--- Dan Doucette <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Rules changes in the AHL this upcoming season, which are interesting to
> consider that it might be a portent of things to come in the NHL and down to
> the college ranks also (thanks Boston Globe).  They are:
>

. . .

> 3.  Icing rule is changed to the college "no touch" call

The NHL should have experimented with this when they tried to enforce interference by retreating
defensemen on forechecking forwards.  One of the unintended consequences was that defensemen
touching up icings were getting hammered by the forecheckers; in one of the first games with the
new interference interpetation, Don Sweeney got a shoulder separation.

Some purists will lament the demise of the forward hustling to beat the defenseman, but most of
the time, that's phony hustle anyway.

. . .

> 5.  Shootout rule for ties:  after 60 minutes, play 5 minutes 4-4.  Then, if
> still a tie, shootout with five players each side.  If still tied, one
> player selected each side to shoot until tie broken.  (no word on number of
> points awarded for each scenario)

Please, no.

Clay



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