New NHL rule changes

[Argyle]

With the new NHL rule changes coming to effect this year, which one will have the biggest impact to start the season?

With all the signings that are going on around the league, which team will benefit the most by the rule changes?

Some of the rule changes that will take effect for the 2005-06 NHL season:

No more ties

- Following a scoreless five-minute overtime, three players from each team participate in a shootout.

- Each team takes three shots. The team with the most goals after those six shots wins.

- If the score remains tied, the shootout will proceed to a "sudden death" format.

- If a game is decided by a shootout, the final score will give the winning team one more goal than its opponent, based on the score at the end of overtime.

Two-line passes

- Two-line passes will now be legal. The centre-red line will be ignored for off-side purposes.

- The "tag-up" off-side rule returns, allowing play to continue if offensive players who preceded the puck into the zone return to the blue-line and "tag" it.

Restrictions on goalies

- The dimensions of goaltender equipment will be reduced by approximately 11 per cent. In addition to a one-inch reduction (to 11 inches) in the width of legpads, the blocking glove, upper-body protector, pants and jersey also will be reduced in size.

- Penalties for goalies using oversizing equipment are: a two-game suspension, $25,000 fine for the team and trainer gets fined $1,000.

- Goalies may play the puck behind the goal-line only in a trapezoid-shaped area defined by lines that begin six feet from either goal post and extend diagonally to points 28 feet apart at the end boards.

Bigger Offensive Zone

- The blue-lines will be moved closer together to create an additional four feet in each of the offensive zones. That reduces the size of the neutral zone to 50 feet from 54 feet.

- The goal-lines will be moved two feet, to 11 feet from the end boards.

- The width of blue-lines and centre-red line remains unchanged.

Changes to icing

- A team that ices the puck cannot make a line change prior to the ensuing face-off.

- Touch remains in effect but linesmen will be given more discretion to wave off icing infractions if they are deemed the result of an attempted pass.

Changes to instigator rule

- A player who instigates a fight in the final five minutes of a game will receive a game misconduct and an automatic one-game suspension. The length of suspension would double for each additional incident.

- In addition, the player's coach will be fined $10,000 US, a fine that would double for each such incident.

Areas of emphasis for officials

- Zero tolerance on interference, hooking and holding/obstruction.

- Goalies who play the puck behind the goal-line but outside the designated puck-handling area will be penalized for delay of game.

- Goaltenders will be penalized for delaying the game if they "freeze" the puck unnecessarily.

- Any player who shoots the puck directly over the glass in his defending zone will be penalized for delay of game.

Unsportsmanlike conduct

- The league will review and assess fines to players who dive, embellish a fall or a reaction, or who feign injury in an attempt to draw penalties.

- The first such incident will result in a warning letter; the second will result in a $1,000 fine; the third will result in a $2,000 fine; and the fourth incident will result in a one-game suspension.

- Public complaints or derogatory comments toward the game also will result in fines.

 

[Reccos]

To pick one change is a tough call as each of the changes will have some kind of impact mostly minor. I don't like the goalee restrictions as it takes something away from some of the better GKs who can and do handle the puck successfully. That will lead to some stupid penalty calls. I do like no puck freezing if not necessary though. That is good.

The tag up rule for offsides will keep the game flowing. Good one.

Not allowing a line change when you ice the puck will lead to designated diving possibly where a guy goes down like he's been shot or the whole line falls including the guy shooting the puck down the ice as his arms cramp up or they have broken sticks and throw them down to get a delay. That rule is dumb and will have unforeseen consequences like this that will lead to this one not lasting.

The big one impact on the flow of the play will be the calling - if they do - of interference. This could really change player selections in the future if your slow guys can't clutch and grab. I like this one. We shall see if it is called all year.

The fighting rule is odd. Why the last 5 min of the game? If they can fight, then what does the time of the fight have to do with it. They should have used this time out to end the fighting like they ended the huge brawls of years ago. No one seems to mind that they are history now. Football is a good example of how a rough tough game doesn't allow fights. Last week Mike Crumb crashed into the back of the Montreal FG kicker after the whistle. The kicker went nuts and a skirmish broke out with both guys heading to the shower with ejections for that game. Good trade for Toronto though but the point is that hockey to be better accepted in the USA should go the next step on fighting if it wants to shed the image it has in the USA where it feels the game will expand.

These changes will have a lot of unintended consequences and not all will be viewed as good by the fans. I am not sure how much they thought through a lot of this stuff.

 

[termatofylakas]

Bigger Offensive Zone

- The blue-lines will be moved closer together to create an additional four feet in each of the offensive zones. That reduces the size of the neutral zone to 50 feet from 54 feet.

How much money do these fcukers make? Well I am tired and I can be wrong but if you create an additional four feet in each of the offensive zones and normally it is 54 feet wouldn't that make the neutral zone only 46 feet now?

Anyways these look like some pretty drastic changes but my favorite 2 rules are A team that ices the puck cannot make a line change prior to the ensuing face-off and Any player who shoots the puck directly over the glass in his defending zone will be penalized for delay of game.

 

[revolutionary]

Just a thought on the goalie equipment rules. I like most of you have been frusterated with Cloutier at times, but he has not been one of the goalies with the massively oversized equipment. I think that these new rules are going to level the playing field a bit and we will see many goalies letting in the soft goals that Cloutier has been known for over the past few years. For example, before there was no room between the arms and body on some goalies, but there was on Cloutier, and I'm guessing that there will be many of those types of goals this year.