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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2003 THE NEW TANNER 17 DEADLINE IS MONDAY AT 12 NOON (HOUSE LEAGUE HOCKEY) TYKE M.K. Masonry -- 16 A&S Engraving -- 0 Masonry goals: Bradley Timmerman (5), Michael Kri (6), Colin Koperdraad (4), Brendin Shannon. Assists: Shannon, Owen Jubionville (3), Kri (3), Harold Kirkness (4), William Bedard, Koperdraad (2), Timmerman (4), Matthew Scannell. KKK Tim Hortons -- 6 Jescan Power -- 6 Hortons goals: Theodore Warren (4), Craig Borden (2). Assists: Borden, Graeme Thompson, David Lafrance (3), Daniel Reynolds, Neil Mowat, Warren, Billy Barnes. Jescan goals: Bret Allonby (3), Kevin Giordano (2), Travis Baker. Assists: Tyler Schouten, Paula Chadwick, Giordano, Allonby, Collins. NOVICE Daniel Varanelli -- 2 End Zone sports -- 0 Varanelli goals: Adam McCoy, Eric Vlasic. Assists: Kole Simm (2), Mitchell Griffiths, Justin McKinnon. Shutout: Travis McGill. eK Yourway Auto -- 5 MacMillans -- 3 Yourway goals: Adrian Thompson, Christopher Porty, Aaron Stone, Nicholas Molinaro, Joshua Doucette. Assists: Stone, Trevor McIntyre. MacMillan goals: Kendra Vandereyken, Jasson Lockyer, Mitchell Gendron. Assists: Lockyer (2), Carl Jr. Lindo, Stephen White, Joshua Cole. eK Giant Tiger -- 4 RKD Internet.ca -- 3 Tiger goals: Nicholas Howson (3), Andrew Drake. Assists: Thomas Butler, Luke Otten, Bryan Bartle. RKD goals: Evan Oulten (3). As- sists: Thomas Potter, Matthew Goodfellow (2), Mitchell Godak. PEEWEE Gibbons Painting -- 4 Nellis Construction -- 1 Gibbons' goals: Daniel Azzopardi (2), Zachary Fry, | Jacob Botelho. Assists: Mark Wells (2), Jordan Dunn, Azzopardi, Ted Smith, Ethan Job (2). Nellis goal: Dayne Black. Assists: Jackson Mer- cer, Megan Evans. KK R&M Construction -- 13 Acton Precast -- 2 R&M goals: Brandon Bennett (4), Cody Rowsell, Travis Wright (4), Stefan Smelsky (2), Tyler Einmann (2). Assists: Tyler Bell, Mat- thew Mills (2), Rachel Amirault (2), Stefan Smelsky (3), Einmann (3), Ian Durkin, Ana Marie Smelsky, Justin Bravo, Bennett, Rowsell (2). Precast goals: Eric Niblock, Mark Hofland. Assists: Cameron Coady, Niblock. KKK Time Out Sports -- 2 Acton Subway -- 2 Time Out goals: Mark We- ber, Dylan Burgess. Assists: Monique Lalande (2), Eric Cardosa, Taylor Mann. Sub- way goals: Michael Lavigne, Joe Frechette. Assists: Curtis Howson, Justin Bradley, Michael Brown. BANTAM Acton Terminal Warehouse -- 6 St. John's Trophies -- 5 ATW goals: David Garvie (2), Liston Newlands-Briggs (2), Alex Hunak, Ian Reid. Assists: Nicholas Glover (3), Garvie (2), Clayton Schatti, Mitchell Morrison, Newlands-Briggs, Michael Dobreen, Veronica Edwards. St. John's goals: David Moore (3), Chris Viel, Wesley Drexler. Assists: Marcel Van Helden, Clarke Murray, Chris Wilkinson (2), Alex Martin, Matthew Caverly, Cody Wilson. kK High Five Photography -- 8 Acton Kinsmen -- 2 High Five goals: Andrew Tressell, Curtis Marcoux (4), Kyle Payne (2), Adam Grabauskas. Assists: Rick MacLeod (2), Tressell, Grabauskas (2), Ryan Horricks (2), Simon Thomson, Marcoux, Chris Legge, Bruce Rogers, Mitchell Dunn. Kinsmen goals: Garrett Nuttall, TJ Fry. Assists: Colin Adema, Tyler Small, Luca Mazzucco, Corey Drumm. - KKK St. John's Trophies -- 13 Acton Kinsmen -- 4 St, John's goals: David Moore (3), Christopher Viel, James Wilkinson (2), Chris Wilkinson, Cody Wilson, Matthew Caverly, Wesley Drexler (2), Cole Haddon, Jesse Durkin. Assists: Drexler, Moore (3), Viel, James Wilkinson (4), Darren Harry James. Kinsmen