Put It On Ice

The NHL’s Research and Development camp opens this morning in Etobicoke, Ontario at the Maple Leafs practice arena. There are 33 prospects who will be participating in the camp, which features two hour-long sessions. The purpose of this camp is for league officials to test different rule ideas and variations do determine which rules, if any, can be implemented in the future. Rules that will be practiced today are listed below.

Morning Session:
* Hybrid icing rule
* No line change for team committing an offside
* Crease reset rule
* Face-off variation (face-off controlled by whistle in place of traditional puck drop)
* Overtime: three minutes of 4-of-4, three minutes of 3-on-3, three minutes of 2-on-2, followed by shootout (5 players per team).

Afternoon session:
* Bigger crease
* Verification goal line (additional line situated behind the goal line)
* Wider blue lines
* Line changes zone in front of each bench
* Face-off variations (infringement results in the offending player moving back further, three face-off dots down the middle of the ice)
* No icing the puck while shorthanded
* OT – three minutes of 4-on-4, three minutes of 3-on-3, three minutes of 2-on-2 with long line changes; followed by three shooters per team in the shootout (if tied after three shots, then players who have shot previously can shoot again)

There are also two more sessions tomorrow. Click here for a full description of rules and ice modification diagrams.

A lot of these rules will be murdered after this camp is over, but a couple from this session that I think have potential are the hybrid icing rule and the goal verification line. Let me explain why.

Hybrid icing maintains the excitement of watching two players race for a puck to beat out their opponent, but it removes the danger. This new rule allows linesman to call or wave off icing while the players are at the end zone face-off dot. It is his job to determine which player will reach the puck first (tie goes to the defender) and either blow it dead or wave off icing.

Play being blown dead at the end zone face-off dot removes that deadly collision with the boards we have all witnessed time and time again when two players are racing to be the first to touch the puck. However, the excitement of the players racing to be the first one there is still there. This rule reminds me a bit of the ball out of bounds after a missed shot in lacrosse. Closest player to the sideline gets possession of the ball. I’m in favor of this rule and hope to see it added to the rule book soon.

I am also in favor of the goal verification line. For those who aren’t familiar with it, this yellow line will be 3 inches behind the goal line inside the net. The purpose of it is to give off-ice officials an easier way to determine if a puck truly crossed the goal line. How many times have we been watching games and seen replays where a goaltender’s glove or even a water bottle blocks the view of the line? This verification line is placed far enough behind the goal line where if a puck can be seen touching it on replay then the puck will have definitely crossed the goal line. It leaves no question of a doubt that a puck has in fact entered the net.

So, what do you think? Can you see these two rules being a part of the NHL in the near future or have I just lost my mind? Maybe there are other rules that you think will make the cut. Let me know!

Put It On Ice

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