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Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today
announced changes to the date of the annual Priority
Selection process along with some new player safety
initiatives effective for the 2011-12 season
following the annual summer meetings of the OHL
Board of Governors earlier in August and the joint
meetings of OHL Coaches and General Managers last
week in Toronto.
The date
of the 2012 OHL Priority Selection has been changed
and will now be held on Saturday April 7, 2012.
Previously held annually on the first Saturday in
May, the Priority Selection will now take place each
year on the first Saturday in April to help
streamline the hockey calendar for the Minor Midget
aged player and follows soon after the OHL Cup
(March 14-18), and the OHL Development Combine
(March 23-25). The new date will also allow for
enhanced orientation opportunities for drafted
players to visit communities and tour facilities
during the OHL post-season.
A review
of several player safety issues and equipment
policies was also on the agenda and led to the
decision that all OHL players will wear soft cap
shoulder and elbow pads for the 2011-12 season. The
decision is made in the interest of player safety
and working in partnership with the CHL’s equipment
suppliers in an attempt to further reduce the number
of head injuries suffered each season. Furthermore
in consideration of concussion awareness, the league
will continue to reinforce player safety messages
through educational videos while member club coaches
will be emphasizing proper on-ice awareness. It is
also the position of the Board of Governors that the
league be more strict in the discipline of players
who are repeat offenders for checking to the head.
In a
review of the playing rules, a new rule has been
implemented for the 2011-12 season which sees an
automatic game misconduct and minimum two game
suspension applied to any goalkeeper that should
leave their crease and enter into an altercation
with another goalkeeper, where a five-minute major
for fighting is assessed.
The league
also used the meetings as an opportunity to review
the league’s current Social Networking Policy and
facilitated an educational presentation conducted by
the Ontario Provincial Police. Based on such
meetings, there will be ongoing education provided
to all players by their member clubs in this area to
help ensure that social media outlets are used
properly and effectively.
OHL member
club Training Camps are now open with the Exhibition
Schedule beginning on Friday September 2, 2011, when
the London Knights host the Sarnia Sting, while
Regular Season play commences Wednesday September
21, 2011, when the defending champion Owen Sound
Attack host the Plymouth Whalers.
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