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MIAA Ice Hockey Committee to recommend longer penalties, consider move to 17-minute periods
Jim Clark Monday, May 09, 2016
The MIAA Ice Hockey Committee voted Monday in favor of the recommendation of switching to full penalty time in regular season and tournament games, a move that potentially also could lead to the approval to 17-minute periods.
The Ice Hockey Committee gave preliminary approval to the proposal, which would put Massachusetts in line with the rules set by the National Federation of High Schools. The NFHS allows for 17-minute periods as well as two-minute minor and five-minute major penalties, whereas the MIAA currently uses the modified 15-minute periods and penalties of 1½ minutes (minor) and four minutes (major).
The Massachusetts State Hockey Coaches Association long has argued for the need for longer game periods as one incentive of trying to keep hockey players in MIAA programs, as opposed to jumping to prep school or junior hockey.
Any proposed rule changes still would need to be passed by other MIAA committees. The Ice Hockey Committee is expected to make its formal presentation before the MIAA Board of Directors on June 7.
The 17-minute period proposal previously was passed by the Ice Hockey Committee in September 2014, but by a narrow 8-7-2 vote. Conversely, the proposal subsequently was rejected nearly unanimously by all other MIAA committees during the 2014-15 calendar, including the Tournament Management Committee (17-0) and the Board of Directors (13-0).
Among other items on the agenda Monday, the Ice Hockey Committee approved the realignment requests of four boys hockey programs. Cambridge and Revere/Malden both would drop from Division 2 to Division 3, while Lowell Catholic would bump from Div. 3 to Div. 2. Nashoba, which has won the Division 3A state championship the last two seasons, would move up to Div. 3.
The Ice Hockey Committee also formed a subcommittee that will study potential changes to the Division 1A (Super Eight tournament), which if passed would take effect for the 2017-18 season and tournament. The MSHCA, led by Waltham coach John Maguire and Burlington coach Bob Conceison, made a proposal last week to the IHC subcommittee that would make Division 1A a 16-team single-elimination tournament, with eight first-round “play-in” games. The eight winners would advance to form the single-elimination bracket, while the eight losers would drop back to their respective tournament brackets, much as the two play-in losers have under the other various formats used since 2001.
Among the other topics of conversation Monday, which were tabled to the Ice Hockey Committee’s next meeting in the fall:
- Power seeding of all tournaments in all divisions, which has been on the committee’s agenda since first presented by St. Mary’s girls coach Frank Pagliuca in spring 2015
- Home games in the first round of the boys hockey tournament, particularly in a potential reconfigured Division 1A (Super Eight) tournament
- Changing the postseason overtime structure to six minutes of 4-on-4, then six minutes of 3-on-3 before proceeding to a shootout (currently 5-on-5 for six minutes, then 4-on-4)
So what wisdom! So instead of killing the joke that is 'The Super 8' (read: Private School State Championship) the great idea is TO EXPAND IT! Yes! Bring in more public school cannon fodder with the bigger gate receipts they offer by filling the stands.
"...make Division 1A a 16-team single-elimination tournament, with eight first-round “play-in” games. The eight winners would advance to form the single-elimination bracket, while the eight losers would drop back to their respective tournament brackets..."
Good God.
And spend more and recruit and play together year around and work at getting their kids commits...and....and....and....
Yeah and then when a private school gets bounced from their tournament they then get to compete in the public school tournament. Nice !
I think it would be fantastic if a school like Reading, Winchester, Hingham or another top public would set-up a 'student exchange program' with a school in Quebec (and Finland if they need a goalie) and show the privates the power of recruiting. 3-4 forwards, a big Western Canadian defensemen and a Finnish goalie... That would wake-up the MIAA.
from what i've heard doesn't Hingham have a fair amount of players who come through the BA system?
Hingham hockey supporters are divided between those that want to compete at a Super 8 level and those that just want to win, regardless of the level. The latter group would rather beat up on weak competition (much like its lacrosse team does) and win the D1 "Championship" and have parades than play really competitive hockey. I wouldn't be surprised if members of that group were behind the constant push on the D Board for separate private and public championships. If you can't beat the best, don't try.
So how is it the DBoard'ers see it and the MIAA can't? And spare the few DBoard'ers that believe it is still 2005 and the publics have a snowball's chance.
Expanding the Catholic School High School Championship field to 16 teams is ridiculous when there might not be 16 Catholic schools in the entire state with hockey teams.
I know AC was famous for having a few Russian kids right?
23? Let's see there was one on the 4th line this year and one on the 3rd line last year.
All of the others left town hockey when they were Squirts and maybe a few stayed through Peewees. All of them come from BA, BJT or BSB.
No we are on the same page. Yes, Tier 1 'National Bound' they would in the past few years have 5-6 at the U-18 level and 4-5 at the U-16 level. Now ask the coaches who or what that means and they would be lost trying to figure it out. Just not enough compared to those that recruit the better 12-13 year olds in the region.
Plus, many of the Catholics will have their lids on just a few teams for summer & fall. Publics will have kids on 6-8 different teams all playing different systems.
Depth, recruiting, coaching, working to get the kids deals.... Totally different.
When my son was an 8th grader he skated with a pretty good team. After practice a coach from a local catholic school which is kind of a hockey school took 4-5 kids aside and chatted with them about attending his school. After the chat I asked my son if he was interested and he was kind of dumbfounded by the whole thing. "Why would I go to that school just to play hockey?"