Acting on a recent decision from its Board of Directors, Hockey Alberta says they will be banning all body checking from the Peewee division starting this season. Rob Virgil, the chair of the board, says that their primary concern is the safety of players. “There is overwhelming evidence that body checking is the single most consistent risk factor for injuries and concussions in youth ice hockey.” The decision means that all forms of body checking in hockey for 11 and 12-year-olds are disallowed. There will be a penalty assessed for players who body check. Coaches are still required to take part in the Checking Skills Program and encourage safe skills in a practice environment. The board says they wanted to make the chance without delay based on the research they had compiled.

Experts in the field of concussions and sports medicine say that the organization should be commended for taking the step. “Recent evidence suggests removing body checking at the Peewee level will reduce players' risk of concussions and injuries overall by more than three-fold," said Dr. Brian Benson, director of the Sport Concussion Clinic at the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre. Rich Sutter, a former NHLer that played for many teams in his 13 season career, calls the move a 'big step backward.' "I think it's a huge step backwards in what we're trying to accomplish within the minor hockey systems in Alberta and I don't know what it's going to be for our country. I just don't think it serves any good at all.

I think it's a huge step back if that's the case." Sutter is worried that instead of preventing injury, the ban on body checking will encourage more. "It's going to create a whole lot of injury down the road at 15, 16, and 17. I think it's going to create a lot of bad habits. It's going to create a lot of things that are going to go on in the game that aren't happening in our game. Quite frankly, it's another rule in our game that doesn't need to be in the game." Hockey Calgary rejected a ban for Peewee level at their annual general meeting last June. Representatives from Hockey Calgary say this decision will be impacting all minor hockey associations in Alberta, most likely overriding their rejection of the ban.