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July 22, 2005
I can safely breathe again
Hockey is _really_ back now. It's no longer speculation.
My brother sent me an email describing some of the new rule changes they are talking about. I have mixed feelings on the ones I have heard.
- Taking out the center red line.
- Purpose: 2-line passing will not exist in its current incarnation anymore. It will be a lot easier to move the puck quickly up the ice into one's offensive zone.
- My thoughts: I don't like this change, but I could live with it.
- Score: 2/5
- Goalie pads will have their maximum width reduced by an inch.
- Purpose: Make it easier for players to score while removing those goalies that play with huge pads.
- My thoughts: Unsure how this will affect play, probably won't cause a dramatic increase in scoring though.
- Score: 3/5
- Nets are moved back 2 feet closer to end boards.
- Purpose: Encourage more play in front of the net, as opposed to behind.
- My thoughts: Will be harder to cycle the puck down low. Takes away from a part of the game I enjoy watching.
- Score: 2.5/5
- Teams on a penalty kill are no longer allowed to ice the puck, and doing so will cause an immediate face-off in the defensive zone, and no line changes will be allowed.
- Purpose: Give power plays a bigger advantage.
- My thoughts: This sucks. Icing the puck is about the only defensive option for a team on a penalty kill.
- Score: 0/5
- New Hybrid "No Touch" icing rule: Linemen can call off icing if a pass is "missed" which results in icing.
- Purpose: Speed up play and allow for the puck to move down the ice really fast.
- My thoughts: Also bad. Professionals shouldn't be missing passes.
- Score: 0/5
- Goalies may no longer play the puck directly behind the net.
- Purpose: Give goalies less control in their own zone when offensive players are trying to get the puck.
- My thoughts: Won't prevent goalies from playing the puck behind and to the side. Unsure how it will affect things.
- Score: 2.5/5
- Players shooting the puck out of play in the defensive zone are given a minor penalty.
- Purpose: Players can't use out of play as a "Get out of Jail Free" card anymore.
- My thoughts: This rule already applies to goalies. Probably won't be too bad.
- Score: 3/5
- Touch-up offsides is back the way it used to be.
- Purpose: Allow offensive to have a more continuous attack.
- My thoughts: I love this change. I much prefer it to the current offsides rules.
- Score: 5/5
- Overtime will consist of a 5 minute 4-on-4, followed by a 5 minute 3-on-3, followed by a shootout.
- Purpose: Eliminate tie games.
- My thoughts: This blows. There's nothing wrong with a tie game. To me, this takes away from hockey being a team sport and moves it to the individual.
- Score: 0/5
Scoring:
- 0-1.5: This change is bad for the game and shouldn't be done.
- 1.5-3.5: Unsure how it will affect the game, so can't say for certain how I feel about it.
- 3.5-5: If I was running the league, I would have made this change myself.
So all things considered, there are 3 bad changes, 1 good change and 4 changes I don't know about yet. Note that these changes haven't actually gone into rules yet, but are preliminary at this point.
Posted by Michael at July 22, 2005 04:33 PM
Comments
I totally agree that the icing changes (PK and "missed pass") are supremely lame.
Posted by: Nathan at July 23, 2005 08:01 AM
Glad to have your support Nathan. Are those _your_ feelings, or Tricia's feelings on the subject? =)
Posted by: Michael at July 24, 2005 11:52 AM
Those are the feelings of none other than the Irate Nate himself. Although now that you mention it, I'm not so sure Tricia was so keen on those changes, either. :)
Posted by: Nathan at July 24, 2005 12:03 PM