This issue of minor hockey and who controls it is not exclusively focused on Toronto only but it is becoming a country-wide issue. The center of this media storm is a man who is a hockey dad as well. Mr. Stuart Hyman believes that by buying whole leagues/divisions of minor hockey teams will increase the caliber of minor hockey itself. Supporters and opponents are divided over Mr. Hyman's concept of sponsoring close to a 100 teams. The supporters claim the players aged from 6 up to 17 are able to get equipment and hockey related items at a cheaper rate. The naysayers feel each player's registration and ongoing fees are fast getting out of control in a way that many parents now say they cannot afford to keep up with.
High quality jerseys, hockey equipment and ice time is much more accessible than ever before, the supporters say. The quality of coaches has been phenomenal in the last few years Supporters acknowledge that fees for each player are $6,000 annually and players are required to do some fund raising campaigns throughout the hockey season. The policy in such fundraisers is that if a player falls short of their financial goal, the remainder of the money has to come out of the parents' pocket. Supporters say it is a challenge but they do the best they can for their children's recreational pleasures.
Opponents point out that the high fees are over the line. Several parents after doing calculations say that there is definitely a profit to be made. The burning question they bring up is where does the profit go? Mr. Hyman would not speak with the Star directly but he agreed to write the answers to the questions the Star presented to him. He denies that he makes any money from his control of the teams. He claims he has had to fork out extra money himself to keep a few struggling teams from closing up.
 
Let us take a step back. Minor hockey, no doubt, experienced a meteoric rise in popularity starting in the 1980s although there was a steady increase in player involvement before that period of time. When World War 2 ended in 1945, the baby boom ushered in a new era never seen in history. The middle class grew by leaps and bounds. Life changed and there was more to offer in recreation and schooling.
Boys took to hockey more than ever. The Original Six teams (Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers were finally televised on big black and white television screens. Everyone from toddlers to grandparents was glued to Saturday night's Hockey Night In Canada. It was a religious custom. As a result of more media exposure and knowledge, outdoor rinks sprouted everywhere. Hundreds of thousands of boys donned skates whether they were new or old. Hockey was the buzzword. It did not cost enthusiasts much at all other than to save and save nickels and dimes to buy that CCM wood stick for $1.25. If a boy saved up a bit more, he'd get the Hespeler for $1.95. All the boys would get envious of who had what. But everyone was very happy to be able to play hockey simply for the fun of it. It was and is still, great exercise and a social sport. May of us including yours, truly, could not afford hockey gloves. That was alright. We had ingrained pickup rules. We all agreed that there would never be any slashing, no slapshots, no intentional body checks and no high sticking above the chest. Once all
agreed to the simple rules, it was the best game in the world! We played from 9 in the mornings on the weekends till the sun went down. Out of the thousands of hours on the ice, it was amazing to see how few players got hurt deliberately. Of course, there were accidents because we did not wear helmets or shoulder pads. Leg pads were optional depending if the player could afford them. There were minor hockey leagues everywhere and fees were very, very reasonable. Everyone loved these two times a week league games in the bitterly cold winter nights with the rink lights swaying continuously from the winter wind. Even we teamed up, friends and foes, to clean the ice between periods so we could keep playing.
 
Fast track to the 1970s, the NHL underwent a dramatic change - expansion and the proliferation of games on TV. The Canada Russia Summit of 1972 drove the country hockey crazy. Professional players were now unionized thus demanding a lot more in their salaries. The game of hockey changed. This had a tremendous domino effect on fans and their children. Hockey became two dimensional - those who play for the love of hockey and those who are influenced by parents today to strive to get into the NHL for reasons like money and fame. Each player had to wear more protective equipment and face masks. Minor hockey grew so fast that sponsors got involved, too to keep
rising maintenance costs down. League zones and rules were drawn up by committees made up of parent volunteers and even lawyers got into the act. Minor hockey grew and grew.
 
Today, in the new millennium, minor hockey has probably reached its peak.
There are many factors to consider why this has happened. Rising costs compared with the cheap fees of other sports such as soccer, lack of interest, the concerns of on-ice violence and injuries, affordability and cross cultural interests have changed the landscape of minor hockey. There is no doubt minor hockey is alive and well...to a point.
Minor hockey needs to be governed well in order to keep interest strong. After all, it is our Canadian sport and always will be. This is where the Deaf Canadian hockey team does so well. The players that make the team successful all began in their minor hockey leagues. Exposure, training, learning the fundamentals from qualified minor hockey league coaches make this happen.
 
What is minor hockey's future? People say it is strong. But there are cracks. The first thing to repair the cracks is to make the game fun again. Keep the costs for players down. Reduce the number of teams that are losing money. Get the recreational departments of municipal and provincial governments involved to find ways of keeping the game simple and affordable again. There is no simple answer but it can be done. It is up to people simply for the love of hockey.