In Mid-August the NHL held a camp for prospects where the league tried out lots of new rule adjustments. Lots of hockey people have very strong opinions about the league messing with the rules, but I think there are some very legitimate ideas proposed at the camp which could benefit the game .
Here are some of the potential new rules I find particularly interesting:
1) Hybrid icing – this simply means it is up to the linseman’s discretion to determine who will reach the puck first when the player(s) reach the face-off dot. This means if the defending player has the advantage, the play would be whistled dead – thus avoiding the potential for a dangerous end-board collision. However, if the attacking player has the advantage, play is allowed to continue. I’m in favor of this particular rule, as it would help avoid dangerous collisions at the end boards – something we saw too much of last season. If we want to continue to enjoy watching these amazing players skate, we have to keep their safety in mind. Someone getting hurt on a needless play isn’t worth it.
2) Modified faceoff markers – this modification adds an extra line into the faceoff dot markings in the end-zones (see image below). When players enter for a faceoff, they square the feet up to the inner-most line (just like they do now). If the official deems a center is not lined up properly, the center must move his feet back to the outer-most line – giving up precious leverage. I like this rule, as it creates a greater disadvantage for the offending centerman. It also helps keep the game moving by having to replace the center.
3) Line change area – instead of having a loose area where players can change, this rule forces players to be inside the (new) blue markings near the bench in order to change lines unpenalized (see image below). In watching some of the scrimmage where this was implemented, it really seemed to clean the ice up during line changes. No more big messes of players coming on and off during changes. This opens more space up on the ice, and also makes it a distinct rule – taking some of the discretion and grey-area away from the previous rule.
4) Decrease the dept of the net by 4″ – simply put, this creates more space and doesn’t have any major impact on the flow or ruling of the game. I think it’s a no-brainer – open the ice up, and give the players more room to create plays.
5) Red mesh in the nets – I’m a bit mixed on this particular modification. I like the fact it makes the netting (target) easier to spot quickly, and (in theory) should support more goal scoring, but I fear goalies will quickly counter-act this change by incorporating red into their pad design, thus negating any sort of benefit the rule would create.
There were lots of other rules they tried out – many of which I didn’t care for and some I was indifferent toward. Personally, I think this sort of exploration into our game is a very healthy thing, and should be encouraged moving forward. Seldom am I in favor of major changes to the game, but minor tweaks can make the game more exciting (entertaining) and reward skilled players. Over the past few years, I think the NHL has done a tremendous job of modifying the rules to let their stars shine (one notable exception in my book is the trapezoid – don’t punish goalies who are good at handling the puck). While I understand there is a large faction of “traditionalists” who don’t want to see the game changed at all, there needs to be – and should be – instances where some of hockey’s greatest minds are able to examine the game for the greater good.
NHL Proposed Rule Changes
Tags: nhl, rule changes
In Mid-August the NHL held a camp for prospects where the league tried out lots of new rule adjustments. Lots of hockey people have very strong opinions about the league messing with the rules, but I think there are some very legitimate ideas proposed at the camp which could benefit the game .
Here are some of the potential new rules I find particularly interesting:
1) Hybrid icing – this simply means it is up to the linseman’s discretion to determine who will reach the puck first when the player(s) reach the face-off dot. This means if the defending player has the advantage, the play would be whistled dead – thus avoiding the potential for a dangerous end-board collision. However, if the attacking player has the advantage, play is allowed to continue. I’m in favor of this particular rule, as it would help avoid dangerous collisions at the end boards – something we saw too much of last season. If we want to continue to enjoy watching these amazing players skate, we have to keep their safety in mind. Someone getting hurt on a needless play isn’t worth it.
2) Modified faceoff markers – this modification adds an extra line into the faceoff dot markings in the end-zones (see image below). When players enter for a faceoff, they square the feet up to the inner-most line (just like they do now). If the official deems a center is not lined up properly, the center must move his feet back to the outer-most line – giving up precious leverage. I like this rule, as it creates a greater disadvantage for the offending centerman. It also helps keep the game moving by having to replace the center.
3) Line change area – instead of having a loose area where players can change, this rule forces players to be inside the (new) blue markings near the bench in order to change lines unpenalized (see image below). In watching some of the scrimmage where this was implemented, it really seemed to clean the ice up during line changes. No more big messes of players coming on and off during changes. This opens more space up on the ice, and also makes it a distinct rule – taking some of the discretion and grey-area away from the previous rule.
4) Decrease the dept of the net by 4″ – simply put, this creates more space and doesn’t have any major impact on the flow or ruling of the game. I think it’s a no-brainer – open the ice up, and give the players more room to create plays.
5) Red mesh in the nets – I’m a bit mixed on this particular modification. I like the fact it makes the netting (target) easier to spot quickly, and (in theory) should support more goal scoring, but I fear goalies will quickly counter-act this change by incorporating red into their pad design, thus negating any sort of benefit the rule would create.
There were lots of other rules they tried out – many of which I didn’t care for and some I was indifferent toward. Personally, I think this sort of exploration into our game is a very healthy thing, and should be encouraged moving forward. Seldom am I in favor of major changes to the game, but minor tweaks can make the game more exciting (entertaining) and reward skilled players. Over the past few years, I think the NHL has done a tremendous job of modifying the rules to let their stars shine (one notable exception in my book is the trapezoid – don’t punish goalies who are good at handling the puck). While I understand there is a large faction of “traditionalists” who don’t want to see the game changed at all, there needs to be – and should be – instances where some of hockey’s greatest minds are able to examine the game for the greater good.