PlayOn Halifax

Good evening my fellow readers I am coming to you once more to let you know of a local even that will be happening here in Halifax very soon, once again this year Ultramar is a major sponsor of Hockey Night in Canada's Play On! Halifax Street Hockey Tournament. With over 500 teams and 4,000 participants the event it is continuing to grow every year.

Just lik last year, each Ultramar store in Nova Scotia (34 in total) will be raffling off a jersey (Play on, 4 on 4) to promote this event. The jersey is displayed somewhere visible when walking in to the store. The contest begins on May 9 and ends on June 9 The draws will be done at each store on June 10 2014.

Anyone can fill out a ballot while at the store, 1 ballot per customer per visit. Anyone can make as many visits each day as you like or you can visit more than 1 store and fill out a ballot at each store. The only people that are not allowed to participate is a Ultramar (Cst "parent company name") employee('s) or affiliate('s).

So with the play on! 4 on 4 event happening on June 14 & 15 2014 All ages and all skill levels are welcome to play by registering at www.playon.ca nowthe team registration closes as of June 8 2014.

There is more information available online at that link or by calling the following number 1-902-240-2748. The event is being held again this year atthe Halifax commons so there will be plenty of room for spectators to cheer everyone on in good sportsman like fashion.

Now all the sponsors for this event as like last year are all local people and the sponsors are as follows (in no particular order).

1. Tim Hortons
2. Hockey Nova Scotia
3. PODS4. The Chronicleherald
5. Ultramar
6. Cineplex
7. Scion
8. Halifax Mooseheads
9. GoodLife Fitness
10. Best Westrn Plus (Chocolate Lake)
11. UPS
12. Hockey Life
13. CBCSports.ca
14. Booster Juice
15. Stub Hub!

You can also follow PlayOn! on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/hnicplayon or look on Twitter for the Twitter tag #BestWeekendEver

I hope this entices people to either register and play and or go out and support the local people that have and or will register to play.

Finally banned peewee bodychecking starting next season for Hockey Nova Scotia.

Finally banned peewee body checking starting next season for Hockey Nova Scotia.

     So the board of Hockey Nova Scotia has finally voted today March 12, 2013 to make it illegal to body check anyone for PeeWee players and some Bantam/Midget leagues (11 - 12 year old players) as well. These changes take effect as of this September 2013 for the start of the new hockey season.

     So why has it taken soo long for them to do this?. There is plenty of proof through out the ages to prove that body checking is used as a form of gangsterism in hockey. Look at Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, do a quick Google.com search for "Sidney Crosby injuries". You will see that he has missed more time than most for playing hockey than most people that have been playing it longer than him.

     The longer hockey continues to go on the worse the game gets and the injuries as well, there was a report done by the Mayo Clinic from Rochester, MN Link showing that for every 1000 hours there are a average of 2.2 injuries happening (this is for all injuries not just for body checking). So why is it that it has taken soo long to come to this conclusion and movement to ban body checking. Hockey is no longer hockey, it is now more of a battle between the 2 teams as to who can get rid of the good/excellent players on the other team first so that they will not win.

     Hockey Alberta, which governs hockey in Alberta Link, put together a committee 2 years ago to come up with recommendations on body checking. The first time they tried to pass it through to get it approved it was denied and the 2nd time it was approved; They say that parents are split 50-50 on the issue of it being banned. I say give the parents a reality check and then take that money spent on the committee and put it to good use instead of wasting it like they and everyone else has done.

     There should be no doubt or question on this, theses are our children playing, their safety is first and fore most and fun of the game is 2nd to none.If you want to see these types of injuries or brutality, then go watch wrestling where it is expected and choreographed and the pay and health care are a lot better.

     This should not of taken as long as it did to go through but at the same time it should be enforced for all levels of hockey so we can back to the basics of the game as it was intended and not what we have now "A boxing match with occasional hockey break outs".

     Also here is a visual from a Youtuber USAHOCKEYHQ that posted a video titled "USA Hockey breaks down examples of body contact that would be considered legal and illegal" on May 16, 2011

Disclaimer: All company names and logos belong to their perspective owners and not me. Original article was from the Halifax Metro  News at this link here http://ow.ly/kWQ88