Hockey Canada introduces new junior-level rules in western pilot project
![Hockey Canada Hockey Canada](/content/dam/cp24/en/images/2023/4/17/hockey-canada-1-6358392-1720722752745.jpg)
Hockey Canada is trying out a series of changes in the western provinces in an attempt to streamline the development of junior players.
The new rules are part of the Western Canadian Development Model pilot project for the 2024-25 season that the national sport organization announced on Thursday. It was created following an extensive proposal submitted to Hockey Canada by its four western members, their respective junior A leagues and the major junior Western Hockey League.
"The unity between Hockey Canada and the 10 organizations that led the development of the pilot project has never been stronger, and we are grateful for the tremendous work by the members and leagues that led to today's announcement," said Pat McLaughlin, chief operating officer and executive vice-president of strategy for Hockey Canada. "We all must continue to evolve to meet the needs of Canadians looking to participate in our national winter sport in a system that operates with an athlete-centred approach and ensures their development and safety on and off the ice is at the forefront of everything we do."
That includes mandating that junior A players under the age of 18 must continue to wear full-face protection, in line with the International Ice Hockey Federation. Players over 18 may now choose to wear half-face protection.
The pilot project also allows WHL teams to have up to nine 15-year-old players play up to 10 games in a season. That is up from the former limit of five affiliate players on the roster for only five games.
WHL clubs can also now dress two 15-year-old affiliate players if the team is unable to field a full lineup otherwise. That is an increase from the previous limit of one.
All participating western Canadian junior A leagues will adopt the WHL Rule Book, except for a handful of sections.
The pilot project will be reviewed on an ongoing basis during the 2024-25 season, and it is anticipated that its scope will expand in future seasons.
"By increasing flexibility for junior hockey players and families in Western Canada, we anticipate that we will see higher quality competition on the ice, all the way up to the national team level when Canada is competing internationally in the years to come," said McLaughlin.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7011538.1724408730!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
DEVELOPING Teamsters take down picket lines at CN, stoppage continues at CPKC
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference says it has taken down picket lines at Canadian National Railway Co. and its workers will begin returning to work on Friday.
Loblaw piloting ultra-discount No Name grocery stores in Ontario
Loblaw is piloting a new ultra-discount grocery store in Ontario that promises to deliver even lower prices by stripping away even more frills.
Ontario woman thought she spent $39 on theatre tickets. She didn't. Here's what happened
An Ontario woman paid seven times more for her theatre tickets than she thought she did. 'I was shocked. I had no idea the tickets were going to cost that much.'
Body of last missing person, tech billionaire's daughter, retrieved from yacht wreck
Italian divers have retrieved the body of British tech magnate Mike Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, who was the last person still unaccounted for after the family's luxury yacht sank this week off Sicily.
Number of people receiving EI up more than 10 per cent in past year: StatCan
Almost 474,000 people are receiving regular employment insurance in Canada, according to the latest data, which is a 10 per cent increase compared to the same time last year.
An Iceland volcano erupts again but spares the nearby town of Grindavik for now
Lava continued to spew from a volcano in southwestern Iceland on Friday — the sixth time since December the volcano has erupted on the Reykjanes Peninsula.
German warship blasts Darth Vader anthem in heart of London. 'No deeper message,' navy says
Germany's navy says there was 'no deeper message' in the choice to blast the famed Imperial March, Darth Vader's theme song in the 'Star Wars' films, from one of its warships as it cruised down the River Thames through London this week.
Windsor Spitfires welcome Keanu Reeves to its roster
An infamously wholesome Canadian star is in Windsor, and is living up to his reputation.
With mukbangs increasing in popularity, dietitians worry about this internet trend
As mukbangs grow in popularity, dietitians are expressing concern about the potential impact of this trend on its audience.