2019-20 NHL Rule Changes

Normally each and every season regardless of the sport we as spectators or media members see revised rules that will affect our understanding of who we watch the game.

This isn’t something that we can grasp overnight and many simply won’t understand, not because they can’t, but rather don’t want to all due to the ever changing game.

We see this in various minor sporting games and while players, coaches, managers, team volunteers and referee’s are given a refresher, it’s normally the parents that do their best to turn kids away from playing.

True, it is sport and many, but not all want to live their dream through their kids playing, but let’s understand, there are only a few that ever make the pro level of sports.

In the photo above it shows the disrespect for calls as well as his teams loss as Wenatchee Wild Assistant Coach Chris Clark protests calls during the Wenatchee Wild’s loss to the Kenai River Brown Bears

Over the past while I have had several “long winded” conversations with individuals who teach, instruct or evaluate officials at the International level of sport.

Each and everyone I talk to all say the same thing, “Let the kids be kids and don’t push them to live a dream the parents were unable to achieve.”

I understand this concept, but do you as the average parent and if not why not?

In order to help this process out this season the NHL has expanded, once again some of the rules they currently have in place, all for the betterment of the game and the fans.

Some we question, others we simply don’t understand, while others don’t pass the “test” as we are far too used to the old rules, but the game has changed.

In a game played in Chicago I was told about the following that happened in the exhibition pre-game match up.

I am hearing that during intermission to the pre-season games you as spectators will see a video to let you know about the changes that have taken place since last season.

This past June the NHL made it official by announcing that a series of rule changes would be in place for the 2019-20 season, which include the use of expanded video review as well as player safety initiatives as well as promoting more offense regarding the flow in the game.

Here is the video that explains it all to the fans, who are more than ready for the season to begin: