ATTENTION ALL COACHES & PARENTS
HOCKEY JERSEY RETURN NOTICE (Mar 08, 2012)

Any teams "not participating in future tournaments or Provincials playoffs", should be collecting your team’s hockey jerseys. It is the responsibility of the coach/manager to ensure that every team jersey is washed/dried and returned and should be OK for storing during the off-season. Once all team jerseys have been collected, please contact our Equipment Manager, Gary Gracie (H-849-8185 or C-565-6418) to make arrangements for drop-off.

Jerseys must be returned to: Gary Gracie, Absolutely NO JERSEYS ARE TO BE DROPPED OFF TO THE BAYplex or our GB MINOR HOCKEY OFFICE.

Tracey Hanrahan
Office Manager -GBMH

IMPORTANT TOTs HOCKEY NOTICES... (Mar 08, 2012)

Regular Minor Hockey Ends Wednesday March 7, 2012.

We will be participating in two final events after March 7:

* Mickey’s Original 6 – Saturday March 10; 3pm – 5pm in Dominion Rink

* End of Year Tot Night – Tuesday March 13; 5pm – 8pm at the Bayplex

Mickey’s Original 6 Schedule:

* 3:10pm Chicago vs. Toronto

* 3:40pm Detroit vs. New York

* 4:10pm Montreal vs. Boston

End of Year Tot Night: Tuesday March 13th

* All Tots are invited to attend and we will be using the same 6 teams as we did with the Original 6 tournament.

* We are playing two half ice games per team and we will be having pizza and juice for the players.

* All players are asked to be there for 4:45pm dressed and ready to go on the ice. We will be introducing each player as they hit the ice.

Team lists will be available at the Bayplex front desk.

Please pass in your Tots jerseys in to your coach by Wednesday March 7.

If you have any questions please contact Sean Burke at 849-2685 or Brian O’Neill at 849-2606.

NOVA SCOTIA PROVINCIAL SCHEDULE (Feb 21, 2012)

Minor Hockey :: Provincials 2011-2012 HNS Provincial Dates

March 8-11

Peewee AAA

Midget AAA Minor

March 16-18
Major Bantam
Female Bantam AA

March 23-25

Atom AAA, AA, A, B
Midget AA
Female Bantam A
Female Peewee AA, A
Female Atom

March 29-April 1

Midget A, B and C
Bantam AA, A, B and C

Peewee AA, A, B

Female Midget AA, A

PROVINCIAL HOSTS

Midget AAA – CB West MHA(Inverness)

Midget AA – Pictou County MHA
Midget A – Northside and District MHA

Midget B – Pictou County MHA (Hector Arena)

Midget C – Pictou County MHA (Stellarton Arena)

Bantam AA – Cole Harbour/Bel Ayr MHA

Bantam A – CB West MHA (Port Hood)

Bantam B – Queens County MHA

Bantam C – Shelburne MHA

Peewee AAA – Glace Bay MHA

Peewee AA – East Hants MHA

Peewee A – Dartmouth Whalers MHA

Peewee B – South Shore MHA (Bridgewater)

Atom AAA – Antigonish MHA

Atom AA – Chebucto MHA

Atom A – Western Valley MHA (Middleton)

Atom B – CB West MHA (Inverness)

FEMALE

Atom – Pictou County MHA

Peewee A – Antigonish MHA

Peewee AA – Colchester

Bantam A – Halifax MHA
Bantam AA – Pictou County MHA

Midget A – Western Valley MHA
Midget AA – Pictou County MHA

Past Provincial Winners

Atlantic Championships

HIGH PERFORMANCE PROGRAM NOTICE ! (Jan 17, 2012)

The Hockey Nova Scotia High Performance Program is a national program administered by Hockey Canada in partnership with Hockey Nova Scotia. The High Performance Program is intended to assist aspiring players in preparing for regional, national and international competition. Hockey Canada’s High Performance Program includes the Male Under 17 Regional program, the Female Under 18 Regional program, the Male Under 18 National program, the Male Under 20 (junior) program, the Female Under 22 program, the National teams who compete at the World Championships annually, as well the Olympic Hockey teams which compete every four years.

We have included additional information in this correspondence relating to the High Performance Program to assist you in understanding the program as well as how it can benefit you.

