USA Hockey Board of Directors Makes Few Changes to Playing Rules
2007 USA Hockey Annual Congress Proves Productive

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Hockey’s Annual Congress concluded last Saturday (June 9), and while this year’s legislative cycle provided the opportunity for the Board of Directors to modify the playing rules, little was ultimately changed.

The most spirited debate was in regard to the proposal to adopt the “tag up” offside rule in youth hockey. While the motion to adopt “tag up” failed, it will be allowed in high school hockey.

The Board did vote to eliminate the rule requiring mouth guards for girls under-10 in order to mirror the rule for boys.

New dimensions for goalkeeper’s equipment will be required beginning in 2009-10 and is strongly recommended for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. An appendix will be included in the new rulebook that includes the new dimensions.

One other highlight in regard to rule changes was the adoption of new ice markings that makes significant progress in the attempt to have one set of standardized markings across all levels of hockey. A complete overview of the new markings can be found at usahockey.com in the near future.

In other USA Hockey Annual Congress news:

• Dan Esdale (Hyde Park, Mass.) was voted as vice president and chair of the junior council, replacing Dave Tyler (Waterloo, Iowa), who retired from the position.

• USA Hockey’s Junior Player of the Year award has been re-named the Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year. Tyler, who served on USA Hockey’s Board of Directors for 32 years, played an instrumental role in the development and growth of junior hockey in the United States. He was elected as a Director Emeritus by acclamation at the conclusion of the Board of Director’s meeting.

• Bill Hall (Coram, N.Y.) was unanimously re-elected to a new three-year term as USA Hockey’s secretary and Tony Rossi (Chicago, Ill.) was unanimously re-elected to a new three-year term as vice president and chair of the international council.

• Dave LaBuda (Chicago, Ill.) was confirmed by the Board as USA Hockey’s new referee-in-chief, while Tom Kehr (Holland, Mich.) was confirmed as the organization’s new Association Coaching and Education (ACE) national director.

• Brad Bekkedahl (Williston, N.D.) was voted to a two-year term as director representative to the executive committee, while Chris Imes (Bensenville, Ill.) was voted to a three-year term as athlete director representative to the executive committee.

• USA Hockey adopted an official policy denouncing the practice of “locker boxing.”

• USA Hockey announced that the first-ever Hockey Weekend Across America is scheduled for Feb. 15-17, 2008.