Sport has no benefit : Sociology of Sport

admin — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 12:31:53 +0000

This semester, I have the pleasure of having one subject selection where I can take essentially any subject I want in the entirety of the university, to fulfill my non-law elective requirements. Now requiring students to take 2 non-law subjects (out of the total 32 required for a straight law program) seems rather ridiculous if you’re aiming for diversity and well roundedness but that’s not the point of this.

This semester, I have the pleasure of taking the “Sociology of Sport”. It sounds a bit wanky to a lot of people, but then again they’re probably the people that think of sport as a trivial part of society, as a game, and fail to fully recognize the wider implications and affect of sport itself within our society on both personal and communal levels.

Currently, the rituals of sport engage more people in a shared experience than any other institution or cultural activity today. (Burstyn 1999). Roughly 70 % of the worlds population (4.7 billion views) took in part of the Beijing Olympics. In Australia, more sporting heroes have been Australian of the Year than scientists, and as a society, we find greater pride in sporting achievements than any other measure of pride.

Sport brings inclusion, identification and unification. They instill values we perceive to be important to society that of competition, participation and equality. Educationally, they teach us good sportsmanship, work ethic and how to set and achieve goals.
However, this is idealistic. Vince Lombardi encouraged hatred of the opposition, high schools have removed handshake lines because of fights post games and NBA coaches have fined their players for sportsmanlike behaviour with the opposition.
In this day and age the fact that sport helps build character is generally accepted without question. However, at the start of the 19th century, it was thought that sport had “no clear social value and no sense that it contributed to the improvement of the individuals character.”

Here’s the thing though. WE can’t prove that sport has any benefit what so ever. You can imagine how well that went over when the lecturer told me that. I had that sudden sickening feeling in my stomach that I wasn’t going to like what I was hearing.
Because of the nature of society and our inability to hold all factors but the participation in sport constant, we can’t for sure determine whether the experience of sport changes people, or are people with certain qualities subconsciously drawn to play sport or chosen by specific coaches.

What has been shown though, is that sport may be terrible for kids. Academics that have reviewed the research in this area generally agree that there is no evidence to support the claim that sport builds character. A study of teenage Canadian male hockey players show that the longer they’re involved in hockey the greater they accept the importance of cheating, the more they feel violent behaviour is not only legitimate but EXPECTED by the coach the more they are likely to use illegal tactics.

You can picture me by now in this class, shrinking down in my seat and kind of wanting to run off as the lecturer systematically breaks down everything I’ve ever believed in sport. Part of me wanted to jump up and down and say NO you can’t be right! You’re wrong! It’s hard to do that though when every argument’s backed up with scientific research.

Here’s the kicker though. Despite all the information I’ve cited, sport is in itself neither inherently good nor bad. What sport is however, is what we make it. The spectrum for positive change and influence through sport is less aligned with sport itself and more aligned with those who surround sport. It is the influence of coaches, of teachers and parents that make the sporting experience what it is to kids, the most impressionable of participants.

When our lecturer said this, when she impressed on us the serious position we held (I’m the only law student in the class, and one of only a handful who isn’t studying either human movement or education) as the future coaches, teachers and administrators of sport, I felt a little bit of relief. I wasn’t off base when it came to my opinion of sport and its power, but just needed to re-align the way I conceptualized it and its relationship with its participants.

So here it is, from my view point. Sport is one of the biggest things in my life. It has been one of the biggest influences in my life as I have grown up but when I look back, reflect on everything I’ve learnt from my participation with hockey I agree with my lecturer on her assessment.

What I have learnt from sport has not come from sport itself. The physical activity of playing goal has not taught me how to set goals, but the process of learning to play goal, the practice necessitated if I wanted to improve, the sacrifices I’ve had to make for the sport itself have. It was not blocking a shot which taught me the value of hard work and dedication, but a mother who expected nothing less from me, who impressed on me the values of giving everything I had in what I chose to take on, sport being no exception.

Sasky xoxo

Where I’ve been since May….

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:34:59 +0000

Yes. This is one of those blogs that has almost as many OMG I’ve vanished for __ this many months on ends posts as it has actual posts.