The dates for the Female Under 15 Spring Camp are:

§ April 27-29, 2012 St. Margaret’s Centre, Tantallon, Nova Scotia

§ Female Under 15 Program is for players born in 1998 and 1999 (players born in 2000 if room exists in program)

§ Female Under 17 Program is for players born in 1996 and 1997

High Performance Program Spring Camps

The Hockey Nova Scotia Spring Camp is an event designed to provide you with the experience of playing with and against players who are of an elite level. As well, the HNS Spring Camp is used as an evaluation tool for all players for the next stage of the HPP.

Players are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner both on and off the ice at all times. Players are also expected to act in a manner worthy of a participant in the HNS High Performance Program. Should a player require discipline for off-ice activities, their involvement in the HNS High Performance Program may be terminated.

Players are expected to be at the arena one hour prior to the scheduled start of all assigned games and practices. Punctuality at all off-ice activities is also mandatory.

Please note that players are required to attend all camp activities!

Hockey Canada rules and regulations will be in effect during the Spring Camp competition. Please note that game misconducts, match penalties, etc. will be dealt with in the same manner as in League play.

The registration fee for the HNS Spring Camp includes the following:

· Practices

· 4 games

· Goaltenders will also attend a separate session

· Off-ice classroom sessions/briefings

Souvenir HNS High Performance Program Gift
HNS High Performance Program Camp sweater

Note: Accommodations, travel and meals are the responsibility of the individual players and are not included in the registration fee. Players are also responsible for the care and custody of all personal belongings and hockey equipment for the duration of the camp and should not leave them unattended

It should be noted that female players born in 1997, 1998 & 1999 will be eligible to compete for Team Nova Scotia at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George , British Columbia.

Players must be involved in the Hockey Nova Scotia High Performance in order to be selected for this team. Players will advance thru the High Performance Program over the next few years before the team is selected in late 2014.

High Performance Newsletter
U15 Player Invitation
U17 Player Invitation
High Performance Player Registration Form
High Performance Player Medical Form

PLAYERS WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN THE HIGH PERFORMANCE PROGRAM ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MINOR HOCKEY OFFICE OR VISIT THE HOCKEY NOVA SCOTIA WEBSITE FOR FURTHER DETAILS, APPLICATIONS AND CAMP DATES.

http://www.hockeynovascotia.ca

Hockey Nova Scotia Policy
Head Contact & Concussion (Oct 14, 2011)

Risk Management :: Head Contact Rule/Concussion Policy

HNS Concussion Policy

Click here for full wording and policy

Rule 6.5 Head Contact

Hockey Canada's Rule 6.5 regarding head contact is effective immediately and it is extremely important that our members take the time to review and understand the componants of said rule.
Please review the literature below and use it for quick reference of the new rule.

For more information regarding the rule including printable advertisments and rule book insert stickers please visit - www.hockeycanada.ca/headcontactrule

(a) In Minor and Female, a Minor Penalty shall be assessed to any player who accidentally
contacts an opponent in the head, face or neck with his stick or any part of the player’s body
or equipment.

(b) In Minor and Female, a Double Minor Penalty or a Major and a Game Misconduct Penalty,
at the discretion of the Referee and based on the degree of violence of impact shall be
assessed to any player who intentionally contacts an opponent in the head, face or neck
with her stick or any part of the player’s body or equipment.

Head Injuries /Concussions

Hockey Nova Scotia risk management has reviewed significant literature re: concussion policy and as a result developed this policy for the protection and benefit of our players and all involved with the game of hockey in Nova Scotia.

1) A brain injury or concussion could happen as a result of various altercations or events such as a check or blow to the head/ jaw or upper body which is significant enough to cause the brain to shake inside the skull. This trauma has the ability to cause symptoms of concussion and unbeknown to most bench staff, there could be some measure of brain injury suffered. In reality most bench staff do not have the experience or medical expertise to recognize such an injury. As a bench staff it must be acknowledged that a person in such a state could appear to the normal observer to be "out of it, punch drunk or dazed". Symptoms include but are not limited to headaches, loss of consciousness, irritability, slow reaction time, drowsiness, slurred speech, double vision and vomiting.

