A new Youth/Minor Hockey season is only a few weeks away for many of you, and Hockey Made Easy is pleased to provide timely tips to help you prepare for a successful and safe start to a new hockey campaign. 

This is our 10th year of providing hockey tips throughout the season to coaches, managers, players or parents, and many of you have expressed a sincere appreciation for this information. We thank you for your kind comments. Included in this newsletter are the new Rule interpretations and changes for 2006/07. 

Youth & Minor Hockey Association and Team Webmasters are also welcome to share this information on your hockey website, and coaches or managers have permission to forward these tips to your players or their parents if you so desire. 

Thank you.
John Shorey, Author “Hockey Made Easy” - Canada’s Best Instruction Manual 
www.HockeyMadeEasy.com 

As promised, here is the 06/07 Minor/Youth Hockey Rule Changes that could affect your Team. 

Hockey Canada and USA Hockey announced its rules emphasis this year will be on offensive play. 
What this means is that Referees have been told by their Supervisors to pay special attention to the strict enforcement of specific Rules that impede offensive play.
 
Namely: Hooking, Tripping, Slashing, Interference and Cross-Checking. 

This will allow the skilled players to display their hockey talent without being obstructed or interfered with. 
The Rules and Penalties have not been changed per se, but they will be strictly interpreted and called similar to the strict standards that were established last season in the NHL. 

Beginning in 2006-07 the New Standards of Play and Rules emphasis for Youth, Minor, Junior, Senior and Female hockey in Canada and the United States will be as follows. 

The principals of this new enforcement standard include: 
1. The use of the stick will be limited to only playing the puck. 
2. The stick will not be allowed to in any way impede a player's progress. 
3. The use of a free hand/arm will not be allowed to grab or impede a player's progress. 
4. Players who use their physical skills and/or anticipation and have a positional advantage shall not lose that advantage as a result of illegal acts by an opponent using “picks or blocks.” 
5. Players will be held accountable for acts of an intimidating or dangerous play. 

Coaches must teach their players at the start of the season “the stick can only be used to play the puck.” 

Many Penalties will be called early in the season as players adjust to the new rule interpretations but they must learn from them what they can and cannot do to avoid taking penalties later on in the year. 

For the more in-depth article on Rule Changes go to http://www.hockeymadeeasy.com/rulechanges.htm 

It explains everything in great detail and gives examples of penalty calls; including what actions will constitute a penalty and what allowable actions you can use to avoid taking penalties. 

Have a continued great summer and start reading, as hockey is only a few short weeks away. 

Yours in hockey, John Shorey Author –“Hockey Made Easy” –Canada’s Best Instruction Manual 

P.S. Listed now on our website www.HockeyMadeEasy.com (middle of the page at the bottom) are Tips on how to make the travel Team for those Players trying out. Also tips for Coaches running a tryout camp and tips for Parents hoping for the best for their child. 

Players, if you’re planning on Trying Out for a Travel, All Star, Representative or Competitive “AAA”, “AA”, “A” or “B” Team this September or October, I suggest you read these tips now - It might just help you make the Team