Why? Because I’m one of those people that seems to spend more time living life than writing about it. Not saying, if you write about it, that’s a bad thing, it’s just not how I roll.

So what have I been doing since I last wrote?

Well I didn’t get the Brendan Burke internship, but there’s no real surprise there. I know I’ll apply again next year. I kind of would have liked an email back that said no you didn’t get it but I know how these thing roll.

I did however get a sports management internship with International Quarterback. I’ve been emailing IQ every semester for about 3 years now, so when I finally heard back I was really excited. I’m told they average several emails and inquiries a day about jobs and internships, so to actually get one and be offered it practically on the spot like I was is great. I feel a little more validated and rewarded for all the hard work I’ve put in for the last 3 years to be finally heading towards where I think I maybe want to go.

At the end of last year, I was elected onto the Board of the Australian Hockey League as a Commissioner. Yes, I get a ridiculous kick out of saying I’m a Commissioner of a national hockey league. It’s a step closer to my goals than I was this time last year, so every step forward is a good one.

So that has me crazy busy juggling sponsors, venue bookings, run sheets, volunteers, after party plans and everything that comes with organizing a national event. Throw in to all of that work, Heartbreak Hockey and the final semester of Law school and life is something that seems to happen will I run after it.

It’s 4.30 on a Friday afternoon here, so I”m going to finish this nice glass of red I”m currently enjoying at my desk before I head home for the afternoon. I have an early morning flight to Melbourne tomorrow for hockey games and a clothing launch at my brother’s store to go to tonight, as well as an open house in my apartment to clean up for.

xoxo Sasky

Hockey Life (or something like it) – Essay for the Brendan Burke Internship

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 12:14:10 +0000

It seems strange, that I haven’t posted here in Months, caught up in the flurry of returning from the States, tumbling back into School and Hockey. It seems in stark contrast that my last post was in memorial of the amazingness that was Brendan Burke and here is my application essay to the internship in his honour. I do not think I will get it, in large part due to the fact I am both outside the realm of what they’re looking for I’d imagine, and that I am still 6 months shy of graduation. Trying never hurt though,

Hockey Life (or something like it)..

Sasky Stewart

It’s an unusual thing, to find a girl so in love with hockey, so passionate and dedicated to the most untypical of her nation’s sport down here in the most unlikely of hockey countries. Or so I’m told. I’ve never really felt it was unusual because to me, hockey is an extension of my being, who I am and what I do.

Hockey is not a sport I fell in love with and have dedicated so much of my life so far too because it was what was expected of me or because it is what everyone else did. Hockey is a sport I fell in love with because from the moment I first saw it, first stepped foot in a rink and heard the noise of skates, I had no other choice. I do not come from a hockey family or a town that even had an ice rink. I did not spend nights watching the Redwings only to get up before dawn, dragged out of bed by parents for practice. This makes no difference as over the past years hockey has become so much a part of me that it has shaped the person I am today.

To the sport of hockey I owe a lot. It has made me strong and determined. It has taught me the value of hard work and that nothing is a bar to by success, not my size, my gender or my nationality, if I am willing to dedicate myself to the pursuit of my goals. It has taught me to find the strength needed to pull myself up every time I fall, how to be a team mate and at the same time how to lead those around me.

I could list my achievements in the hockey world, what I have done but a resume does not capture who I am as a person or how I got to where I am today. Since I first fell in love with the sport, I have dedicated myself to it, through play (as a member of the National Women’s League) and through work. When the opportunity arose I jumped at the chance to join the Board of the AIHL, not only to gain further experience in the management of the sport I love but as it presented a chance to walk the talk and make a meaningful contribution to the sport that means so much. I’ve worn many hats in the name of hockey from events co-ordinator to marketing and communications director, development leader to social media guru and even branching out to goalie coach, boards repair and first aid officer (my ability to repair facial wounds is actually getting quite good) and I have taken each of these on board with the same dedication and passion that I live my entire life with.

