Hockey Canada’s decision to change minor hockey division names was overdue and is for the better – The Hockey News

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When Hockey Canada's renamed minor hockey divisions come into effect next season, it will not only eliminate confusion, but will make the game more inclusive by eliminating some offensive terminology.

Shannon Coady is a little person who has been involved in hockey in Newfoundland for almost every one of his 42 years. When he was forced to quit playing hockey at the age of 14 because the local association and his parents wouldnt allow it, he became a stick boy for the AHLs St. Johns Maple Leafs after winning a contest in the local newspaper. During his interview when he was told to grab a pair of shin pads off the top of a players stall, he jumped on the seat and grabbed them. The team called and offered him a job the next day.

Coady went on to work his way up to assistant equipment manager with the Baby Leafs, and came to Toronto to work a couple of playoff rounds. He held the same posts with the QMJHLs St. Johns Fog Devils and later the AHLs St. Johns IceCaps when the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens had their affiliate there.

The 1991-92 Baby Leafs, coached by Marc Crawford and with a playing assistant coach by the name of Joel Quenneville, had a couple of Francophone and European players who couldnt pronounce his name properly, so they just used Shaq, in deference to 7-foot-1 Shaquille ONeal, who was in his final year at the Louisiana State University en route to a Hall of Fame career in the NBA. The nickname stuck and people still refer to Coady by that name. It never bothered him. In fact, for a couple of years he even operated his own business called Shaqs Skate Sharpening.

You may have heard earlier this week that Hockey Canada has changed the names of its divisions to reflect age groupings, starting with Under-7 and going right up to Under-21. You may have also heard some of the chatter, likely from some of the same people who think Redskins is an acceptable thing to label someone, that as a society weve become a bunch of easily offended snowflakes obsessed with political correctness. (One thing that has always intrigued: The fact that when people criticize that term, they always seem to focus on the political part and never the correct part.)

Coady never got too worked up that one of the divisions was referred to as Midget, even though that word has become taboo in society. In fact, its pretty much the equivalent of the N word for those with achondroplasia, or dwarfism. But it never quite sat right with him. I never liked it, Coady said. Im 42 and its been around for as long as I can remember. As I got older, I dont have a word for itI just didnt think it was right. And I dont think it would ever fly in different sports.

As much as anyone, Coady realizes its the name of an age division in hockey and those who have used it have nothing against him and there is no intention to offend anyone. But words do matter and when you accept them you tacitly accept the negative connotation that comes with them and the power imbalance it creates. But more than anything, the name changes to reflect the age of players just makes sense on so many levels. Its the way the rest of the world has gone when it comes to hockey and its about time Canada followed suit.

When it comes down to it, none of the names of minor hockeys divisions makes sense. Do you have any idea what a Bantam really is? Its a small, aggressive chicken. What on Earth does that have to do with teenaged hockey players? Do you know where the word tyke originates? It comes from an old Norse term for a female dog and was later used in Middle English to describe a lazy man. Again, not a lot of parallels to young hockey players. Atom, Squirt, Peewee not sure who came up with these names all those years ago, but there seems to be a real obsession with lack of size here.

Good on Hockey Canada for refusing to remain stuck in the past. The age changes come into effect for next season and it will take a while for them to stick. For example, the world-famous Quebec Pee-Wee Tournament has no intention of changing its name, which is fine. But if, as a national governing body, you can eliminate confusion and make the game more inclusive at the same time, all the better.

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Ken Campbell

Ken Campbell, The Hockey News' senior writer, is in his second tour with the brand after an eight-year stint as a beat reporter for the Maple Leafs for the Toronto Star. The Sudbury native once tried out for the Ontario League's Wolves as a 30-year-old. Needless to say, it didn't work out.

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Hockey Canada's decision to change minor hockey division names was overdue and is for the better - The Hockey News