Keep Your Chin Strap and Helment On, Or Else

If you’ve never heard of OHA Rule GRM 62, you likely will before the season is out. Probably, because you’ll see players in the GOJHL and Great Lakes Junior C league being sent to the penalty box for a seemingly non-existent offense.

The call however, is a recent crackdown on an OHA helmet rule which states:

“Any player that undoes his chinstrap or removes his helmet (while on the ice), or undoes the chinstrap or removes the helmet of another player (while on the ice) at any time during play, or at a stoppage in play (while on the ice) shall be assessed a Gross Misconduct for removal of the helmet.”

First, this doesn’t mean only in a fight. On the ice includes warm-up, during play, after stoppages, after the National Anthem, when entering the ice before the start of a period, or when exiting the ice at the end of a period or game.

Don’t think this is a rule referees will enforce? Wrong. The Wallaceburg Lakers received two such misconducts to goaltender Joel Sowinski and forward Frankie White prior to their October 8 game do to helmet infractions in warm ups.

Receiving a GRM 62, means a player gets a gross misconduct, which is immediately punishable with a multi-game suspension, meaning neither Sowinski nor White were eligible for the October 8 game.

Need another example to believe this rule is being strictly enforced? During the Chatham Maroons‘ September 27 loss to the Lambton Shores Predators, Maroons forward Connor Doran was assessed a GRM62 midway through the second period. At the conclusion of the game while leaving the ice, Maroons captain Michael Verboom, as well as Predators players Adam Wammes and Sean Ross were all given gross misconducts for violating the same rule.

It’s doubtful the Maroons were pleased with the rule enforcement when they were without Verboom, their captain and top player, for a 7-5 loss the following night, all because he removed his chin strap or helmet prior to leaving the ice.

Although a change is being talked about, changing the punishment to a 10-minute misconduct, it’s unlikely teams will be happy seeing significant players off for any span of time.

But, the rules are the rules, and although their are exceptions, such as a goalie tilting their helmet for a drink, repairs on the bench, or a trainer tending to an injured player, it’s clear the Ontario Hockey Association, and Hockey Canada, want helmets on. Why? Well, the reason is simple, to minimize the risk of head injuries.

Specifically, the OHA created a Helmet Removal Policy improving upon Hockey Canada’s rules, to prevent “catastrophic injury to the head.”

The OHA themselves provided the following rationale in support of the rule.

“The removal of the helmet or the undoing of the chinstrap at any time during play, or at a stoppage in play, has the potential to be an equally dangerous situation as any time during the other scenarios which are penalized. A player can slip and fall, step on equipment; get involved with another situation (fight/scrum) etc.”

Where previously, a player may have undid their chinstrap, or removed their helmet for a variety of reasons while in the playing area, it now seems clear for Chatham-Kent junior hockey teams, in particular if they want their players to remain safe, and eligible to play without fear of suspension…keep your helment and chin strap on, or else.