Some rules changes this year
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...-shootout-diving-overtime-trapezoid/15461831/
I'm fine with this
The shootout spin-o-rama is dead, overtime will change, goalies will have more room to maneuver behind the net and divers will have to pay the price.
Those are among the rules that will go in effect for the 2014-15 NHL season, according to the league.
The spin-o-rama whirling penalty shot move had been a topic of controversy because the rules state that a shootout attempt was over if a player stopped his forward movement. Eliminating the move gets rid of the ambiguity, though it will cut out a staple of highlight-reel films.
The move is also now forbidden during in-game penalty shots.
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Makes sense
The league also took a step to try to limit the number of shootouts by tweaking overtime rules:
• Teams will switch ends before the start of overtime in the regular season, creating a longer trip to the bench on line changes, and potentially more odd-man rushes.
• The entire ice surface will undergo a "dry scrape" before overtime to create a less-choppy surface.
• If the game does get to a shootout, a coach will no longer have to submit his list of the first three shooters in the shootout.
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Not sure about this one
Also, the league announced that the trapezoid will be expanded by two feet from the goal post on both sides of the net.
The trapezoid had been put in because many mobile goalies, particularly Martin Brodeur, had been able to roam to the corners and play the puck to their defensemen, eliminating offensive pressure.
But doing so allowed forechecking forwards to hit defensemen with greater force. The wider trapezoid is a compromise.
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Good, cannot stand diving
The diving rule is to designed to punish players and teams who regularly embellish to try to draw penalties.
Players will receive a warning for a first offense, then be fined $2,000 for a second, $3,000 for a third, $4,000 for a fourth and $5,000 for anything above.
A coach will be fined $2,000 for a fourth offense, $3,000 for a fifth, $4,000 for a sixth and $5,000 for anything above.
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No strong opinions on these, except I like the faceoff one
Rule 23 – Game Misconduct Penalties
A new Game Misconduct category will be created. Clipping, charging, elbowing, interference, kneeing, head-butting and butt-ending move from the general category into the same category as boarding and checking from behind ("Physical Fouls"), whereby a player who incurs two such game misconducts in this category would now be automatically suspended for one game.
Rule 38 – Video Goal Judge
Video review will be expanded in the following areas:
• Rule 38.4 (viii) has been modified to allow broader discretion to Hockey Operations to assist the referees in determining the legitimacy of all potential goals (e.g., to ensure they are "good hockey goals"). The revised Rule will allow Hockey Operations to correct a broader array of situations where video review clearly establishes that a "goal" or "no goal" call on the ice has been made in error. The new expanded rule will also allow Hockey Operations to provide guidance to referees on goal and potential goal plays where the referee has blown his whistle (or intended to blow his whistle) after having lost sight of the puck.
• In reviewing "Kicked in Goals," Hockey Operations will require more demonstrable video evidence of a "distinct kicking motion" in order to overrule a "goal" call on the ice, or to uphold a "no goal" call on the ice.
Rule 57 – Tripping
The rule relating to "Tripping" will be revised to specifically provide that a two minute minor penalty will be assessed when a defending player "dives" and trips an attacking player with his body/arm/shoulder, regardless of whether the defending player is able to make initial contact with the puck.
But, in situations where a penalty shot might otherwise be appropriate, if the defending player "dives" and touches the puck first (before the trip), no penalty shot will be awarded. (In such cases, the resulting penalty will be limited to a two-minute minor penalty for tripping.)
Rule 76 – Face-offs
To curb delay tactics on face-offs after icing infractions, in situations where the defending team is guilty of a face-off violation, following an icing, the defending player who is initially lined up for the face-off will be given a warning, but will be required to remain in the circle to take the face-off. A second face-off violation by the defending team in such situation will result in a two minute minor bench penalty.
Rule 85 – Puck Out of Bounds
There have been further rule changes made relating to face-off location to avoid penalizing teams for plays intended to create bona fide scoring opportunities. Specifically, the following are "categories of plays" where face-offs will remain in the attacking zone despite the fact that the attacking team was technically responsible for the stoppage in play: Shots at the net by a player on the attacking team where: (i) the shot breaks the glass; (ii) the shot goes off the side of the net and deflects out of play; (iii) the shot goes off the dasher boards or glass and deflects out of play; (iv) the shot is tipped or deflected out of play by a teammate; and (v) the shot becomes wedged in or on the exterior of the goal net.
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