goals: Garrett Nuttall (4). Assists: Luca Mazzucco, Ryan Kritschgau, Nathan Howson, Corey Drumm. ': ~ KKK "High Five Photography +7 "Acton Terminal Ware- house - 1 High Five goals: Curtis Marcoux (5), Rick MacLeod, Kyle Payne. Assists: Payne, Chris Legge. ATW goal: David Garvie. Assist: Michael Pettitt. MIDGET Actonite Distribution -- 10 M&M Meats -- 7 Actonite goals: Shawn Barry, Denis Hunak (3), Treth McDougall, Shane Monaghan, Spencer Morrison, Mark Sinkgraven (2), Shawn Walker. Assists: Barry (2), Jason Douthwright (4), Joe English (3), Mike English (2), Hunak (2), Monaghan. Maksteel goals: Brent Chapman, Matt Chapman, Johnathan Derouchie, Matt Locke (2), Darcy O'Driscoll (2). As- sists: Stephen Agar (2), Preston Becker, Adam Bur- gess, John Locke (2), Tim Medland. kkeK M&M Meats -7 Achilles Mazda -- 5 M&M goals: Luke Hurren, Jordan Larose, Rob Rolfe (2), Adrian Schroeder, Tim Tysoe, Scott Williams. As- sists: Stephan Gazzola (2), Hurren, Amanda Schroeder. Achilles goals: Brendon Dick, Craig Kirkwood (2), Michael Wood (2). Assists: Raymond Getty, Tyler Holmes, Steve Terry. HE SHOOTS HE SCORES: Acton Precast player Eric Niblock (centre) raises his handsin joy after scoring,in a lopsided match with R&M Construction on Saturday in Acton. R&M trounced Precast, playing without thier regular goalie, 13-2.-Frances Niblock photo FLAT OUT: Tanners Pewee 1 squad takes exciting speed and passing game into upcoming playoffs. Here Brandyn McCarthy literally flies at St. Thomes Stars' Net. -Chuck Tysoe photo Concussions BY CHUCK TYSOE Based on the latest medi- cal evidence, Dr. Karen Johnston cautioned that often the more severe effects of a concussion don't show them- selves for a full week after an injury; assessment is ham- pered by the denial characteristic of many ath- letes, a determination to continue playing and to not appear weak in front of peers. It is vital that the athlete pro- ceed carefully through incremental levels of exertion without symptoms before be- ing cleared to play, she declares. Every concussion is differ- ent and must be treated as ~ such; the cumulative effects ofanumber of 'minor' blows may be worse than one severe blow, and lead to permanent impairment, Johnston says. Hence the need to take any blow to the head seriously, and to emphasize rule en- forcement and the respect factor. Doctor Johnston holds appointmenst at McGill Uni- versity in Neurosurgery, Kinesiology and Physical Education. An all-world spe- cialist in sports head and brain injuries and concussions, Johnston chairs committees for the THHF,FIFA, the IOC and the Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine. She's a neurological con- sultant to the NHLPA and the NHL; her presence as key- note speaker to the Pashby Sports Safety Fund Concus- sion Management and Return to Play Seminar, December 6 at the ACC, gave a high dose of credibility to the event. Dave Dryden, overseer of in- jury issues for the NHL, was also present. She's a pioneer in developing a state-of-the- art concussion assessment and management protocol de- signed to replace the traditional grading system. Johnston's role in this im- portant field is no accident; her love for the game is evi- dent, and in her closing remarks she enthused: "Hockey is still the best game you can name; let's work to keep it that way!" But to at least one observer, the picture was somehow tilted. Magnificently hosted at the ACC, shrine of Canadian hockey, introduced brilliantly by Ken Dryden, the semi- nar's