Potential rule changes coming

[Hammer]

From the front page

I don't like any of them.

[d3follower]

Re: Potential rule changes coming

This one is the biggest shocker to me:

Also, icing will be called even when a team is shorthanded, a rule change that has been used in USA Hockey Development Camps.

[WillieC]

Re: Potential rule changes coming

IMHO...contact to the head....very long overdue given the medical data about concussions and "concussive" blows to the head that has accrued in the past 10 years. It simply has to stop. Previous penalties for high-sticking and CTH have not deminished the frequency or severity of player concussions at all levels of the game.

The rest of them should be experimented with, but off-hand I feel placing even more judgement in the hands of the officials (re:hybrid icing) is cause for concern. Anytime you create an obviously "gray" area in the rules you open up even more problems as officiating is difficult enough. We already have a thin corps of officials in D-III and many are already challenged by the demands of the position.

[Hammer]

Re: Potential rule changes coming

This one is the biggest shocker to me:

Yeah, that one is big trouble. We're going to see a few teams with 30% power plays, and a couple in the 40's.

[collegehcky2]

Re: Potential rule changes coming

From the front page

I don't like any of them.

Personally, I think the hybrid icing one is ok, but if it starts allowing teams that like to cherry-pick to basically throw full length passes down, it sucks. I can see where the referee's can say "Oh, this puck was shot down from the blue line and the attacking team busted their *** to try to get it, wave it off." and "The attacking team just threw the puck down trying to hit the cherry picker and missed, still icing." On the other hand I can see it being a problem.

[Hammer]

Re: Potential rule changes coming

Maybe so. But the "no more icing on a PK" and a penalty after a delayed-call goal changes are both disasters in the making, as well as the CTH major calls, especially with Division III and CCHA-reject referees. If these rules go through, next November and December's games are going to be a complete kludge. Get ready for 8-6 games on a regular basis.

[MW4Bucky&SNC]

Re: Potential rule changes coming

I don't like any of these changes. They often talk about the safety of the players being top priority and they've even stayed away from touch up icing with that excuse. However, I feel like a couple of these go against the safety argument. Allowing half shields instead of full doesn't achieve safety. Lengthening PK shifts by disallowing icing isn't going to make anybody any safer. I have no problem with a team not being able to ice the puck to get a change when things are even strength, but I don't like this proposal. If they want to do anything with icing it should be adding the touch up and I've been saying it for years.

[Hammer]

Re: Potential rule changes coming

I'd rather have the no-touch, like it was last season. I've seen too many guys go into the boards funny to think otherwise.

Let's call this what it is. It's a change to try to increase scoring, hiding behind the claim of player safety.

[93GreatLaker]

Re: Potential rule changes coming

Yeah, that one is big trouble. We're going to see a few teams with 30% power plays, and a couple in the 40's.

or....we may see teams take less penalties and play more disciplined hockey as a result. Which would not be a bad thing.

[joeyc3402]

Re: Potential rule changes coming

Allowing half shields instead of full doesn't achieve safety.

The argument is that guys generally keep their hands / sticks down if lots of faces are exposed. Also, blows to the face are concentrated to the jaw, and then up to the brain if you're wearing a cage.

You increase lower facial injuries and reduce head injuries, or so the argument says. Pick your poison.

[CornwallAce]

Re: Potential rule changes coming

I see a few blowouts turning from 8-0 to 10-0, but I hear blowouts promote good sportsmanship, so I'm really in favor of this.

Sadly, I can see a day when a player has a heart attack from being out on the ice for too long during a power play. It will probably be a player with an undiagnosed condition, but I could see it happening. But you bust your butt for 40 seconds, clear the puck, but it is icing, and you have to stay out and continue to bust your butt. Also, players get hurt in other ways when they're too tired, and sloppy.

[CornwallAce]

Re: Potential rule changes coming

The argument is that guys generally keep their hands / sticks down if lots of faces are exposed. Also, blows to the face are concentrated to the jaw, and then up to the brain if you're wearing a cage.

You increase lower facial injuries and reduce head injuries, or so the argument says. Pick your poison.

While that may be true, all the puck needs to do is deflect off of a stick into the mouth area. Or a desperate clear goes too high, into the face. But that only happens in the NHL.

[NUProf]

Re: Potential rule changes coming

All misguided - every single one of them. A few years ago, they allowed a test of the PK icing rule, and it was used during the TA that year. It was a fiasco.

That was before the no change rule on icing. This is going to really give a huge advantage to the team on the power play. You dump the puck, get called for icing, and have to stay on the ice. Huge risk for injury it seems to me. If they are going to enforce icing, they should at least allow short handed teams to make a change after being called for icing.

[mdmadison]

Re: Potential rule changes coming

I see a few blowouts turning from 8-0 to 10-0, but I hear blowouts promote good sportsmanship, so I'm really in favor of this.

Sadly, I can see a day when a player has a heart attack from being out on the ice for too long during a power play. It will probably be a player with an undiagnosed condition, but I could see it happening. But you bust your butt for 40 seconds, clear the puck, but it is icing, and you have to stay out and continue to bust your butt. Also, players get hurt in other ways when they're too tired, and sloppy.

The argument could be made that players will have to be in better condition because of this rule to avoid injury. Regardless, I agree with you, stupid rule and injuries may increase because of it. If they want to increase scoring make the net 7x5. The icing rule makes no sense, too subjective, you either have the touch up and risk injury or don't have the touch up.

[Matthew Webb]

Re: Potential rule changes coming

The icing rule makes no sense, too subjective, you either have the touch up and risk injury or don't have the touch up.

I believe the USHL used this sort of icing this past season and the reviews were pretty positive even though in writing it does seem like somewhat of a strange idea. I think GB Puck Fan (USHL season ticket holder) had a post somewhere outlining exactly how it was working out but have no idea where that post might be.

The no icing when shorthanded is just plain stupid. What possibly facilitated the need for this change now after how many decades?

I also fear about the impact of the contact to the head penalties despite the good intentions behind the emphasis. Someone obviously and unnecessarily goes high? Fine, make it a major. However, if guys start getting sent off for majors every time a 6'3" kid hits a 5'8" kid with a clean check and his shoulder happens to catch the other guy a bit high things might get out of control. Ultimately my fear is unreasonable and inconsistent enforcement (which is sadly something we already see too much of) and not the rule itself.