Just days after his life was changed forever by an illegal hockey check from behind, high school sophomore Jack Jablonski lay paralyzed in a hospital bed determined to see the sport become safer. Seven years later, his mission — one shared by his family and hockey leadership in Minnesota — has yielded dramatic results.
A Star Tribune review of high school penalty data from more than 18,000 games played throughout Minnesota over nine seasons reveals a significant drop in calls for checking from behind and boarding infractions. During the 2011-12 season when Jablonski was hurt, penalties were called for those types of hits almost 1,600 times, approaching one every game. Last season the number fell to less than 500 overall, a rate of about one every four games.