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MARCH 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 5 PHOTO BY Getty Images; USA Hockey Magazine Archives N EWSFLASH! Hitting at the highest levels of the game isn't dead, but it may very well be on life support. According to a recent study published in The Hockey News, the number of hits per game in the NHL has dropped in four of the past five years. And based on early data from this season, the league is on pace for its fewest hits per game since 2008-09. As the number of hits have gone down, goal-scoring continues to rise. For the first time since the early 1980s, the num- ber of goals per game has increased in three consecutive seasons, and this sea- son is on pace to make it four straight. And while hitting at the highest levels con- tinues to decline, the trend may have started at the grassroots level thanks to revolution- ary programs implemented by USA Hockey. The first was the creation of the A merican Development Model in 2009. With an empha- sis on long-term athlete devel- opment, the A DM advocates for age-appropriate training, par- ticularly at the youngest levels. That means playing cross-ice hockey so kids have more oppor- tunities to touch the puck in a space better suited for their size and skills. And at all levels of the game, more coach- es have discovered the benefits of small area games, which are now a standard part of every practice from the youngest players up to the professional ranks. Playing the game in confined spaces forces players to make quicker decisions with the puck while learning how to deal with the incidental body contact that comes when battling for a puck. The Way The Game Is Played At The Grassroots Level Is Reflected In Current NHL Trends SKILLS BOTTOMS UP 3 U S A H O C K E Y N E W S , P E O P L E & P R O G R A M S O F F THE D R AW By Harry Thompson The second game-changing program came in 2011 as USA Hockey's board of directors passed the Progressive Checking Skill Development Program. The rule change moved the age of legal body checking from 12 & Under to 14 & Under. Its focus was to enhance skill devel- opment by giving players two more years to develop their skills before having to worry about dealing with the impact of checking. Coaches are also given two more years to teach important techniques such as angling, puck possession and body posi- tioning in a less intimidating environment. It also helped to reduce potential risks in the sport and make the game safer. The third major change came last year with the passing of the Declaration of Safety, Fair Play and Respect, which is designed to create a culture that elimi- nates hits to the head, hits from behind and late hits. USA Hockey continues to view legal body contact and body checking as an integral part of the game at all levels. It 's the acts of intimidation and aggression that it 's trying to get rid of. " We talk about where the game is going and it 's more physical than it 's ever been," said A DM regional manager Bob Mancini. "The rea l change is that the game has become less v iolent. We've worked hard to get rid of the blow-up hits that are unnecessar y in our game, especia lly in youth hockey." The same can be said for the NHL. Just look at the past two Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues. Both played a physical brand of hockey without sacrificing speed and skill. As a result, there are more opportuni- ties for small, skilled forwards and mobile defensemen who can quickly transition up ice. And the way the game is being taught at the grassroots level will set more players up to compete in the modern game. "I think we're ahead of the cur ve with our emphasis on skill development, puck possession and playmaking as opposed to the old school finish-your-check men- tality," said Kenny Rausch, USA Hockey 's director of youth hockey. " We're slowly easing that mindset out of the game." P "We're slowly easing that mindset out of the game."