Reaction muted to eliminating midget designation from minor hockey
Hockey Canada will begin using age descriptors to make rules simpler and game ‘more inclusive’
Recent changes by Hockey Canada to the names of divisions in minor hockey have been met with muted reactions by hockey associations in Niagara Region.
The traditional age group names, which include the term “midget” as well as bantam, peewee, atom, novice and tyke, will now reflect age groupings, beginning with under-7 through to under-21.
The changes were approved last week by Hockey Canada’s membership at their annual winter meetings in Montreal. They will impact all minor and female hockey programs under the Hockey Canada umbrella.
For Garden City Minor Hockey president Brent White, the decision was expected.
“You could see it coming. I don’t know if there’s going to be any reaction to it or not,” he said. “I don’t have a problem with it. I don’t think Garden City has any problems with it.”
Michael Brind’Amour, chair of Hockey Canada’s board of directors, said the changes are part of ongoing efforts to make Canada’s national winter game “more inclusive.”
“We believe this change will simplify the system for families who may be new to the game,” he said.
While White has never experienced any issues as Garden City’s president, he recognizes the reasons behind the change. But, despite the sport’s intention to be inclusive, White does not feel the new designations will bring anyone new into the game.
“This won’t make any difference. This isn’t going to change just because we change the names of the divisions,” he said. “There are a lot more pressing issues ... than that.”
White declined to elaborate on those issues at this time.
Bill Steele, Port Colborne mayor and former Port Colborne
“It (midget) wasn’t used as a derogatory remark. It was just a division in hockey.” BILL STEELE FORMER PORT COLBORNE MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT
Minor Hockey Association president, said he never thought much about the division names during his 12-plus years on the association’s executive.
“I don’t think that was ever in my mind. It wasn’t used as a derogatory remark. It was just a division in hockey,” Steele said about the “midget” division.
“But you know, times have changed,” he said.
“People are a little bit more sensitive today than they were ever before as far as what words you want to use.”
While he does not know if the new designations will bring in more youth players, Steele said that Port Colborne minor hockey has always tried to be inclusive.
“You wanted to promote the best game in the world, and you wanted everybody who could play hockey to have a chance to play hockey, whether they could afford it or not,” Steele said. “You made sure they could get a spot on the ice, and that’s just the way we rolled.
“I’m sure the whole Niagara Region was like that.”
The changes by Hockey Canada will also impact the female hockey programs in the region, including the St. Catharines Female Hockey Association. President Sue Guarasci said St. Catharines will follow the rules when implemented for the 2020-21 season.
But the situation is not “a big deal.”
“I don’t really see it as a big issue for us personally, other than the fact that we’re going to have to educate our families and let them know that it’s changed,” she said.
“It will take some getting used to.”
With division names now in line with that of the United States and international hockey, Steele believes the changes will make play outside Canada clearer for the players and coaches.
In Canada, bantam players are 13 to 14 years old. The comparable division in the United States is under-15, with players 13 to 15 years old, depending on their birthdate.
“If you call it U-15, then everyone is the same age,” he said.
Butch Sacco, the president of the Niagara Falls Minor Hockey Association, said in a statement the new system will make interactions with international teams smoother moving forward. “We currently do not use the same division names, and it can be confusing to understand what division/age group they would be in comparison to our division names,” Sacco explained. “We look forward to learning this new technology and being on the same page as International hockey associations.”
Minor hockey associations in Pelham and Welland declined to comment on the recent changes by Hockey Canada.