Bantam and Midget C and Rule Changes

 

For the 2017 -18 season Saskatchewan Hockey (SHA) has instituted two new tier levels - Bantam C and Midget C. These levels are designated no body checking hockey.

 

Historically, Saskatoon Minor Hockey (SMHA) has provided a non-body checking rec league for players who did not want to play in the mainstream contact hockey program in Bantam and Midget. This was an SMHA program NOT an SHA or Hockey Canada mandated program. It was well run, well received, allowed for overage players before they transitioned to the ASHL, was not available in other areas unless they ran their own independent program, and as of now it no longer exists as the Bantam and Midget C league makes it redundant. 

 

1. 18 yr olds - over age players - are no longer allowed. This is a normal midget league other than no contact.

2. Age groupings will be bantam age for bantam C and midget age for midget C - last year was an experiment in a three year age group for Bantam No Body Checking, which again was well received but is no longer offered as we have moved to a province-wide model under SHA.

3. This is no longer a 'rec' league - the teams will have practice times as per other midget and bantam zone based teams. 

 

With the change in contact, SMHA will be changing the grid for player placement with the focus on having more A and B teams fielded so as many players who WANT to play contact are given the chance to qualify for teams playing contact hockey. ie with 4 bantam teams, the grid will be 2A, 1B, 1C - so 75% of players would still be able to play body checking hockey.

 

You will be able to self declare for midget and bantam C at the time of registration. 

 

While I do not have direct confirmation from SHA, I can offer the following opinion: Many of you may follow how Hockey Canada is being lobbied by groups across this nation. Currently, the biggest lobby is to get body checking out of all hockey below Bantam A - i.e. only Bantam A and above and Midget A and above would play contact. Some jurisdictions already have implemented this. Historically, SHA has been the main holdout to the removal of body checking from different levels of hockey, most recently the decision to move it from PeeWee to Bantam. I believe this move by SHA to be meeting Hockey Canada half way - providing a no body checking league for players who desire it or who evaluate as less skilled and therefore are more likely to be injured by contact, while still allowing other players to play full contact hockey. 

 

1. All hockey above Bantam AA will have no-change icing - any icing originating from the defensive zone in Bantam AA, Midget AAA, AA, A, B, and C, and Junior and Senior Hockey of any level, will not allow the offending team to change their players. Icing from between the blue line and center ice allows a change of players. 

 

2. All penalties will result in the faceoff being moved to the penalized teams zone in ALL levels of hockey. 

 

Yours in Hockey

 

Jason Flaman

Zone X Wild Commisioner