Two line passes are no longer offside, 'nuff said:hump:
<LI class=headlinetext>Passes from behind the defensive blue line to the attacking blue line will be considered legal. The center red line will be ignored for purposes of the "two line pass".
<LI class=headlinetext>"The Tag-up Rule" will permit play to continue if offensive players who preceded the puck into the zone return to the blue line and "tag" it.
<LI class=headlinetext>Passes from behind the defensive blue line to the attacking blue line will be considered legal. The center red line will be ignored for purposes of the "two line pass".
<LI class=headlinetext>"The Tag-up Rule" will permit play to continue if offensive players who preceded the puck into the zone return to the blue line and "tag" it.
Poor Dante....
Anyway..........
Players adjusting to
rules changes
By John McGourty | NHL.com
Oct. 4, 2005</SPAN>
<HR>When people look at NHL hockey heading into the 2005-06 season and say "It's a whole new game," they aren't kidding.
After studying the new rules and the new standard of enforcement in the exhibition season, it's clear that hockey will be different this season in the NHL. It will be better and faster, with more scoring opportunities and no ties.
Most of the rules changes were made to enhance offense, including the removal of the red line to eliminate the old two-line pass rule. Now, players can pass from behind their net all the way to the opposing blue line. The offensive zones are bigger and the net has been moved back a couple of feet, reducing room behind the net. Games tied after overtime will be decided by shootouts.
Goalies are wearing smaller equipment and their movement behind the goal line has been restricted. Players are being penalized as goalies had been if they flip the puck into the stands from their defensive zone. Penalty killing has been made more difficult and there is more room to work on the power play.
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The new standard of rules enforcement is not just a crackdown on slashing, hooking and holding. Referees are focused much more on which player last touched the puck and is thus the only player of the eight-to-12 on the ice deemed "in possession" of the puck. That has led to more interference calls as several standard details of playing hockey have been changed.
"It's not just the players' culture and the coaches' culture that needs to change," said NHL Senior Vice President and Director of Officiating Stephen Walkom. "It's the officiating culture, as well, because what were accepted practices in the past will no longer be accepted practices in the future."
No longer can a defenseman hold up a checker at the offensive blue line when the puck is cleared into the neutral zone. When two players chase a puck into the corner, there can be no deliberate contact unless one has touched the puck last.
While there were some complaints in the first few exhibition games, players and coaches began to sense the parameters of the new standard. Philadelphia Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock even praised referees Dan Marouelli and Scott Hoberg after the Sept. 29 match with the New Jersey Devils, won by Philadelphia, 3-2.
"I thought today was a well-refereed hockey game," Hitchcock said. "This should be a tape sent around the League because this allowed the players to compete. The penalties, except for a couple on our side and a couple on their side, were penalties that would be called in a normal hockey game. But they let the battles go in the front of the net and in the corners. I thought it was a really, really well refereed game and looked very much like a regular-season NHL game. They called everything that was lazy. We got called three of four times on penalties where our first reaction was, 'Well, we got beat. Let's hook somebody.'"
The players themselves lobbied for a more wide-open game. It will benefit some of them and hurt others. The better skaters and shooters are being helped, while those who got by with a clutch-and-grab style have been disadvantaged.
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Glen Wesley told the Raleigh News-Observer the new NHL rules could extend his career.
"The clutching and grabbing that used to take place, obviously, that puts a lot of wear and tear on your body," Wesley said. "I don't think there will be as much of that."
"I think a guy like Jason Blake of the New York Islanders could benefit as much as anyone from these rules," Devils Scouting Director David Conte said. "He's not the biggest guy, but he still was successful in getting open and getting points. Give him more open ice and he could have a very good season. Our Brian Gionta is another. He was drawing tons of penalties under the old system. He'll get more now."
Blake agrees. He'll still commit his share of penalties with his feisty, in-your-face style, but his game thrives when he can dart to an open spot for a clear shot. His quickness makes him hard to defend. Playing on a unit recently with Alexei Yashin, Miroslav Satan, Robert Nilsson, Mark Parrish and Alexei Zhitnik, Blake and his partners passed the Flyers dizzy in the first half of the first period when they built an early 11-0 shots advantage.
