Albert Lea boys’ hockey coach Roy Nystrom said he isn’t concerned with what he can’t control. That includes tougher penalties for illegal checking in the wake of a horrific injury to a 16-year-old player.

The Minnesota High School League announced on Jan. 14 that effective immediately, checking from behind will now be a five-minute major penalty, instead of a two-minute minor. The league made the change after Jack Jablonski, a Benilde-St. Margaret’s School sophomore, severed his spinal cord when he went head-first into the boards after being checked in a December game. He is not expected to walk again.

“I really wasn’t too concerned,” said Nystrom, of the rule change. “We’re down on the number of penalties for my team, that’s for sure. We haven’t had any difficulty with the rule.”

The Tigers have played two games since the rule change and haven’t received a five-minute penalty for boarding. Albert Lea has been on a power play once because of the rule, when Austin was penalized on Jan. 17.

Tigers’ senior defenseman, Cody Haaland, whose favorite part of the game is checking, said while checking from behind rarely happens, he understands the change was made in response to a tragedy.

“When bad things happen they’re going to be concerned about it,” said Haaland, of the MSHSL. “I try to watch out for the numbers, especially because you can get thrown out now.”

MSHSL associate director in charge of hockey, Craig Perry, said the changes, apprived by the National Federation of State High School Associations, will be in effect on an experimental basis for three years.

 

Hockey Day Minn. raises $134K for paralyzed teen

MINNEAPOLIS — Last weekend’s Hockey Day Minnesota 2012 has raised more than $134,000 for a teenage player paralyzed in a hockey game.

The Minnesota Wild, FOX Sports North and Wells Fargo on Tuesday announced the amount raised for the Jack Jablonski Trust Fund.

 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.