Minor Hockey League Governing Body Create Rule Banning Handshakes

This week Hockey NL the minor hockey governing body for the Canadian province of Newfoundland announced today they would be banning handshake lines following games.

Handshakes at the end of minor hockey games have been a staple part of the sportsmanship for players growing up. The Newfoundland hockey scene apparently has not had the same sportsmanship come out of these interactions.

The ban comes after a series of events that created an unsafe environment during handshake lines.

After the ban, Gonzo Bennett the chair of Hockey NL's minor council executive committee provided a statement regarding the ban. Bennett alludes to issues that have led to suspensions in the past that have now caused the ban.

Allowing a few showings of poor sportsmanship to outlaw a tradition built on teaching sportsmanship is definitely a polarizing decision by the committee. They are one of the few minor sports governing bodies to actively take away this practice.

It will be fascinating to see if this change has the intended outcome or if they have more sportsmanship issues as a result.