Kids play hockey more skillfully and respectfully than ever, yet rough stuff still exists on the ice

Published February 28, 2024 8:01 AM

By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Youth hockey by all accounts is played as skillfully and respectfully as ever due to developmental advancements and safety enhancements mirroring NHL trends. This is still a contact sport, though. Teenage boys frequently take a stand-your-ground attitude to the ice even if dropping the gloves is taboo. Scrums can break out. Shoving and shouting might lead to a headlock or a stray punch. The benches might even clear. But USA Hockey rules formally ban fighting in amateur competition. It calls for a major penalty for the team plus an automatic ejection for the offending player.

Article Topic Follows: AP-National

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