For teens and kids that play hockey in Edmonton, there's a limit to how rough and tumble the game can get.

But if Jarrod Sokul has his way, a decision to take bodychecking out of all but the most elite levels of bantam and midget play will be reversed.

The 15-year-old St. Albert player has started a petition, lobbying Hockey Edmonton to reverse its decision.

"The clean hits are not the ones that cause the injuries, it's the dirty hits, it's the head contact, it's the hits from behind that cause the concussions and the injuries," Sokul said during a Wednesday interview on CBC Radio's Edmonton AM.

"A good, clean bodycheck, you don't get hurt from it and you see it coming."

'A part of the game'

Citing player safety, the governing body for minor hockey in Edmonton voted April 13 to make the lower levels of the bantam and midget divisions non-checking.

Bantam players are aged 13 to 14 while midget players are 15 to 17.

The decision followed a 2013 ruling by Hockey Canada, along with Hockey Alberta, to eliminate body checking from all divisions of the peewee category, which includes 11 and 12-year-old players.

"It's been a part of the game for so long. So many kids enjoy it," said Sokul, who has been playing hockey for more than 10 years.

"So many kids look forward from being a novice to being able to play just like Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

"Even though they didn't take away contact, it took away the excitement and the energy out of the game."

Sokul says the ban puts Edmonton players at a dangerous disadvantage.

He argues that players need to learn how to bodycheck properly from a young age, before they reach the elite levels. Training players to give and take hits safely will prevent injuries and bring back the passion that he says has been lost at lower levels of play.

"Obviously with all sports there is a risk of injury. It's something that needs to be accepted when you're not only playing a sport, but a contact sport such as hockey."

500 signatures

Instead of an outright ban, Sokul would like to see Hockey Edmonton institute more penalties and suspensions for dirty hits.

He says safety concerns could also be addressed by establishing two separate leagues, one for players who wish to body check and one for those who don't.

Since Sokul's petition was posted on change.org last month, it has garnered nearly 500 signatures.

"I've had a massive amount of support, more than I ever could have never imagined. I'm preparing to deliver it to Hockey Edmonton"

Sokul is hopeful the document will prompt a review of the ban, but remains skeptical about the organization's willingness to reverse itself.

"I'm hoping they will, but I have my doubts. It seems like they want to put this to rest."

CBC News is awaiting comment from Dean Hengel, Hockey Edmonton's executive director.