Johnny and Billy strap on their helmets and tighten the chinstraps in the dressing room in the corner of the rink.
Standing face to face, they put on their hockey gloves with morbid anticipation. They didn’t want to be in this predicament, but the circle of teammates around them implores them to engage.
Johnny fires a right to the helmet of his buddy. Billy answers with a combination.
Punch after punch is exchanged. Heads snap back.
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Central N.L. minor hockey adopts zero tolerance rule for dressing room roughing
Johnny is feeling the brunt of several blows to the head. He finally says he has had enough. Billy is pretty upbeat with the win and would like to go some more, but recognizes he doesn’t have a willing combatant, so he stops.
Minor hockey associations across Newfoundland and Labrador have had similar scenarios unfold in dressing rooms and the danger that comes with such behaviour is starting to be exposed in a scary way.
The dressing room practice known as “buckets and gloves” was brought to light last week when the Grand Falls-Windsor Minor Hockey Association adopted a zero-tolerance policy after being informed by a local physician that there were three young players from central who were being treated for a concussion because of it.
There have been incidents on the west coast that have caused concern over the past few years and local minor hockey associations know it’s a problem that must be taken seriously when it comes to ensuring a safe environment for players.
Stephenville minor hockey president Genny Duffenais said her executive has had to deal with incidents of “bucket and gloves” in the past two years and discipline was handed out in both cases.
Duffenais said, in both cases, the players involved were removed from the stadium and suspended for a couple of days with a warning that a repeat offence would be indefinite suspension for the balance of that particular season.
Duffenais said the Stephenville minor hockey executive will take a serious look at following the lead of the Grand Falls-Windsor minor hockey group. The central association’s zero-tolerance policy sees a minimum one-week suspension handed out to anyone found engaging in any form of the activity.
She is worried some players have a false sense of security that it won’t happen to them or they won’t get caught if they do it. She says it’s time to take a strong stance regardless if it’s a first offence or not.
Duffenais said her group tries to have adult supervision, through parents or coaches, around the players as often as possible to keep an eye on things. She also said players have been told that they are not allowed to hang around the dressing room between games when they are participating in tournaments.
She says if her group takes a stand and remains firm, there will be less chance of something serious happening. She doesn’t want to see a young player from her association diagnosed with a brain injury and have to deal with the repercussions the rest of their life because they participated in something that put them at risk when there was no need of it in the first place.
“I think people have to realize the impact this kind of stuff has on the players and the team,” she said.
Jackie Simms is in her third year as president of the Corner Brook Minor Hockey Association and she has had to deal with only one incident during her time in the volunteer role.
The only incident she is aware of happened last season when a complaint was filed directly with Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador and the end result was several players being suspended, with punishment ranging from three to five weeks.
Simms said the association has a risk manager on the executive who deals with incidents of this nature. The risk manager does a thorough investigation after a complaint is lodged and then files a report on his findings. The executive then votes on whether or not to accept the recommendation of the risk manager.
Simms made it clear that Corner Brook minor hockey has zero tolerance for such a dangerous practice and every effort is made to have parents or coaches in the dressing rooms to ensure a safe environment.
“The kids are at such a risk for concussions and other health problems,” Simms said. “There’s no control there and you don’t know how much of an injury they’re going to receive, so that’s a very dangerous practice.”
Deer Lake minor hockey president Darren Fitzgerald said there haven’t been issues this season, but a few years back the executive got wind that “buckets and gloves” was happening in a particular group, so the executive decided to educate the players.
He said the executive sat down with the players at that time to explain the dangers that come with such behaviour, and it stopped.
Fitzgerald said coaches in the system are always monitoring the dressing rooms and promote safety to the players, so he hopes the players get the message because somebody could get seriously hurt or even die from excessive blows to the head.
“Just don’t do it,” he said. “A brain injury could be something that hurt your career in hockey if you want one or your education.”
Attempts to reach representatives with Gros Morne minor hockey were not successful.
Coaches remain vigilant in all the associations, according to the leaders in the respective associations. They hope the players get the clear message that safety will always be a priority and anybody who doesn’t buy in will face discipline for putting somebody at risk.
It only takes one hard punch to the head to do serious damage. It’s a hefty price to pay when hockey is a game that people say they love because they have so much fun.
Three players are being treated for brain injury as a result of blows to the head from a dangerous practice … the game isn’t so much fun for them now.
Nobody wants another Johnny or Billy to go down that road.