I’ve never been a small thinker, at 5 wanting to be prime minister and at 15 a judge. For the last while however, I’ve had my sights set on being the first female Commissioner of the NHL. These aren’t small goals and despite being small I’ve never aimed for anything less than the biggest dreams I could think of. That’s why when I wanted to learn more about developing and running hockey I set my sights on an NHL internship. After devising a promotional method and package and approached every single team until Ted Leonsis of the Capitals brought me on board. Less than a year later and with summer break once again approaching and faced with the not to appealing prospect of 3 months sitting around, I turned to the WHL this time for an internship which would help me learn and grow as a hockey professional.

I admit, I am unsure of my eligibility for this internship due to my location outside the USA. What I have learnt however, is that much akin to the Gretzky attitude on shot taking, 100% of the chances you don’t take you don’t get. This is a chance I will always take.

In Remembrance of What Was and What Will Continue

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:06:22 +0000

Stereotypically men deal with things by ignoring about it and women deal with things by talking about it. In this day and age, it seems like both genders deal by tweeting about it. That’s how I learnt today in a tweet by @JayOnrait that Brian Burke’s son Brendan had passed. It is always sad when anyone, let alone a child passes. However, when it is someone within the hockey community the pain extends through so many other people, belying the closeness that is so valued in hockey.

I grew up in a small country town who’s main interests were drinking, cows and football. My dad put in swimming pools for a living and my mother raised us and cut hair. I was lucky however, to have two of the most accepting parents you could imagine. My father once drove a bus for a drag tour and also (in his 20’s) routinely dressed up as a Japanese Geisha for reasons unknown. My mother was a hairdresser. They never judged, accepted everyone and taught me much the same.

Brendan Burke came out to his team mates, many of whom probably didn’t come from families like mine, but grew up in towns like the one I did, small, country and undeniably close minded. He had listened to years and years of chirping centered around insults to ones sexuality, the perceived ultimate in insults if locker room trash talk was any indication. It had lead to him quitting playing in his final years of high school, unable to bear the talk, the degradation of his self. Still he came out, running the risk of loosing the trust and friendship of the hockey brotherhood he had found as a student manager at Miami-Ohio.

Not only did he come out to his hockey team, he came out to a father that is widely regarded as a prototype of masculinity in an already masculine sport. He takes a risk, at loosing a family that so many of us could never consider making. He takes a risk at rejection and shame that would send so many of us cowering and preferring to hide ourselves rather than run those risks. Instead, he finds acceptance grounded in the common sense belief that someones worth goes far beyond their sexual orientation, that persons value cannot be measured by who they love but by how they live.

The media jumps on this story, of the famous father’s acceptance of his son, the overwhelming acceptance of the hockey community to something still so taboo and suddenly Brendan Burke is everywhere, and everyone? Everyone is okay.

When Brendan Burke came out everyone heard about it. Thousands of hockey players across the country, across the world suddenly had a little bit of light they may not have had before. If Brian Burke can be okay with it, if a college hockey team can, maybe my coach, my team mates, friends and family can too.

Brendan Burke wanted to end the pattern of homophobia that was endemic to hockey and other sports. He wanted it to be okay for anyone to be who they were and to not feel shame for that, to be free to live how they wished without fear of loosing the sport and friends that meant so much. It is a goal, a dream many of us share, and in his memory, many of us will continue to carry on.

Your courage in stepping forward so publicly will serve as inspiration to many and the message you came forward with of acceptance will be remembered and carried forward. You were one of the firsts, but you will not be the last.

Rest in Peace, Brendan.

Quebec v. Cormier: The Law v. The League

admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:58:00 +0000

I have watched the Cormier video multiple times, pausing and going back just before Tam starts to go into convulsions. I have already seen twice in my life a player go into seizures before me on the ice, one an epileptic team mate, the other the result of a fight gone wrong and both never things I wish to witness again, either on tv or otherwise.

Cormier’s hit is not in question here. It was dirty. He lead with his elbow at a high speed and Tam suffered the consequences. Further, Cormier is not a first time offender, instead a young player with an already disgusting reputation for this kind of play.

So where do we go from here?

Cormier needs to be suspended. Plain and simple. If you’re suspending based on the outcome, like the OHL has been (see Lambias), suspend him for a season. If anything, Cormier is probably more deserving of such a suspension, with the likelihood of injury occurring every time a hit is delivered in that manner being substantially higher than that of Lambias, which in my opinion the resulting injury was more from freak circumstances (the loss of the helmet in the fall, so forth).

