[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

There are various reasons a kid could be benched and different interpratiions of benching.

Yes there are, but to my mind they are for reasons mentioned by CC earlier, poor sportsmanship, dangerous play, etc.

There are various reasons a kid could be benched and different interprations of "benching". Missing a shift or two late in the game is not being "benched" IMO. The fact that two or three kids have a better chance of preserving the win or scoring a goal to force another game really gives all the players more ice in the long run should they be successful and advance to the next round.

If those kids are such difference makers why not double shift them all game? Why not shorten the bench at the end of the period when the game is zero zero.

Some kids buy in and some kids don't, some kids really care more about the game and want to be out there while others don't, some kids take a lot more penalties then others, which messes all ice times. I agree that ice time should be equal given equal circumstances but when you have kids who are very passionate about the game and others who are only there because their parents dropped them off that day...

That is bottom end teams, not AAA. Some kids take away different things from sport beside the playing of the game.