"With the rules changes, there's going to be lots of penalties and lots of power plays," Blake said. "Special teams are going to win a lot of hockey games this year. They changed the rules so the players and the teams are going to have to adjust. They're calling the rules as they should and I just hope they continue to call them throughout the year."
No longer are defensemen allowed to cross check opponents in front of their net. That's led to some increased action in front of the crease. Philadelphia Phantoms coach John Stevens saw a lot of that in last week's AHL pre-season meeting with the Albany River Rats, refereed to the NHL standard.
"I thought there were times they were trying to get to the net and you can't hook them or hold them anymore. You have to bump them and your momentum carries you into the goalie sometimes," Stevens said. "It's not as easy to protect against people going to the net as it was under the old rules. (Forwards) don't have to pay as big a price as they once did. We're still feeling this thing out. You have to engage. The thing I love about hockey is you go out and battle and play hard. As long as they let us engage in front of the net, in the corners and some of the straight-up stuff, it will be all right. The stuff above the waist, they're going to call it and we're going to have to do our part to get rid of it."
Referees at all levels have been under pressure since the game's earliest days to "even it up, ref, call it fair," and to not affect the outcome by calling penalties in the last minute or so of a game. There's plenty of evidence that they're calling penalties as they see them, when they happen. That Flyers-Devils game ended with the Flyers down two men, up a goal, in their own building. There's been a plethora of 5-on-3s. That's changed the thinking of penalty killers.
"As a penalty killer you don't want to be too aggressive because you don't want to jeopardize putting your team down 5-on-3," veteran Boston Bruins forward Tom Fitzgerald told the Boston Herald. "So what do you do? You give them the outside. You let them pass it around. We've got guys who can make plays and see the ice so well. If you give them that kind of time, they're going to make plays."
The Florida Panthers had incredible success killing penalties in the exhibition season, allowing only five goals on 64 chances and none in their last 25. Nice statistics, but it ignores the wear and tear on penalty killers.
"Over the course of an 82-game schedule it's going to wear a team down," center Chris Gratton told the Miami Herald. Gratton spent almost half of his 19 minutes 26 seconds on the ice killing penalties. "We can't ask (goalie Roberto) Luongo to make those saves every night. It puts a lot of pressure on him."
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=170 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>The Flyers' Jon Sim scorched the back of the net during the preseason to the tune of eight goals. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Veteran Jon Sim is back in the NHL because of his transitional play and finishing ability. As a smaller man, he was frustrated when he tipped a puck past a defenseman and then was held up as he tried to pursue.
"To me that was a penalty in the old days," Sim said. "What they are getting rid of is the far defenseman coming over and holding that guy. I think they're working as hard as we are to figure out what works. As long as they hold down the contact stuff, the interference, that's the battle."
"The 'let 'em play' culture spawned from the fact that the players themselves used to let each other play," Walkom said. "And now it's been coached into the game, defense has been coached into the game so well that we (didn't) allow the players to play like they can."
The elimination of the red line seemed to be one of the biggest changes, but players say it hasn't had a great effect. To hear some tell it, it's like keeping a crazy aunt in the attic. It's not an ongoing problem, but it's always on your mind.
"Not seeing it too much," Flyers rookie center Mike Richards said. "In the first three exhibition games, I think I only saw two long passes connect. At the same time, for the defensemen, they really have to be aware of what is behind them. They have to see the ice and know that everyone is in front of them. You can't leave a guy back there. You have to be more aware of what is going on on the ice."
His teammate sees it differently.
"I don't know if I fully anticipated the way it has opened it up more for defensemen," Mike Rathje said. "Without the red line, you have to be more aware of what's around you. You get guys sneaking behind you and try to open a lane. That was one thing I was interested in seeing how it would work. The past couple of games, I've been adjusting to it.
"It's definitely increased the space between players. I think it's great," Rathje said. "There's lots more room to take shots and there's more lanes to the net. It's great. It's going to be more difficult playing defense. It gives the forwards more space to move around. You're going to have a team defensive style where you have forwards back to help your defensemen. I don't mind taking out the red line. I actually like it and I like where the blue lines are."
