Rowe, Thomas wrote:

>Well, its sort of like holding on in boxing.  Holding is against the rules, but when the fighters are tangled up it has to be pretty blatant befoe the ref calls a penalty point.  Its a time-honored way to get a brief respite.  Icing the puck to get a line change would seem to me to fall in the same category.  Its a classic, standard part of the game.  Hence, I am on John's side here.
> 
>  
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Count me on the other side.  Sure, it's a classic, standard part of the 
game.  That doesn't mean that changing it can't be a good thing.  The 
effect of the rule should be that there is less icing, because you don't 
get that benefit.  Personally, I think that the team that didn't ice the 
puck should get more of an advantage than just a faceoff in the other 
end, since the puck was already in that end.  In the situation where the 
other team is that tired, icing is an admission that they aren't able to 
get it out of their end, in which case, the other team would be much 
better off if play just continued.

It isn't so much that icing is against the rules, as it is that icing is 
boring.  I'll approve of almost anything that will cut down the number 
of times it happens.

As for boxing, I would *really* appreciate it if refs would give out 
penalties for holding more often.  Christ, Zahir Raheem/Acelino Freitas 
was worse than a period full of icings.

-- 
J. Michael Neal
http://idonotlikeyoueither.blogspot.com/