New Hockey Canada guidelines transition well at LNHL

By Sam Laskaris

MISSISSAUGA – It took a bit of getting used to, but now, Ralph Gonawabi speaks highly of the format that is being implemented for the first time in the Tyke division at the 47th Annual Little Native Hockey League (LNHL) tournament.

The 2018 event, which kicked off on Monday with a record 209 clubs, is being staged at various rinks throughout Mississauga. The tourney continues until Thursday.

Like all other tournament participants, in previous years those in the Tyke category, featuring players six and under, competed on a full rink.

But this year, following Hockey Canada guidelines, Little NHL organizers opted to have those in the Tyke grouping play on just half of the ice surface, with a rubber divider across the rink. That means two Tyke games can be staged at the same time on one ice pad.

All of the Tyke contests in the Little NHL are being held at Tomken Arena, which has two ice pads.

“At first I was a little confused about what it was all about,” said Gonawabi, a resident of the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory that has four children participating in this year’s Little NHL. “I was discouraged with the change at first.”

Two of Gonawabi’s children, six-year-old son Taidym and four-year-old daughter Treilyn, are suiting up for the Wiky Mighty Pucks in the Tyke category.

The two youngsters have also been playing half-ice games this season in the Sudbury-area Copper Cliff Minor Hockey Association.

Gonawabi has grown to like the new format.

“It’s good,” he said. “It gives them more puck-handling and more time with the puck. There’s more heads-up hockey for them. I like it.”

Gonawabi said his two youngest children have not complained at all about the half-ice format.

“They’re young,” he said. “They don’t know. They just want to play hockey. At the end of the day, they just want to go to the candy store. I always have to keep a bunch of change in my pocket.”

Gonawabi also has an eight-year-old daughter Taiya toiling in the tournament’s Novice category this year and a 13-year-old son Carson in the Bantam grouping.

A Little NHL record of 30 clubs are participating in the Tyke division this year.

Lawrence Enosse, a member of the Little NHL executive committee, is overseeing the entire Tyke category.

“It’s a transition, but I think it is working well,” he said.

No scores are kept in any of the Tyke games. In fact, there is no referee or linesmen necessary. Instead, one coach per team is allowed on the ice to offer support/encouragement.

Since they’re only using half the ice, clubs also share a bench.

“They’re really showing the sportsmanship of the game,” Enosse said, adding he’s noticed coaches encouraging players from both squads on the ice.

Each game is 24 minutes of running time and players switch shifts every three minutes.

All players in the Tyke division will get the same participation medal.

“If scheduling permits, each team will also get a picture with the tournament’s championship Tyke trophy,” said Enosse, whose four-year-old son Bentley Recollet is playing in the event for another Wiikwemkoong squad, the Wiky Hawks.

Hockey Canada has mandated starting with the 2019-20 campaign that all of its players in the Novice category (those aged 7 and 8) will also play half-ice games.

Enosse said Little NHL officials do not necessarily have to adopt half-ice contests for their Novice division as well since the tournament is not sanctioned by Hockey Canada.

“Right now it’s up for discussion,” he said. “But I don’t think we’re going to incorporate it into our Novice division.”

Enosse also praised the efforts of the staff at Tomken Arena, who have been helpful with the setup design of the half-rink games.

For starters, extra nets are required on the ice for the two half-ice games. Additionally, the rubber dividers (that are owned by the City of Mississauga) running the width of the rink had to be brought in and laid across the ice.

Those dividers have to be moved quickly each time the Zamboni resurfaces the ice.

“There’s a lot of logistics that went into this division,” Enosse said.