USA Hockey is participating with the Concussion Legacy Foundation to raise concussion awareness. We would like to see our teams from MA Hockey promote awareness through videos and social media. Please see the attached flyer for more details on how your team can participate.
USA Hockey is now requiring reporting of concussions to Player Safety Coordinators for each district. The information will be gathered using de-identifying information obtained from the return to play forms that ALL teams should be utilizing, in compliance with USA Hockey's concussion policy. Currently there is very little concussion data for the youth hockey level, since most data involves high school player levels and beyond. The reported data will prove highly beneficial as it will allow USA Hockey to identify concussion concerns and/or trends in youth hockey.
Please review the attached USA Hockey concussion policy and return to play form. USA Hockey Concussion Page
MA Hockey is also reminding our affiliates that ignoring USA Hockey's Concussion policy, is considered a SafeSport violation.
Please submit data and any further questions to your Player Safety Coordinator, Nicole Siglin, at safetycoordinator@mahockey.org. Thank you for your cooperation.
If you suspect that a player has a concussion, you should take the following steps:
Massachusetts Hockey Safety Chair
Phone: (781) 254-6811
Massachusetts Hockey Player Safety Coordinator
These wallet sized cards have been given to the associate registrars and board of directors in Massachusetts. Coaches should be receiving these cards in the through out this fall. If you would like a concussion card and haven't received them, please email us.
USA Hockey: Flu, Locker Room, Ice Safety, Neck Guard & Zero Tolerance information
The medical waiver process allows for individuals with certain qualifying medical conditions the opportunity to experience ice hockey in a safe environment.
Allowing players to “play down” is not a trivial matter. Considerations extend beyond the excepted players. There are many other players on the ice who also have a right to the expectation of fairness and safety.
Exceptions can create situations where one participant has an advantage over all other participants, creating an inequity that perpetuates unfairness.
Simply being “small for their age” or “not very skilled” are not considered to be adequate reasons for granting a “play down” exception, as such conditions do not rise to the level of a qualifying handicap under the definitions and current court decisions within the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Medical waiver requests may be approved after careful review from the Safety Committee (or a medical waiver subcommittee created by the Safety Committee if the following criteria has been met):
• The Primary Care Physician (PCP) for the player must provide written documentation addressing the specific medical condition that requires the player this medical necessity of “Playing down”.
• The Medical waiver form and PCP document must be completed and submitted during the waiver application period of March 1- April 30.
• Completed Release and Waiver Liability form submitted to registrar and kept on file with the team.
• Waivers will not be granted for Tier 1 or Tier 2 (Club or Hometown) teams.
• Waivers will not be granted for participation on Club teams (youth and Girls/Women’s).
• Waivers will be issued for participation on the lowest hometown program offered for the upcoming season Tier V, Tier IV team or III, whichever is the lowest level.
• Waivers are for only one season and must be applied for annually.
Once approved, waived players are ineligible to participate in district playdowns or State Championships Tournaments at any level.
The program of the waived player must have approval by the league and player eligibility for Invitational Tournaments granted only if Tournament Director approves it.