However, now, the Quebec Provincial Police are reporting that they are investigating Cormier and the incident in the light of possible laying of charges.

This is where the problem I have arises. I, like a lot of people, have a real issue with the involvement of the police when it comes to punishing unacceptable behaviour or violence in sport.

In the United States, there has been one criminal case against a professional hockey player (there has been four criminal indictments of hockey players, but only one involved an NHL player, David Forbes) and Canada has seen several. The more famous of these include Regina v Ciccarelli (Dino was found guilty of assault, fined $1000 and ordered to serve a day in jail) and Regina v McSorley (the trial mainly centered around whether an incident in a professional hockey game could constitute assault with a weapon).

Society’s criminal sentencing system is underpinned by the concepts of retribution and deterrence. We wish to punish what was done, to restore society to a state prior to the act and in turn prevent its further behaviour. A court can endeavour to do this but when (in accordance with precedent and law) the sentence may be little more than a handful of hours community service, a fine or a suspended sentence, is it going to be as effective as a substantial suspension or even a season long ban to enforce the message to not only the concerned player but the hockey community as a whole? There seems to be no worse punishment for a hockey player than to take away his right to play the game he loves.

Sporting leagues strive to maintain control over the punishment and regulation of its athletes and their actions. They argue, and I agree, that there is no need for outside judicial or legislative involvement in the majority of incidents (if you decapitated someone I’d be inclined to hand someone over to the police however). However, if the League, any league, wishes to remove these incidents from the game of hockey on its own terms, it is swift and harsh punishment that must be dealt out or more and more incidents will end up before the courts.

If Cormier does find himself in a court room in the future, it will not be just him that is on trial, but the sport of hockey and its ability to handle its own problems that will be brought into question.

Eagle has landed

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:36:44 +0000

Well I’ve been here in Everett for a week and a bit now and its already been a hell of a time. I spent most of the first few days in various states of unconsciousness on couches and beds as I tried to get over the most wicked jet lag I’ve ever experienced (I’d never had a problem with it flying to the States before) and adjusting to the cold.

In the first week I’ve been here, the team’s gone 4 from 5 games (I like to think I’m lucky because they’d won 3 from the last 12 before that), made some minor rights trades and a released a player. Sadly, the player released was a very good friend of mine, Dale Hunt. Unfortunately this meant the most time we spent hanging out involved packing his life into a suitcase so he could head back to Manitoba. However, with the team also releasing his rights (a classy move) he’s able to carry on his hockey career whether in the W or another league where the opportunity presents itself. He’s received a lot of interest from MJHL teams back towards home and with one more year left on his eligibility he’s looking forward to atleast another good year of hockey ahead of him.

It was rough though, to see first hand the necessary business side of hockey when it is someone you care about and know well, and particular when it is kids, teenagers who are being shipped around the country between what they know. However, as any of them will tell you, its what they agree to in order to play the game. I know if I had the option, I’d agree to the exact same thing And that’d just to be able to work for the team!

A lot of my time so far has been spent observing and I’m learning a lot about ticket sales and promotions, different marketing and merchandising initiatives and coming up with some great ideas and plans to implement when I get back home. So far I’ve already emailed my team back home with Sponsorship Proposals and merchandising plans, and I’m working on something regarding season tickets at the moment. They’re going to get sick of me soon enough!!

Anyway, the team’s off the ice from practice, JR’s got some adjectives for me to look up for the broadcasts, and I’m off to Seattle this afternoon for the night’s game. So it’s time for me to scoot. Blog to you all soon.

Sasky

Hockey Home-ward Bound

admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 02:19:21 +0000

My plane leaves in a handful of hours and I’ll be heading North towards Everett on my next big adventure. Keep your eyes peeled to this space to read, not only more about hockey, but the adventures I have whilst on my travels.

See you on the other hemisphere side.

Sasky

The Love Affair with World Juniors

admin — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:30:00 +0000

“Christmas” (noun) – a day of the year that falls one day before the World Junior Hockey Championship officially starts.

