Hockey parents face respect course deadline

Calgary minor hockey coaches might be the ones in the penalty box, if parents fail to complete an online course by midnight Friday.

That's the deadline for parents of players in any age category between Timbits and Junior B to finish the Respect in Sport program for Hockey Calgary.

Respect in Sport is designed to encourage "positive sport behaviours" in parents and to ensure the safety of children, according to its website. No certificate of completion means no practice, no games and no team activities for the hockey player.

But it's not just the player who will suffer if he or she skates without parental certification — coaches who play kids who haven't been cleared will face automatic suspension.

Claude Vilgrain, a former NHL player who now coaches an AAA midget girls team, is in a conundrum. As of Thursday afternoon, three of his top players hadn't been cleared to play in the team's first game of the season on Saturday.

"In a sense [a suspension would be] fair, because it's my team. I manage a team and everyone is expected to do it," said Vilgrain.

Perry Cavanagh, president of Hockey Calgary, said it's unfortunate if some coaches are caught in the middle of a parent's refusal to take the course, but the rules will be strictly enforced on players.

"Their eligibility is revoked until their parents provide a certification number," Cavanagh said.

He said he believes Calgary to be the first minor hockey system in North America to make a Respect in Sport course mandatory for parents.

Cavanagh said that as of Thursday, about 80 per cent of Hockey Calgary's registered players had Respect in Sport-certified parents.

Hockey Calgary oversees 15,000 young hockey players in Calgary. Last year, the organization offered the course on a voluntary basis.