Dick Tuthill writes:
>      Has anyone heard if AHAUS will be banning checking from all youth
> hockey soon?   This decision was supposed to have been made soon.   If so,
> that will have a HUGE impact on the college game.   I personally think
> the NAAHA approach is much better.   BTW,  I believe the push for the
> ban comes from the Mid West.
>
 
The talk about moving checking from AHAUS PeeWees (ages 11&12 as of June 30th)
to Bantams (ages 13&14) began when AHAUS ages changed by 6 months last year,
effectively introducing checking 6 months earlier.  Since my town's AHAUS team
is running a checking clinic as part of its spring league PeeWee program, I
can only assume that checking will remain at the PeeWee level.
 
I hadn't heard discussion about banning checking from ALL youth hockey, which
would have a bigger impact at the higher levels of HS and college.
 
For those who don't already know, Metro Boston teams -- affiliated with NAAHA
instead of AHAUS -- allow checking at all levels, although teams are all in
one year increments, rather than AHAUS's two years so the potential for size
differences is decreased.
 
DaveH