I fell in love with World Juniors during the lock out. I’d only been around hockey for a few years at that point and with internet game streaming practically non-existent at this point (I really only found most of it last season) I listened to a lot of OHL hockey on the internet radio. Then world juniors came along, Patrice Bergeron was playing (I had a bit of a 16 year old school girl crush on the young frenchie) and I was hooked. Ever since then, every year World Juniors has become part of my hockey life.

Here’s a look at a few of my favourite moments of the World Juniors in the last few years.

The First Year

The first year I discovered WJC was that of the lockout. That year, the team that took the ice was as close to a dream team as one could imagine. Of a team of 22, 16 are currently in the NHL, and the majority of those are dominant players. The team had two current NHL captains, numerous NHL assistant captains, team scoring leaders, league scoring leaders, all-stars, trophy nominees and winners and that’s just the Canadian side of the equation. Throw in the pairing of Ovechkin and Malkin and you’ve got a match up a lot of hockey fans would give their eye teeth to see again.

The 2005 Gold Medal Game

Whilst knowing the score and having celebrated like a wild fan (I had worked so someone had brought the score into work for me), it was a month and a half after the tournament ended and the “non-alcoholic champagne” was popped that I finally saw that game. To this date I’ve seen the game upwards of 60 times with the tape itself having actually started to loose its colour. My favourite moment of the game, forever immortalised by the screamings of Pierre McGuire was what is now known as the “Double Dion”, the moment Phanuef clears out two russians to set the line of Crosby-Perry-Bergeron off on an almost clear 3 – 0. The goal, the whole play itself is still one of my favourite moments in hockey. In fact, I’m pretty sure I can do the entire call from memory.

Stefan Legein

I have a little love affair with Stefan Legein. He’s funny as hell, cute and incredibly endearing with his chirpy, chippy and hard nosed style of play. Hell, I even have an entire blog post to him and his youtube highlights (here). It was the World Juniors that many of us not entirely obsessed with Jr Hockey first got to meet Mr Legein, and really it was probably the first time many got to see his endearing personality shine as the camera’s of a nation (or atleast TSN’s) fell on him. And I mean, anyway, who doesn’t love watching a ecstatic, shaving cream covered hockey boy half pounce a TV personality? I’m pretty sure TSN, or James Cybulski atleast has a crush on the kid.

The Battle between PK Subban and Jonathan Tavares

PK Subban was badass. PK Subban was a brash, trash talking little d-man with a hell of a lot of swagger and a style of play that reflected all of this (even if Pat Quinn wasn’t a fan of the “Subbi-do” Spinorama). Best of all PK Subban was everything that the shy, seemingly personality-less Jonathan Tavares wasn’t. Until you put them in the same room. You put PK and JT in the same interview and you ended up with some hilarious stuff from the boys. Who loves Mariah Carey? Those boys do (”She’s decent. You can’t be dissing Mariah like that”.) Such gems also include “PK. You’re the toughest guy I know with your gloves on.” and a snipping match in a group interview as Thomas Hickey and Zach Boychuk stare confusedly at the pair. The two interviews are here and here

Going to Ottawa

In my travels last year, I was fortunate enough to end up in Ottawa for Christmas / New Years and got to experience the World Juniors first hand. It may have only been Canada v Germany and a bit of a one sided game but to me it was heaven. I turned up with my sign, my Team Canada hoodie and glitter flag cheek decals and for that night, I was truly as close to being Canadian as you can get without that whole pesky citizenship thing. I helped pass the flag, got to cheer and holler and even occasionally yelled random abuse when I felt the need arose.

2009 Canada / USA – New Years Eve Game

Despite the intense love I have for the 2005 Gold Medal Game, the 2009 Canada / USA match is quite possibly my favourite WJC game. It had everything. It had the underdog attacking and the favourite making a come back. It had passion, drama and a lot of fire and bad blood between the teams. It had jr team mates, room mates pitted against each other, both fighting for supremacy and the free pass through to the semi-finals. So many times since then, I have gone back and watched that game. I even tried to tonight, only to discover that HockeyStreams.com, my savior for hockey archives has finally taken down some of its old streams. Heartbreak.

