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Old 10-18-2017, 10:48 AM   #78
Lubicon
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Join Date: Jun 2015
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Thought about posting this in the 'handshake' thread going on in the Off Topic forum but decided it would be better placed here. Topic is shaking hands between teams (and coaches, officials etc.) at the end of games.

Last year Hockey Calgary asked players and coaches to not shake hands with officials after games. Most officials I talked to didn't have an issue with it and gladly shook hands after a game if players/coaches wanted to so not really a big deal. But it did make Calgary teams look bad a times when we either played out of town and did not shake hands with refs (this was a Hockey Calgary thing only) or visiting teams from out of town approached refs to shake hands and were turned away.

This year our league has decided they need to cut down on incidents occurring on ice after the game is over, either in scrums or when teams shake hands with each other. So now coaches face a 2 game suspension for any head contact penalty or misconduct penalty handed out after a game has finished. The advice given to teams when this was announced was that coaches should be aware of any potential issues that might occur after a game and to advise those players who potentially might be involved to avoid the handshake altogether. Seems innocent enough but as a coach I am also a little troubled by the message we may be sending to our players, namely that it's okay to be pissed off, hold a grudge, and then just leave the ice. We've always coached with a philosophy that we battle hard and when the buzzer sounds the game is over. Shake hands and move on. And most importantly show respect. This new league rule works against the whole respect issue we are asking players, coaches, and parents to abide by. I see an end effect whereby coaches will simply tell their players to leave the ice immediately after a game in order to keep themselves from possible suspension due to some hothead kid, or a misheard comment by an official. Sure it keeps everyone out of trouble (probably) but are we sending a poor message by doing this?

Thoughts on the whole handshaking thing? Is it unsportsmanlike to NOT shake hands after a game? Does is show lack of respect? Should we be teaching that respect matters above all else and it's time to put aside negative emotion once the game is over?
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