MONTREAL - Hockey players are taking it upon themselves to stop concussions and spinal cord injuries.
The movement to sew stop signs onto the back of jerseys has come to Quebec with one goal: to stop hits from behind.
A check from behind can alter a life forever in a split second.
In 2009, 16-year-old Marc-Andre Emond was left partially paralyzed when someone checked him unawares.
His former teammate Andrew Zaccardo suffered a similar injury later that year.
Following those well-publicized injuries, Hockey Quebec encouraged teams at the Midget level to wear the signs, but says it has no plans to introduce the warnings to younger players.
The organization says young players are not allowed to bodycheck, but coach Lorne Rubin sees it happen anyway.
Rubin says players should be learning about fair play from day one.
"If it's taught properly by the organization, if the coaches are taught properly, then it makes sense," said Rubin.
Dr. Scott Delaney says what makes hockey players especially vulnerable to spinal cord injury is the boards.
A fall into the unyielding wood is bad enough, but to be pushed hard in the fastest game on ice can be devastating.
"It's really a pattern we're trying to change," said Delaney.
He figures the best way to protect players is to stop bodychecking before players are strong enough to --even unintentionally --do damage.
"I'd like to see the stop sign on at every jersey level, practice, tournament, and I'd like to see it at every level," said Delaney.