It’s Boxing Day here, which means that very shortly it’ll be Boxing Day in Canada and once again the fun will begin. Which member of the team will I end up crushing on this year after some amazing play, hilarious interview or endearing moment?

I can’t wait to find out!

See you at 6am Australian time, Team Canada. In the mix for six!

P.S. Team Finland. I no longer shall be supporting you as you cut my friend and Silvertip, Rasmus Rissanen (formally known as Finland to me). I do not like this.

Naked Shoot Out: Article 8 – A big-Ass Look at Entry Draft Regulations

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:09:14 +0000

Article 8 – The Entry Draft

I love the entry draft. All those fresh faced young hockey players, surrounded by their family and friends and still fill of hopes and dreams that GM’s and the real world are just waiting to crush.

My most recent favourite draft moments involve Brian Burke, whether it be watching his soul being crushed as the Kings draft Brayden Schenn and ending his Schenn and Schenn dreams, or the steely glee as he in turn crushes Bryan Murray’s dreams of drafting Nazem Kadri, with a simple “well we’re going to take him”, the draft holds a lot of excitement for those of us who love the jr leagues, and gossiping about what our team’s futures holds.

But what governs the draft?

Article 8.1 sets out that the draft shall be held in June every league year at a date determined by the commissioner. Each draft (8.2) shall consist of 7 rounds, and each of those rounds shall consist of the same number of selections as there shall be clubs in the following league year.

8.3 sets out the guidelines for compensatory draft picks obtained from a loss of a draft pick (they are different rules for loss of a Group III Free agent), requiring that the additional number of picks shall not exceed the number of clubs in the league the following year. The right to a compensatory pick arises if they lose rights to an unsigned draft choice, who was drafted in the first round. This loss of rights cannot arise if the loss is due to their own failure to tender a Bona Fide Offer.

The pick they are granted shall be of the same numerical choice as before but in the 2^nd round of the entry draft which immediately follows the date a which the loss of rights occur. A recent example of this was the Phoneix Coyotes and the loss of Blake Wheeler. Whilst the Coyotes made a legitmate Bona Fide Offer to Wheeler, they failed to retain his services on contract (as he wished to run off somewhere other than Phoenix as a FA) and were awarded the 5^th pick in the 2^nd round as their compensation.

8.4 or all the stuff that deems you eligible to be drafted.

All players 18 years and older are eligible for claim in an entry draft UNLESS:

They are already on a reserve list of a club.
They have been claimed in two prior entry drafts.
They have previously played in the NHL and have since become a FA.
Is older than 21 and has played in North America for minimum 1 year between 18 – 20 (a free agent).
Is older than 22 and has not played in North America (a free agent).

8.5 or the order in which the draft is run

The rules that determine the order of selection are dictated by the league. These rules are valid as long as they do not give any club a greater or smaller chance of obtaining rights in a certain player. If any changes are to be made to the process, the NHL must notify the NHLPA by March 1 in the year of the draft to which changes are proposed to take affect.

Currently those rules can be found here

8.6 or how long you retain rights in a player.

Drafting, as everyone knows, gives a team exclusive rights of negotiation for the services of the player.

Initially a club retains exclusive negotiation rights to a player for a period of one year. If the club makes a Bona Fide Offer to the player before or on June 1 of the year following the draft these negotiation rights will be extended to the second June 1 following the draft.

However, if the player is drafted at 20, his services not retained and he renters at age 22, the drafting club shall only acquire these exclusive negotiations rights for 1 year only unless the player is acquired from a club outside north America.

Realistically however, the retainment of player rights is dependent on several factors including whether they are a major junior or college player, their age and the year they leave either of these fields.

Drafted out of Major Junior

A club shall retain the exclusive negotiating rights until the 4^th June 1 after his intial draft selection of a player drafted at 18 who ceases to play in the major juniors in the first year after being drafted.

If the player ceases to play in his second season after being drafted, if the club hs tendered a Bona Fide Offer, they shall retain exclusive rights until the 4^th June 1,

If the player was drafted at 19 and ceases to play in major juniors in the first season after drafting, they shall retain exclusive rights until the 3^rd june 1^st (compared to the 4^th June 1^st if they were 18). This retainment of rights can be extended to a 4^th year if a BFO is made prior to the 1 June of the third year.

Other than these specific examples, ceasing to play in Jr’s shall have no impact on a club’s right of exclusive negotiation.

Drafted out of College or with Intention to go to College

If you’re 18 or 19 and a bona fide college student AT the time of your selection, or you become one within the next year after your selection (so say you’re kyle turris and you get drafted then go to college the next year where you excel in sports such as beer pong) and you remain a Bona Fide College Student through until the graduation of your college class, the club that drafts you shall retain exclusive rights until the august 15^th following the graduation of your college class. Because of NCAA guidelines, no Bona Fide Offer of a contract is required to retain this rights.

However, if you do not remain a college student through to the end of your graduation, the team shall retain rights until the 4^th June 1 following your intial selection. Once again, no BFO is required.

However if you are drafted at 18 or 19, and receive a BFO, and then become a college student before the 2^nd June 1, if that player remains through to graduation, exclusive rights will extend until the august 15^th following their graduation from college. Once again though, if they fail to remain at college through to graduation, the rights shall be retained until the 4^th June following initial selection.

If you draft a player who’s 20 or older and a Bona Fida College student, the club shall retain exclusive rights until the 2^nd June 1 following drafting. However, if on the 2^nd June 1 the player is still in college, the club shall retain those rights until the August 15^th of the year he leaves college, regardless if he has left at or prior to graduation.

8.6 (D) or so What is a Bona Fide Offer??

According to 8.6(d) a bona fide offer is an offer for a standard player contract for a period corresponding with the players age (9.1(b)), which commences at the start of the next league season, offers atleast a minimum paragraph 1 salary (s11.12) and remains open to the player to accept for atleast 30 days after the offer.

8.7 or what age means.

In the first two years after being drafted, an 18 year old who is signed to an SPC must be offered to the club he was drafted from (by the club he who drafted him) before he can be loaned to another.

In the first season after being drafted at 19 (or if they reach their 19^th birthday between September 16 and December 31 the year of the draft) the rule as above applies.

However, during the 18 and 19 year old seasons, IF the picks junior team is no longer in competition he may be loaned to a clubs minor league team provided they have been listed on their eligibility list (the AHL Clear Day List).

8.8 or yes we can trade your rights.

Any right of negotiation is completely transferable to another club by standard assignment without any requirement for waiver.

8.9 or Are you Eligible?

To play in the league you must either be drafted into the league, or be ineligible for drafting under 8.4.

These ineligibilities are:

That you were older than 20, had played in North America in the prior season and had signed a standard player contract between the last draft and the NHL season’s commencement. Eg. Signed as an undrafted free agent.
That you were under 20, had played the prior season in North America, and had signed an SPC between the last draft and the NHL Season’s commencement. However if you were on a try-out the date for signing is the first day of the NHL Season.
That you were older than 22, played hockey outside North America last season, and signed an SPC between the draft and the NHL Season. This is what we call the Europeans take longer for us to figure out they’re there and good rule.

8.10 or so how old are you by Draft standards?

To the CBA 18 is if you turn 18 between 1 Jan proceeding the draft and September 15 after the draft.

To the CBA to be 19 you must reach your 19^th birthday no later than September 15 the year of the draft.

20, 21 and 22 are all “ages reached prior or on” December 31 of the draft year.

8.11 or letting the NHLPA get to you early.

The NHLPA is entitled to attend and hold a closed and private meeting of players at any pre-draft combine the NHL shall hold. Awesome! It starts early

Heartbreak Hockey

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:52:28 +0000

It’s been a while since I posted, I’ve been caught up with getting ready to go overseas, organising christmas and still working and so forth. One of the things that has been keeping me busy is launching and designing products for my new venture Heartbreak Hockey.

I came up with the idea for HbH when I was getting frustrated with the large amount of slutty and sparkly that appeared in Women’s hockey clothes.

So if you’re looking for something for the hardcore Hockey Girl in your life, give our site a look and I”m sure you’ll find something she’ll love!

Heartbreak Hockey