Letter to all member clubs across Scottish Ice hockey.

REF: Player Safety Review and Action Plan in response to the tragic passing of Nottingham Panthers player #47 Adam Johnson, after an on ice incident. 

Dear Members, 

It is without question an extremely sad moment in time for our sport across the world and a stark reminder of our, and your duties as custodians of the sport. Like all sports, “it is only sport”, and the safety of our players must be our first priority. We have an absolute duty to do everything within our power to prevent a tragic accident like this from ever happening in our sport again. 

With this in mind, and the need for short, medium and long term action, Scottish Ice Hockey have made the decision to carry out the following steps: 

1. SHORT TERM (Immediate): Scottish Ice Hockey make a “strong recommendation” that all players at all levels across Scottish Ice Hockey use an approved Ice Hockey Neck Guard/Protector whilst participating in all on ice activities. (This “strong recommendation” is in place until 31 December 2023, after which it will become a mandatory requirement. It is not mandatory with immediate effect due to anticipated supply issues. This will be under constant review between now and mandatory implementation.) All protective equipment must be worn without alterations and as directed by the manufacturers’ specification. 

2. MEDIUM TERM (Within 12 Months): Scottish Ice Hockey, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, will conduct a Player Safety Equipment thorough review considering all aspects of player safety equipment including, but not limited to, the use of helmets, mouthguards/gumshields and facial protection, and the application of IIHF rules. 

3. LONG TERM (Ongoing): Scottish Ice Hockey will provide its membership with clear guidance on the ongoing and continuous improvement of Player Safety and their duties within this area. This will include the requirement for all clubs to be able to demonstrate that they proactively manage Player Safety within their organisations. 

It is unacceptable that any player loses their life playing our sport and it is incumbent upon us to do all we can to prevent a repeat of this tragic accident, but also to prevent other foreseeable incidents in the future. We have a legal and moral duty to respond in a measured and practical way. It is highly possible that other reviews will take place at an international level and Scottish Ice Hockey will participate proactively in this process. 

Yours faithfully 

JOHN COLLEY – CHAIRMAN 

After such a positive start to the season at both a senior and junior level SIH (Scottish Ice Hockey) are disappointed to be receiving reports that potentially discriminatory behaviour is happening once again. These have included incidents which may be considered sexual and of an abusive nature.

And whilst we are pleased to confirm that no reports of a racist nature have been received this year we reiterate that such behaviour will be treated with the same uncompromising approach.

SIH are, for the avoidance of doubt restating their position on such behaviour.

There is no place for such abhorrent behaviour in our sport or society and SIH would like to be clear in stating that it will not be tolerated at any level.

Such incidents are a direct assault on the ideals and values of our game, and we will do all that is necessary to investigate such reported occurrences with a view to ensure that this behaviour is sanctioned appropriately.

Abuse and Harassment is clearly defined and all those engaged in our sport, whether players, staff, fans or any other party should make sure that they understand the definition and our position.

SIH make no apologies for the hard line which will be taken to remove such behaviour from our sport and we stand firm and resolute in our commitment in playing our part in making our sport, and all sport across the world a respectful environment free of abuse and harassment.

Please enjoy our sport but always remember to be respectful, have fun and be kind.

Our coach development approach has faced challenges in recent years. Our goal is to transition to a predominantly online approach, focusing on the fundamentals of sports coaching as the foundation. We aim to align as closely as possible across the UK.

However, we acknowledge that this transition has been more challenging than anticipated. Despite this, our long-term vision remains unchanged. In the immediate term, we recognise the need to refresh our courses and qualifications.

To address this, we are offering a selection of one-day courses in Dumfries during June and July 2023. The courses available are as follows:

• Level 1 Refresher: 10/06/23 Dumfries
• Level 2 Refresher: 11/06/23 Dumfries
• Level 1 Coach: 24/06/23 Dumfries
• Level 2 Coach: 24/06/23 Dumfries
• Level 1 Refresher: 15/07/23 Dumfries
• Level 2 Refresher: 16/07/23 Dumfries
• Level 1 Coach: 29/07/23 Dumfries
• Level 2 Coach: 30/07/23 Dumfries

These courses will be conducted by our Lead Instructors:

• Martin Grubb: Current L3, GB U20 Head Coach, Solway NIHL National League Coach
• Dayle Keen: Current L2 with 15+ years of experience, Coventry Blaze EIHL Coach, GB U20 Assistant Coach

We understand that Dumfries may not be convenient for everyone. To accommodate this, we have designed a new course with a reduced timetable and more specific content.

Participants who started the L1 online course with Martyn King should complete and submit any relevant assignments by 8/6/23. After this date, the submissions will no longer be valid, and attendance at one of the newly planned courses will be required in full.

Registrations should be made by clubs on behalf of Coaches.

This weekend marks the start of an exciting series of Scottish Ice Hockey recreational section tournaments.

Over the next three weekends, reccy teams will be battling it out on the ice. The first tournament, the Scottish Bowl, will be held in the picturesque town of Dumfries in Scotland.

Whether you are a passionate hockey fan or simply looking for a fun-filled weekend, the SIH Recreational tournaments promise to deliver a fun filled experience. So get ready to cheer on your local team!

Glenrothes Cougars 2 – Edinburgh Knights 3

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We caught up with Glenrothes Courgers Coach and Manager, Michael Bease, after the double header against the Edinburgh Knights .

Michael said, “We decided to use the double header against the Knights of Edinbugh as an opportunity to field an experimental side and try out some new systems.

The Knights took advantage in Game 1 at Murrayfield Ice Arena, Edinburgh, comfortably winning 7-3. But after a good week of training and a couple of squad rotations, I was confident we could compete and get the win. But a poor start saw us finish the first period three goals down.

We regrouped and got back to 3-2, but couldn’t find the game levelling goal our performance deserved.

You can’t give away three goals in the first period to teams like the Knights. If guys don’t stick to the system and are not prepared to play for 60 minutes, we won’t compete.

We have a couple of weeks now to get to work and prepare for our next game against the Stirling Wolves. Everyone is playing for their spot on the team now, and I expect there will be some changes to the roster.”

Cougars Point Scorers

#6 – G.Whyte (1 Goal)
#91 K. Millie (1 Assist)
#78 – M. Bease (1 Goal, 1 Assist)

Point Scorers – Knights

#57 – C.Brown (1 Goal)
#69 – P.Lefrank (2 Goals)
#8 – J. Fairley (1 Assist)
#86 – K. Black (2 Assists)