With the OHL set to begin play on February 4, 2021, apparently body checking will not be allowed this season. Why would body checking be banned, when other measures are not being enforced to reduce the spread of Covid-19? Would body checking really prevent the spread of Covid-19 when other players are breathing on one another on the benches, or in the faceoff circles? Let’s take a dive into this as it just doesn’t make sense.
“She (Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s Minister of sport) said that removing purposeful physical contact from the game was a necessary step to preventing the spread of COVID-19.”- Canadian Press
With no body checking allowed for this upcoming season, the season really is a hard one to measure. How are teams in the NHL supposed to evaluate their own prospects, and prospects that will be draft eligible for the 2021 NHL Draft with no body checking? One key element to every young prospect that makes the jump to the AHL or the NHL is will they be able to handle the rigors of an 82 game season, and possibly the playoffs, as well. Getting bigger and stronger for such does not happen overnight, but taking a way a key component to the sport of hockey could hinder a young prospects development.
Scoring more than likely will be through the roof for the 2020-21 season, and in the end the goalies are the ones that most likely will suffer. They are really going to get shelled on a nightly basis. So how can the scouts properly evaluate the goaltending position? It’s going to be very hard to determine the offensive aspects, and defensive aspects of the game this season.
Why can’t players body check when they sit on the benches together and are breathing in close proximities of one another? This stance just doesn’t make sense and that’s why eliminating body checking really gets lost with this topic. Players will have contact with each other in the end, for instance when players are digging for pucks in the corners, or when players are trying to gain position in front of the opposing teams’ netminders. I understand the purpose of trying to prevent the spread of Covid-19 for health and safety reasons, but allowing some other aspects of the game, and not allowing other aspects of the game to ensue just takes away from the goodness of the sport.
Shouldn’t the league enforce full face shields? Yes, playing with a full face shield is not ideal, however, why should no body checking be the end all? The fact is it doesn’t make sense, players will sweat and breathe heavily on one another at times, whether it be in the faceoff circle, on the bench, in the corners, or just skating in close proximity of each other. All aspects of the game should be allowed, or the season should just be cancelled.
Flyers prospects in Tyson Foerster (Barrie Colts) and Zayde Wisdom (Kingston Frontenacs) shall enjoy big seasons. Foerster is a sniper and will shoot accurately from anywhere, whereas Wisdom will park himself in front of the net and no one can move him.
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In the end the goalies are the ones that most likely will suffer. They are really going to get shelled on a nightly basis. Covid-19 continues to hamper leagues throughout the world. Hopefully this ends sooner rather than later.
