Martin Aalto asks:
What 40 game rule?
You mentioned a 40 game rule again in your blog about Regier
could you point me in the direction of what that rule is?
and where it is?
—-
OK, here’s the deal with the 40-game rule for 16-year-olds.
The Canadian Hockey League is under the umbrella of Hockey Canada. Hockey Canada’s purpose is to develop players for the Canadian national team. Therefore, it wants the Canadian youth hockey setup to best produce quality players.
A couple years back, Hockey Canda decided things weren’t quite right. Players were playing above their age groups, and because they were behind in physical development, they weren’t playing as much — fewer games, less ice time, etc. — and therefore not learning how dominate a level.
As a result, Hockey Canada instituted new age restrictions. For example, 15-year-olds were no longer allowed to play junior at any level (if you recall, both Zach Hamill and Brady Calla played Junior B as 15-year-olds in 2003-04) and there were limits put on 16-year-olds in major junior.
This may come as a surprise to Everett fans who only have the Tips as an example, but not that long ago 16-year-olds were extremely rare in the WHL. When Everett fielded eight in 2004-05, that had never before been seen in the league. Since then the trend has been sharply upward for the number of 16-year-olds in the WHL, both because of Everett’s example and because expansion required the influx of more players.
Well, Hockey Canada decided that trend needed to be halted. Therefore, they imposed new limits. In the CHL 16-year-olds must now play at least 40 games to make sure they’re developing as players. Also, the league is capped at four 16-year-olds per team (meaning 88 total in the WHL as opposed to four per team, so a team can have more than four as long as another team has less), so that the midget programs are not stripped bare.
Now, I’m not sure whether these rules are officially in writing anywhere, and I have no idea the consequences if the guidelines are not followed. But that’s the way things are, and as a result Jeff Regier is not going to be a full-time member of the Tips this season.
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