Chalk Talk:


Eliminating checking in Pee Wees already paying dividends


fter a full season of no check- ing at the Pee Wee level, we can now look back and examine if it was a good decision by USA Hockey to delay checking until Bantams.


A


From my perspective, the an- swer is a resounding yes. I’ve coached Pee Wees on and


off for many years - this year I coached at the Pee Wee B level - and, in my opinion, allowing a young player the freedom to go into a corner without the fear of getting hammered by the opposi- tion has helped open the door for enhanced skill development. In years past, there was a dis- tinct division between those play- ers who checked and those who didn’t. There were players who were more prepared to receive a check and there was always that group who’d shy away from the play if it meant being checked. By taking checking out of the Pee Wee division, we’ve created two more years of encouraging skill development and confidence, and I truly believe it’s already had a positive impact on those players who played 12U hockey this year. Not surprisingly,


the ques-


tions keep being asked: “When will they learn about checking?” and “Why wait until a player turns 13 years old?” The


answer is that we


shouldn’t wait to teach body con- tact and checking. In fact, we should encourage body contact to some extent at the Squirt level and continue to teach it, along with checking and how to receive a check, at the Pee Wee level. With that said, by the time a


player reaches the Bantam level, their confidence and skating abil- ity, along with an extra two sea- sons of skill development, should


Larry Bruyere


make them ready to play checking hockey.


Ultimately, the rule change


has the potential to keep players in hockey when they may have otherwise left the game because they weren’t ready to play check- ing hockey at the Pee Wee level. How do you teach players to check while not allowing them to do it during their games? It be- gins with teaching players how to receive a check and play defen- sive hockey, both of which are ex- tremely important.


By focusing on teaching puck protection, you’re essentially teaching players how to take or receive a check. By showing play- ers how to angle when retrieving a puck out of the corner, you’re also teaching them how to take a check or how to be safe and more effective when being checked. And this doesn’t just apply to


Squirts and Pee Wees; teaching checking and defensive


hockey


should continue at the Bantam and Midget levels - you can never stop working on those areas of the game.


After spending an entire sea-


son watching marginally-skilled Pee Wees improve their skill lev- el as a direct result of them not playing in fear of being checked and/or injured, I’m convinced the change was more than appropri- ate and will pay dividends in terms of developing young hockey players and keeping them in the game for years to come.


Now if we can just get the tag- up offsides rule extended to the younger age groups, all will be well with the hockey world.


Larry Bruyere is the coach-in-chief of USA Hockey’s Pacific District and also operates Channel Islands Ice Center.


22


The Anaheim Jr. Ducks fashioned a 4-1 record on their way to the SCAHA championship in the Mite B division. Photo/ Tony Panzica/ActionPhotos.net


JrDucks.com


Anaheim Jr. Ducks


Four Jr. Ducks teams capture SCAHA titles


By Brian McDonough T


he Anaheim Jr. Ducks flexed their muscle at last month’s SCAHA play- off championships, as four of their teams - Bantam A, Bantam B, Pee Wee B and Mite B - skated away with titles at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo. Both Bantam squads, along with the


Pee Wee club, competed in the CAHA state championships,


which were held from


April 13-15 in San Jose. The Bantam A team forged a perfect


5-0 mark at SCAHA, including a 2-1 tri- umph over OC Hockey Club 1 in the cham- pionship game.


“This is a very close team, both on and off the ice,” said coach Craig Johnson. “I’m extremely proud of what they’ve ac- complished.” The Jr. Ducks took down the California Golden Bears (5-1), OC Hockey 1 (7-4) and the Los Angeles Jr. Kings (6-1) in pool play at Artesia’s East West Ice Palace before blanking San Diego Jr. Gulls 1, 6-0, in the semis at Iceoplex Escondido.


“Winning SCAHA was a great reward for the kids’ hard work, dedication and ef- fort,” Johnson added. As they were all season, goaltenders Zach Rosas and Scott Baba were espe- cially strong in the playoffs. “They’ve been there all year for us,” praised Johnson. The Bantam B team also fashioned a


flawless 5-0 record in the playoffs, capped with a 4-2 victory over OC Hockey in the championship game.


“The coaching staff is so proud of the


team for how much they’ve grown to- gether,” said coach Rick Song. “They re- ally supported one another and played to their strengths to bring out the best in the team.” In pool play, the Jr. Ducks bested Riv-


erside’s Jr. Reign (7-1), the San Diego Ice Arena Oilers (8-1) and Channel Islands Riptide (8-2) at Ice Town-Riverside before downing the Bakersfield Dragons, 3-2, in


the semis in Escondido. “It was truly a team effort; every single player stepped up,” said Song. “Everyone filled their role and played unselfishly while putting the success of the team first.” In the Pee Wee B division, the Jr.


Ducks went 5-0, culminating in a 7-5 tri- umph over the Valencia Express in the championship game.


“I was extremely impressed by the


kids’ play throughout the playoffs,” said coach Steve Gardner. The Jr. Ducks defeated the Ventura


Mariners (8-2), California Stars (5-2) and La Jolla Jaguars (3-0) in pool play at On- tario’s Center Ice Arena before doubling up OC Hockey, 4-2, in the semis in Escondido. “We didn’t have our best game in the


semifinals, but still managed to get a win, which says a lot about our team’s determi- nation,” said Gardner. Goaltender Trey Taylor was out- standing throughout the playoffs. “The finals were very exciting, and the


kids played one of their strongest games of the season,” Gardner added. The Mite B team went 4-1 at the SCA- HA showcase, downing La Jolla, 3-2, in the championship game. “I’m very proud of how this team really came together at the right times and, when faced with a challenge, they always found a way to overcome it,” said coach Scott Yath. In pool play at Burbank’s Pickwick Ice


Arena, the Jr. Ducks downed the Jr. Kings (6-2) before falling to Valencia (4-1). They rebounded to defeat the Ontario Eagles (4- 3) and, in the semis, Anaheim downed the West Valley Wolves, 9-6, in Escondido. Boogie Aceves was strong on defense


for the Jr. Ducks, while Carter Pauli and Josh Niedermayer led the offensive charge.


Goaltender Nathan Gomez-Garden-


swartz also impressed, stopping a penalty shot on the second shot he faced the finale. “That might have been the spark for us in the championship game,” said Yath.


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