2) Even when diagnosed by a physician via a diagnostic imaging test, CAT scan or MRI, a concussion may not be evident and despite "normal" visual diagnostics, this does not preclude the possibility of a severe concussion and said physician may suggest being "safe rather than sorry".

3) When seen by a physician a skull fracture, bleeding in the brain or indeed some swelling may not be evident but may indeed be present.

4) An injury could be present and could be temporary or permanent or indeed perhaps a blood clot may be present and could be fatal.

5) Hockey Nova Scotia is adopting a "better safe than sorry" policy when it comes to concussions. We want every player treated as if they were our own; therefore when it comes to posing the question "I wonder if he/she has a concussion?" a visit to the doctor or the emergency room is the only option to gain a definitive answer to this question.

Hockey Nova Scotia believes that the health and safety of the players in our game is more important than anything else and as such Hockey Nova Scotia demands that every precaution be taken before a player who has suffered a suspected or identified head injury returns to practice or game situation.

Hockey Nova Scotia Policy re: Head Injuries/Concussions

A. A player suspected of a concussion must stop play immediately. Whether this happens on or off- ice, in a game or practice, the coach must remove the player from participation and request of the parents that they refer the player immediately to a physician for diagnosis. Final decision here is that of the coach and parents must follow-up as requested. Once requested by the coach that a player visit a doctor as a result of concussion like symptoms, the player will not be allowed to return to play until he/she has been treated by and a note provided by a medical physician.

B. A player diagnosed as concussed by a medical physician must stop all on and off-ice activities immediately. This not a parental decision, but rather a responsibility of the coach. The coach must report this on a HNS injury report form and submit a copy to the president of their local minor hockey association or league.

C. All coaches under the jurisdiction of Hockey Nova Scotia must understand that they cannot allow any player diagnosed as concussed to return to practice or play without written permission from a physician and the player following the return to play guidelines listed below. This need not be the physician who diagnosed the concussion but must be aware of the concussion.

D. Such written approval must be submitted to the coach, who will inform the president of the local minor hockey association or league of the physicians report and that the return to play guidelines have been followed, as listed below, before said player assessed with such concussion is permitted to return to any form of hockey activity within the jurisdiction of Hockey Nova Scotia.

Hockey Nova Scotia is adamant that the responsibility for the enforcement of this policy is that of the coach and ultimately the president of the local minor hockey association and leagues that comprise the membership of Hockey Nova Scotia.

RETURN TO PLAY FRAMEWORK

The return to play process is gradual, and begins after a doctor has given the player clearance to return to activity.

Steps 1 through 4 must be completed with consultation between the parent/guardian and the coach.

No activity, only complete rest. Proceed to step 2 only when symptoms are gone. Light aerobic exercise, such as walking or stationary cycling. Monitor for symptoms and signs. No resistance training or weight lifting. Sport specific activities and training (e.g. skating, anaerobic, aerobic workout). Drills without body contact. May add light resistance training and progress to heavier weights. The time needed to progress from non-contact to contact exercise will vary with the severity of the concussion and the player. Go to step 5 after medical clearance (reassessment and note to be submitted to your team’s Coach or training staff). Begin drills with body contact after medical clearance. Game play.

Doctor’s clearance must be submitted to your coach or the Team Trainer/Safety Person after completion of step 4 and before movement to step 5, who will in turn inform the Association or League President.

*The player should only progress to the next step after 24 hours of no symptoms after completion of the previous step.

Step 1: No activity, only complete rest. Proceed to step 2 only when symptoms are gone.

Step 2: Light aerobic exercise, such as walking or stationary cycling. Monitor for symptoms and signs. No resistance training or weight lifting.

Step 3: Sport specific activities and training (e.g. skating, anaerobic, aerobic workout).

Step 4: Drills without body contact. May add light resistance training and progress to heavier weights. The time needed to progress from non-contact to contact exercise will vary with the severity of the concussion and the player. Go to step 5 after medical clearance (reassessment and note to be submitted to your team’s Coach or training staff).

Step 5: Begin drills with body contact after medical clearance.

Step 6: Game play.

If symptoms or signs return, the player should return to the previous step, and be re-evaluated by a physician.

Failure of any coach, player, trainer, administrator or league to follow this policy and the guidelines herein will be suspended indefinitely pending a full investigation by Hockey Nova Scotia Risk Management.