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Former Red Wing Dallas Drake spoke publicly in support of the rule change.
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The rule that ruled them all

MiHockey Staff

By Michael Caples –

TRAVERSE CITY – Despite a strong contingent pushing against it, the controversial rule change of having all 8-and-under hockey players start their season playing cross-ice hockey has now been approved.

The voting members of the Michigan Amateur Hockey Assocation voted 39-16 in favor of Proposal 9 – “In the youth Eight and Six and under classifications, a cross-ice/half-ice program must be established in every MAHA association” – which will be effective for the 2011-12 fall season. A two-thirds vote was needed to approve any proposals.

Former Red Wing Dallas Drake spoke publicly in support of the rule change.

SEE THE OFFICIAL RULE PROPOSAL (WITH AMENDMENTS) at facebook.com/mihockeynow

“I’m happy that it passed,” said MAHA president George Atkinson following the vote. “I just hope that all the associations and that will come together and work towards making the proposal that passed being the best it can possibly be for the kids.”

Former NHL star Dallas Drake spoke during the open-mic session of the meetings, urging the voting members to put aside their own ideas on the subject, and think about what’s best for the players. Drake applauded the efforts by USA Hockey and MAHA for trying to get the rule in place.

“I’m real happy,” the former Red Wing and new Traverse City Hockey Association president and said. “I think at the end of the day there’s going to be some disappointed people, but I think at the end of the day that we get into it and push forward, it’s best for the kids.

“I just think it makes better hockey players,” Drake said of cross-ice hockey. “The part I like about it more than anything else is that besides skill development, it teaches the kids how to think on their feet. That’s part of the game that I think is going downhill for us right now.”

Atkinson said that the challenge is now to help associations adapt to the rules, and to keep everyone on the same page.

“I think they just have to look at what some of the other associations – other bigger associations in Grand Rapids and Lansing – have done,” Atkinson said. “Those folks have already been a year down the road, and they have to look at what those folks did, in terms of what they might want to model their program after. Those associations faced the same thing a year ago. It’s not insurmountable, it can be done, but I know it will be a lot of hard work, working with their parents and coaches to make it a successful program.”