Get Sponsored
POSSIBLE RULE CHANGES
NEW YORK (Feb. 4, 1998) - National Hockey League General Managers considered a series of possible rule changes at their meeting this week in Scottsdale, AZ. Some of these possible rule changes will be used on an experimental basis at the minor professional level during the remainder of the 1997-98 season; others on an experimental basis during the 1998-99 NHL preseason schedule; and others will be submitted directly to the League's Board of Governors for approval.
In addition, the League will adopt a tighter obstruction and interference standard on the non-puck carrier beginning with the resumption of games following the Winter Break. A point of emphasis will also be placed on tighter restraining standards for hooking, holding and holding the stick on the puck carrier.
"There was unanimity among the General Managers that, while the game is in good shape, we should try to fine tune some rules I an attempt to open up the game and increase offense," said NHL Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Brian Burke.
Proposed Rule Changes
Proposed rule changes which will be voted on by the Board of Governors at
their meeting in June include:
- An automatic game misconduct penalty assessed to a player receiving a major penalty for kneeing
- If the goaltender leaves his crease on a potential icing, the icing would be negated
- The League, working with the NHL Players' Association, will develop new standards that limit the size of goaltenders equipment
- A new system that employs an additional official for calling penalties
- Any premature substitution of a goaltender by a skater would result in a stoppage of play and a face-off at center ice
- Goaltenders will not be permitted to handle the puck behind the goal line
- A "hurry-up" face-off technique, which includes no line changes permitted during stoppage requiring a face-off in the neutral zone, will be tested
- A minor penalty will be served in its entirety (i.e. the full two minutes)
- A player with the puck on the defending team will not be permitted to stop behind his net in the defensive zone
- The goal line at each end of the rink will be moved further away from the
end boards, the current distance between the goal line and end boards is 11
feet.
During some games in the 1998-99 NHL preseason schedule, the League will experiment in select games with full-strength NHL rosters with eliminating the center ice red line for two-line passes.