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24- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, June 9, 1998 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" PORT p PORT PERRY STAR 4 STAR SPORTS By John B. McClelland Port Perry Star Starting this fall, body checking will be allowed for some Atom age players in the Port Perry Minor Hockey system. But it will only be for those Atoms on "rep" or travelling teams. Body checking will not be introduced for House League players, stressed Port Perry Minor Hockey president Linda Ashton at the organization's annual meeting Sunday evening at the Scugog Community Centre. The change to allow body checking for Atom (10-12 year olds) rep team players this coming season was approved by the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). Mrs. Ashton told the 25 people at the annual meeting Sunday that the intro- duction of body checking this fall will be for a three-year trial period after which it will be assessed by the senior hockey organizations in Canada. And, at that time, a decision will be made on whether to extend body checking to Novice-age rep team players -- again for a three-year trial period. In noting the upcoming changes, Mrs. Ashton stressed that body checking at all age levels in Port Perry's House Check It Out Port Perry Minor Hockey set to introduce body-checking to some Atom-aged players Leagues will not be permitted. And she said later there is no chance the local board of directors will make any changes to allow body checking in House Leagues. The move to allow checking at the Atom age level is seen by some as con- troversial in that it could lead to more injuries, and players this age are gener- ally too young to be introduced to the most physical aspect of the sport. Mrs. Ashton said special clinics will be held before the start of the upcoming season for coaches to show them how to teach their young players how to take and give a body check. With the introduction of checking for Atom rep team players, there was a sug- gestion from a parent at Sunday's meet- ing that PPMH should re-open the topic of a major-minor system for its rep teams. However, members of the executive pointed out that PPMH conducted an extensive review just last year of the major-minor issue and decided against it. As well, there is to be a three-year moratorium locally before this con- tentious topic is re-opened. In a major-minor system, rep players are assigned to teams according to their Turn to Page 25 RIK DAVIE / PORT PERRY STAR BOARD'N IN BROOKLIN: Competitors from all over Durham showed their stuff at the skateboard events held last weekend at the Brooklin Fair. This nimble guy is sliding his board down one of the rail jumps after having 'caught Rainy weekend for CMB Squirt The games between Swain Seed Sluggers and Workman's Hawkeyes as well as Turners Green Giants/Marlin Travel were rained out. Intermediate The game between Winter's Storm and Pineridge Sports was Campbell Electric by a 27 to 11 margin. Great defen- sive plays in the field by Marley Malcolm, Darryl Goulding and Jessica Puckrin led Asselstines to the victory. Campbells had great pitching on the mound by Mark Morrison and Melissa Killen while team- mate Shaina Hodgson was The game between Lishman and Delta Fitness was cancelled while National Traffic defeated All Flags ina 33 to 2 victory. Steve Paradice (home run and four doubles), Jason Price (home run) and Darryl Dean (Home run and two triples) led the offense for National while Jessie McKendry and Carla ohh te hit some air' on the ramp. Skateboarders ran the course non-stop throughout the weekend at the annual fair which is one of the oldest in the province. rained out while Asselstine's Yamaha Country defeated busy crossing the plate. Senior McLaughlin sc red the two Turn to Page 25 Port Perry native George Burnett hopes to lead the way back to gold this Christmas Burnett set to skip Canada's '98 Junior Nats squad By John B. McClelland Port Perry Star It's going to be a short summer for George Burnett. The 36-year-old Port Perry native was named last week as the head coach for Canada's National Junior Hockey team which will compete in the World Tournament to be held later this year in Winnipeg. Burnett's appointment to the national squad came shortly after he skippered his OHL Guelph Storm to the final in the Memorial Cup where the team lost in overtime to the Portland Winter Hawks. "I'm very honored to be named coach of Canada's national junior team, "he told The Port Perry Star in a phone inter- view from his home in Guelph. He was one of 10 inter- viewed last March for the six coaching spots open on the Junior team and the Under-18 national squad. Burnett and his assis- tants -- Claude Julien of the Hull Olympique and Brent Peterson of the Portland Winter Hawks -- have their work cut out for them this year. Canada, after dominat- ing World Junior competi- tion for five straight cham- pionships, had a miserable time of it last year in Helsinki, Finland, falling to eighth place and in the process endured a loss to Kazhikstan, once a part of the former George Burnett USSR. The Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) has pledged an all-out effort to put this country back at the top of the world junior game. For Burnett, Julien and Peterson the job begins almost immediately as they will be in St. John, New Brunswick, for a week-long coaehing semi- nar this month. And they start the crucial task of evaluating players for the national team to get ready for a nine-day training camp in Winnipeg this August. A total of 41 hopefuls will be at that camp, made up of players born in 1979 and 1980. Burnett believes the key to success at this year's tournament will be finding the right mix of skill, grit, size, toughness and character, with perhaps an emphasis on the latter. "The most important thing (in a short term event like a world tournament) 1s team cohesion," he said. "A kid may be a 50-goal scorer on his (own club) team, but if he's asked to be a checker on the fourth line, he'd better accept that role or we don't want him." As the National Hockey League play- offs are proving right now, top-notch goaltending is critical to success at any level. Robert Loungo of the QMJHL (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) is considered by many to be the top net Turn to Page 25