Press Release
The North American Hockey League (NAHL), now in its 37th season of
being the largest and oldest junior hockey league in the United States,
has announced an initiative of awareness geared towards new and improved
standards for player safety for the almost 600 players currently
playing in the NAHL this season. It is all part of an ongoing project
and initiative in cooperation with the NAHL’s governing body, USA
Hockey, to implement new standards that will focus on protecting the
players and creating a new standard of awareness among the players,
coaches and administrators that are an essential part of the league’s
core success.
The NAHL, along with USA Hockey, are working together to create a more
positive environment for the athletes to participate in by strengthening
the rules as they are related to dangerous actions and behaviors. This
is being done through a league-wide NAHL Code of Conduct policy. The
purpose was to address the unwanted behaviors and to review all existing
playing rules, identifying those actions that negatively impact the
game, and developing a supplementary discipline guideline that addresses
these actions and would be acceptable to the participating junior
stakeholders. Each NAHL player, coach and official will be required to
review these documents and acknowledge their acceptance of the
principles of the initiative and signify their commitment to properly
enforce the rules of the game while adhering to the NAHL Code of
Conduct.
“Player safety is not a new priority for the NAHL,” said NAHL Commissioner Mark Frankenfeld.
"Our supplemental discipline structure that we currently utilize has
performed extremely well for many years. The main benefit for this
nationally supported initiative will be the awareness and education
handed over to the players to help them understand the consequences of
unwanted and dangerous actions, and that understanding will lead to a
higher level of respect for the opposing player as well as the game of
hockey."
One of the first steps was to create a progressive suspension
strategy to identify repeat offenders and serve as a deterrent to all
players from engaging in dangerous actions and behavior that is
detrimental to the competitive aspect of the game. These negative
behaviors include: unsportsmanlike actions, increased stick work and
other violent or intimidating actions that are clearly negative factors
in the game. This initiative was developed with the understanding that
the NAHL stakeholders, fans, players, coaches, officials and team
operators are committed to creating a safe and fair environment in which
the players can compete. It is also with the understanding that junior
hockey is primarily an attendance-driven entertainment industry that
must provide a product that allows for the passion and excitement that
is at the heart of the game.
The NAHL has also continued to be proactive with its equipment suppliers
to continue their commitment to providing all players in the NAHL with
the best, most protective equipment possible. An example of this is the
ongoing partnership between the NAHL and The Messier Project, which
outfits all of the league’s players in the groundbreaking M11 helmet.
Now in its third season of partnering with the NAHL, the mission of The
Messier Project is to address the issue of head injuries and concussion,
which have become an epidemic in hockey, through public awareness,
product development, and equipment education.
“The NAHL was the first league of its kind to adopt a league-wide
partnership with The Messier Project, which has been instrumental on
focusing on being proactive and at the forefront of the issue of head
injuries and concussions,” said Frankenfeld. “Our players’ safety has
always been a top priority and our partnership with our equipment
suppliers only re-enforces that commitment. Our game is played at a very
fast-paced and high level, and we want our players to have the
confidence that they need to perform to the best of their abilities,
with the full knowledge that have the maximum amount of protection each
time they step on the ice.”
(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)
Saturday, November 17, 2012
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