Not everyone is wild about the new rules. Panthers defenseman Jay Bouwmeester got called for four penalties recently.
"I don't have anything good to say about it," Bouwmeester grumbled.
<!--DON'T MODIFY BELOW THIS LINE-->
Anyway..........
Players adjusting to
rules changes
By John McGourty | NHL.com
Oct. 4, 2005</SPAN>
<HR>When people look at NHL hockey heading into the 2005-06 season and say "It's a whole new game," they aren't kidding.
After studying the new rules and the new standard of enforcement in the exhibition season, it's clear that hockey will be different this season in the NHL. It will be better and faster, with more scoring opportunities and no ties.
Most of the rules changes were made to enhance offense, including the removal of the red line to eliminate the old two-line pass rule. Now, players can pass from behind their net all the way to the opposing blue line. The offensive zones are bigger and the net has been moved back a couple of feet, reducing room behind the net. Games tied after overtime will be decided by shootouts.
Goalies are wearing smaller equipment and their movement behind the goal line has been restricted. Players are being penalized as goalies had been if they flip the puck into the stands from their defensive zone. Penalty killing has been made more difficult and there is more room to work on the power play.
<!--begin to copy blue box code here--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=231 align=right bgColor=#ded8b6 border=1 valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD><!--Player name/title--><CENTER>Related Links</CENTER><HR>
- 2005-06 Season Preview index
- Changes for the better
- Luck of the Irish boosts Pens
- Here's some real reality TV
- For Crosby, 'Great' comparisons
- Crosby inspires comparisons, awe
- Crosby doesn't shrink
in spotlight's glare - 2005 NHL Entry Draft coverage
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- end blue box code-->
The new standard of rules enforcement is not just a crackdown on slashing, hooking and holding. Referees are focused much more on which player last touched the puck and is thus the only player of the eight-to-12 on the ice deemed "in possession" of the puck. That has led to more interference calls as several standard details of playing hockey have been changed.
"It's not just the players' culture and the coaches' culture that needs to change," said NHL Senior Vice President and Director of Officiating Stephen Walkom. "It's the officiating culture, as well, because what were accepted practices in the past will no longer be accepted practices in the future."
No longer can a defenseman hold up a checker at the offensive blue line when the puck is cleared into the neutral zone. When two players chase a puck into the corner, there can be no deliberate contact unless one has touched the puck last.
While there were some complaints in the first few exhibition games, players and coaches began to sense the parameters of the new standard. Philadelphia Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock even praised referees Dan Marouelli and Scott Hoberg after the Sept. 29 match with the New Jersey Devils, won by Philadelphia, 3-2.
"I thought today was a well-refereed hockey game," Hitchcock said. "This should be a tape sent around the League because this allowed the players to compete. The penalties, except for a couple on our side and a couple on their side, were penalties that would be called in a normal hockey game. But they let the battles go in the front of the net and in the corners. I thought it was a really, really well refereed game and looked very much like a regular-season NHL game. They called everything that was lazy. We got called three of four times on penalties where our first reaction was, 'Well, we got beat. Let's hook somebody.'"
The players themselves lobbied for a more wide-open game. It will benefit some of them and hurt others. The better skaters and shooters are being helped, while those who got by with a clutch-and-grab style have been disadvantaged.
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Glen Wesley told the Raleigh News-Observer the new NHL rules could extend his career.
"The clutching and grabbing that used to take place, obviously, that puts a lot of wear and tear on your body," Wesley said. "I don't think there will be as much of that."
"I think a guy like Jason Blake of the New York Islanders could benefit as much as anyone from these rules," Devils Scouting Director David Conte said. "He's not the biggest guy, but he still was successful in getting open and getting points. Give him more open ice and he could have a very good season. Our Brian Gionta is another. He was drawing tons of penalties under the old system. He'll get more now."
