Rule Changes Approved by NHL

Justin Maffei | National Hockey League

Jun 18, 05:29 PM | Hype this story!

TSN.ca is reporting that the NHL has approved three rule changes. The rule changes pertain to faceoffs and icing.

Rule 76.2 was changed to ensure that after a penalty is assessed, the faceoff will occur in the offending team’s defensive zone.

Rule 81.1 will now read “Any contact between opposing players while pursuing the puck on an icing must be for the sole purpose of playing the puck and not for eliminating the opponent from playing the puck. Unnecessary or dangerous contact could result in penalties being assessed to the offending player.” This should clear up some of the interference calls as two opposing players chase an iced puck.

Rule 85.5 causes a change in faceoff locations. Previously, when a puck went out of play, the faceoff location would be decided by recognizing which team last touched the puck. If a defensive player was last to touch the puck, it would stay in that team’s defensive end. If an offensive player was last to touch the puck (even if the puck ricocheted off of the post or cross-bar), the puck would come outside of that team’s offensive zone. The rule change says that if a puck goes off of the goal post, frame, or cross-bar, no matter who last touched it, the puck will remain in that zone.

Comments

  1. Dabich

    Jun 19, 06:37 AM

    Expected changes. Thanks for the update!

  2. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 19, 09:04 AM

    I hadn’t hear anything previously about these changes, so it’s news to me — but I can’t say I have a single problem with any of them. I particularly like the change that puts a faceoff in the zone of the team that took a penalty.

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