Change hockey? Good luck. There's a way bigger problem to tackle.

I can tell you from experience a missed referees call or lack of playing time is not what stops anyone from making the NHL. If you're good enough they'll find you. Winning championships is great but it doesn't help you all that much in making the NHL. Wayne Gretzky mentioned a tournament they lost in the final as I think 10 year olds and his team had 4 players go to the NHL and the winning team none, so it makes no difference at that age. Maybe in junior winning championships can up your draft number but it's still a crap shoot to know for sure how a player's going to do in the NHL. Examples, Alexander Daigle number one draft choice, can't miss superstar. he did play but not to the extent everyone thought. It happens. Sometimes good players don't make it or they live their lives in the minors. Yelling at officials, or coaches or kids does nothing to make your kid better. Yes you need intensity, yes fighting is part of the game but that's the player's choice. I doubt John Tavares, Sidney Crosby, Martin St.Louis did much fighting growing up. My solution is we can't take away the intensity of players, but we can teach the realities of hockey. The percentages are low making the NHL but anything's possible if you work hard, teach it. One game or one play or one mistake doesn't make or break a possible career in the NHL, it's an over all package, teach it. You can work hard to be a winner, but you lose with class and accept defeat no matter what happened, refs make mistakes, coaches make mistakes and players make mistakes, teach it. I don't blame Hockey Canada, or the NHL for an incident we just read about. I think it's a cop out to say you saw an NHL player do it so I can do it. Any incident I see close to that, there are plenty of level headed people stopping them and the person causing the trouble is in the minority. That's would I remind my kids if that were to happen. People get mad and do unthinkable things, but it's not parenting, it's not the NHL, it's not Hockey Canada, it could be for whatever reason that kid lost it, and it happens sometimes. This incident that happened has a percentage of happening again similar with making the NHL. Very rare considering the number of games played every year. I would do anything to win within the rules, and there is a lot of room within the rules to make an impact without causing an uproar. If the buzzer goes the game is over and everything stays on the ice. When I played junior hockey, I played against a player who was constantly wanting to fight me, we chirped and hit each other every game we played against each other but we never had a fight. I wasn't a fighter in my mind as I only had maybe 1 fight in 3 years of junior hockey. I ran into him one night and my first thought was oh no, I might have to fight tonight. I saw him and just nodded and he nodded back and we started talking. I said as a joke, I'm not going to have to fight you am I? He laughed, and said I thought I'd have to fight you! I told him I was never going to fight and a few people told me to not even try I'd get killed. he said really? I was told the same thing from my team. I wasn't going to fight either, what happens on the ice stays on the ice as far as I'm concerned and we ended up having a nice conversation that night. But how that team got the impression I was some kind of good fighter I'll never know. I hated him when we played against each other, but throughout the years I've found out, most players are just like you, you hate playing against them, but love it if they're on your team. My point is, keep it on the ice and leave all the extracurricular garbage out of it. The only ones that need lessons are the parents trying to attack officials or coaches after games. The person you hate at 8 years old might be your best buddy a few short years later and they might be playing with each other, possibly in the NHL. These instances are blips in a great game. I play rec hockey with friends once a week with no refs and I still want to win, and we do have the occasional argument about it, it happens. This is not some red flag call in the etiquette group to teach manners, these are rare things that happen in sports sometimes. if it's one team doing it, then you have to look at the parents and coaches of that team. But one or two instances in thousands of games played across Canada, nothing to worry about.