audience was almost exclusively from the amateur hockey community, with an unspecified number of medi- cal doctors present and many team trainers and coaches. Johnston's brief remarks on fighting may have unwit- tingly betrayed the dysfunctional relationship between the professional and amateur versions of the game. Articulate, politely forceful | and obviously caring throughout, Dr. Johnston be- came momentarily subdued while making an appeal to get fishting out of the game -- al- most-apologetic, as though E this were not an appropriate 'topic. Even though one speaker, retired Leaf Nick Kypreos, was forced from the game by a series of concussions, the last incurred in a horrific fighting incident which he downplayed. Dan Nicoletti, once a bright prospect in the Toronto Marlboros system and a jun- ior draft pick, choked back tears relating how three concussions in seven months ended his young career; fol- lowing the first, the trainer's advice was "You get your bell rung; shake it off." Returning too soon to competition, Nicoletti's bare head was slammed repeatedly on the ice in his first hockey fight. Again the trainer: "Your first fight. Way to go!" This in the mid-90s, not the Conn Smythe 'beat 'em in the al- ley days. Globe and Mail writer Tim Warnsby, in his coverage, noted the irony that in the same place, the scoreboard regularly displays imagery of a vicious hit by Darcy Tucker on Jeremy Roenick that left the Flyer dazed and confused, to the great mirth of Leaf faithful. The "world's best hockey league" is often a thoroughly nasty affair in which quarter is seldom given or asked. Hit to hurt. Hit to intimidate. Fighting. Brutal stick fouls. Part of the game. The NHL is primarily an entertainment industry, a hockey league second. Its most valuable assets are not its highly paid players (look at its injury record over just two seasons; especially concussions) but its build- ings, franchise values, TV contracts, season ticket bases. Think of Gary Suter. Think of Suter and Gretzky; Suter and Kariya. Think of Claude Lemieux and Chris Draper. Recall NHL discipline for these terrible injuries. Where's the humanity? This is an industry that clearly in- dicates it neither wants nor needs the input of two of the most gifted and intelligent players in its history: Brett Hull and Mario Lemieux. Hockey's version of Casey and Finnegan, Cherry and McLean, make a handsome living from the industry but fail miserably at challenging the status quo or using their influence on an entire na- tion's amateur hockey community to do any good. "It's OK kids, to hit to hurt" encourages Cherry; ~ McLean's grin graces all kinds of do-good minor hockey initiatives; Saturdays he shills for Cherry and gets cozy with NHL 'disciplinar- ian' Colin (Coley) Campbell. And why not? You don't tug on Superman's cape; you don't spit in the wind; you don't pull the mask off Hockey Canada and you don't mess around with Bettman. It's more than time for mi- nor hockey to sever its ties to the NHL; wherein it serves as an unpaid advertising agency and the 'part of the game' ethos has more influ- ence than safety concerns, common sense and the rule book. Is it really 'just a game'? Is it really all about the kids and the fun and the skill and the memories? Paint or get off the ladder. In the end we'll produce more quality players and good sports; the one's who have it will 'make pro'. Let's not allow them to do it over the confused frames, cracked ribs and concussed skulls of our so-called future.