We all have rules that we simply don’t like and quite often think that they were invented by individuals who have never played that particular sport.
Hockey is a prime candidate with rules that filter down to the minor hockey associations in various areas that are hard to figure out and give officials far too many problems – from Parents and Coaches alike.
True the game is faster in today’s world, but rules like freezing the puck along the boards to keep the game going, when everyone in the building wants a stoppage is one.
The NHL GM’s met and approved the concepts for rule changes regarding player safety, but let’s remember that all rule changes are required to be approved by the NHL-NHLPA Competition Committee.
Understanding that all players want to have a “photo op” from the fans prior to any game, but I have seen several shots fly past a player in the warm-up, so now the are looking at adapting the minor hockey rule that will penalize players who don’t leave the ice immediately after their helmets fall off.
Parros mentioned “the league is also looking into having a rule that would force players to wear their helmets during warmups, but the key now is to enforce one that would prevent players from putting themselves at risk in the game by playing without a helmet.
Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic mentioned “Any time you lose your helmet you should get off the ice and I mean, someone eventually is going to get hurt and you’re going to change the rule then. Just do it now. It makes total sense.”
NHL Senior VP of player safety, George Parros mentioned “the League is the only one in the world that doesn’t currently have a rule governing players losing their helmets in the flow of play.”
He continues “I don’t see any reason why we’re waiting around for something to happen in this space and God forbid something should happen. I think this rule would go on the list right away, so everybody was on board with that. We’ll figure out what that rule will look like, draft up some options and push it through the proper channels.”
The GMs will also propose a rule that will allow the team starting a PP to pick which side of the ice they want to have the face-off and currently the face-off location is the one on which side of the ice the puck went out of play or was touched, but this would only be for the first PP face-off.
Once again the league places the onus on the officials who would be required to ask the team going on the PP which side of the ice they want the face-off.
The team going on the PK would be required to put its players on the ice first, then followed by the team on the PP and again this would negate the last-change advantage that currently exists for the home team.
The idea is that it will give the center for the team on the power play the option of where to take the face-off.
“When you get into a big game, it’s important which side of the puck is going to be dropped on,” NHL Senior Executive VP of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell told the media “Washington, for example, with the one-timer from (Alex Ovechkin), it wants the puck dropped in the right side of the end zone. These things come to a head in the playoffs, in key games.”
The GMs were also in favor of recommending a rule change to keep the face-off in the end zone when a puck is shot out of play by an attacking player and currently the face-off is now taken outside the end zone if a shot by the attacking team going out of play without touching anything.
Adding to the changes, it’s reported that the GMs recommend countdown clocks be added in the corner boards in all arenas to show time remaining in a period and a penalty, which was the way they were used in the 2019 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic and the 2019 NHL Stadium Series, and the three exhibition games.
The GMs are considering recommending to prevent teams from changing lines if their goalie freezes the puck on shots that come from outside the blue line, thus keeping the game moving so the teams can make their flights.
At present it’s mentioned that there are 22 stoppages per game due to the goalie freezing the puck with each averaging (roughly) 30 seconds.
On a move of pure foolishness, apparently they were in discussion of assessing a two-minute if a goalie freezes the puck on a shot that comes from outside the blue line, but there is hesitation on going that far.
The GMs discussed the possibility of cutting power plays down to one minute in overtime for certain infractions, but it didn’t generate enough interest.
These are only some of the rule changes that were discussed, but don’t you just think that in the real world, they might ask the fans for their input?
Makes Sense to many!!!!
