Hockey Canada is making a major change to how our national pastime is played by taking a hard line on one of the most controversial issues.
The body is adopting a zero-tolerance policy in regard to head hits and that means from now on, anytime a player hits another in the head, they'll be slapped with a penalty, even if it was accidental.
And the worse the hit, the more severe the punishment will be.
The decision was made Sunday in Calgary and Rod Wensley says watching his ten year old grandson play will be a lot less nerve-wracking.
"Especially at this age, where the size difference is so large, the younger children are so intimidated by a bad hit. I've seen this, that they will go back into a shell for months after a bad hit."
Hockey Canada says it's the right time for such a change and it's time to move forward with enforcement.
The new rules will be in effect for the upcoming season and players at all levels of organized hockey will be subject to them.
The only exception will be the NHL, but minor hockey officials hope the biggest league will come around.
"Some of the things, unfortunately, that the kids see at the pro level which they emulate in to minor sports has really caused this evolution with this need to be more important now than it ever has in the past," says Perry Cavanagh of Hockey Calgary.
The NHL is still discussing ‘head shots' and many think it will adopt a similar policy soon.
For now, the new rules still provide a great deal of relief.
"The nagging question of what if I'm one of those that gets rammed into the boards and they've got many other very important things in their lives, such as excelling in school, their social environment and to have that taken away because of a preventable collision seems too big of a price to pay and I just think this is a huge step forward," says Wensley.
And this is a step that officials say will make the game more fun and a lot safer.
