Rule Change In Affect

The NHL has come up with many topics to talk about in the summer meetings on Wednesday, August 18 and Thursday, August 19.

On Wednesday, the general managers will talk about:

a) changes to the icing rule, no-touch icing, hybrid icing

b) disallow line change for committing an off-side

c) goaltender crease rules

d) face-off by whistle vs. puck drop

e) overtime of 4-on-4, 3-on-3, 2-on-2, shootout sequence

f) wider blue lines

g) clearly displaying goal line

h) line change zone by the benches

i) icing during shorthanded situations

j) second referee standing off the ice

k) delayed penalty rule

l) 5 player shootout, and repeat shooters

m) long line change in OT

I personally believe that the National Hockey League can easily overdo these rule changes. Some are bizarre and takes away the nature of the game, as well as the integrity of each game worth the same.

However, one change I like to see is with the icing calls--no-touch icing for the puck unless the puck is dropped in from outside one's own blueline, close to centre line, and an attacker is close to the proximity of the puck. Then the play should be allowed to continue instead of whistled dead.

Size of the goals and goalie pads can be put to rest, but I would like to see the NHL remove the goalie's ability to handle the puck in that trapezoid zone. Goalies who have the skill to move the puck should be allowed to show their skills like any other on the ice.

About clearly viewing the goal line on debatable calls, I really recommend the NHL to learn from ATP and WTA tennis about how they set up digital trackers of where and when the ball/puck crosses the goal line. It's not difficult to implement as hockey only have a short goal line to worry about, unlike in tennis, there are 7 lines of boundary.

What are some of the rules you like to see revised?

Thank you for reading.

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