Blake agrees. He'll still commit his share of penalties with his feisty, in-your-face style, but his game thrives when he can dart to an open spot for a clear shot. His quickness makes him hard to defend. Playing on a unit recently with Alexei Yashin, Miroslav Satan, Robert Nilsson, Mark Parrish and Alexei Zhitnik, Blake and his partners passed the Flyers dizzy in the first half of the first period when they built an early 11-0 shots advantage.
"With the rules changes, there's going to be lots of penalties and lots of power plays," Blake said. "Special teams are going to win a lot of hockey games this year. They changed the rules so the players and the teams are going to have to adjust. They're calling the rules as they should and I just hope they continue to call them throughout the year."
No longer are defensemen allowed to cross check opponents in front of their net. That's led to some increased action in front of the crease. Philadelphia Phantoms coach John Stevens saw a lot of that in last week's AHL pre-season meeting with the Albany River Rats, refereed to the NHL standard.
"I thought there were times they were trying to get to the net and you can't hook them or hold them anymore. You have to bump them and your momentum carries you into the goalie sometimes," Stevens said. "It's not as easy to protect against people going to the net as it was under the old rules. (Forwards) don't have to pay as big a price as they once did. We're still feeling this thing out. You have to engage. The thing I love about hockey is you go out and battle and play hard. As long as they let us engage in front of the net, in the corners and some of the straight-up stuff, it will be all right. The stuff above the waist, they're going to call it and we're going to have to do our part to get rid of it."
Referees at all levels have been under pressure since the game's earliest days to "even it up, ref, call it fair," and to not affect the outcome by calling penalties in the last minute or so of a game. There's plenty of evidence that they're calling penalties as they see them, when they happen. That Flyers-Devils game ended with the Flyers down two men, up a goal, in their own building. There's been a plethora of 5-on-3s. That's changed the thinking of penalty killers.
"As a penalty killer you don't want to be too aggressive because you don't want to jeopardize putting your team down 5-on-3," veteran Boston Bruins forward Tom Fitzgerald told the Boston Herald. "So what do you do? You give them the outside. You let them pass it around. We've got guys who can make plays and see the ice so well. If you give them that kind of time, they're going to make plays."
The Florida Panthers had incredible success killing penalties in the exhibition season, allowing only five goals on 64 chances and none in their last 25. Nice statistics, but it ignores the wear and tear on penalty killers.
"Over the course of an 82-game schedule it's going to wear a team down," center Chris Gratton told the Miami Herald. Gratton spent almost half of his 19 minutes 26 seconds on the ice killing penalties. "We can't ask (goalie Roberto) Luongo to make those saves every night. It puts a lot of pressure on him."
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=170 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
Veteran Jon Sim is back in the NHL because of his transitional play and finishing ability. As a smaller man, he was frustrated when he tipped a puck past a defenseman and then was held up as he tried to pursue.
"To me that was a penalty in the old days," Sim said. "What they are getting rid of is the far defenseman coming over and holding that guy. I think they're working as hard as we are to figure out what works. As long as they hold down the contact stuff, the interference, that's the battle."
"The 'let 'em play' culture spawned from the fact that the players themselves used to let each other play," Walkom said. "And now it's been coached into the game, defense has been coached into the game so well that we (didn't) allow the players to play like they can."
The elimination of the red line seemed to be one of the biggest changes, but players say it hasn't had a great effect. To hear some tell it, it's like keeping a crazy aunt in the attic. It's not an ongoing problem, but it's always on your mind.
"Not seeing it too much," Flyers rookie center Mike Richards said. "In the first three exhibition games, I think I only saw two long passes connect. At the same time, for the defensemen, they really have to be aware of what is behind them. They have to see the ice and know that everyone is in front of them. You can't leave a guy back there. You have to be more aware of what is going on on the ice."
His teammate sees it differently.
"I don't know if I fully anticipated the way it has opened it up more for defensemen," Mike Rathje said. "Without the red line, you have to be more aware of what's around you. You get guys sneaking behind you and try to open a lane. That was one thing I was interested in seeing how it would work. The past couple of games, I've been adjusting to it.
"It's definitely increased the space between players. I think it's great," Rathje said. "There's lots more room to take shots and there's more lanes to the net. It's great. It's going to be more difficult playing defense. It gives the forwards more space to move around. You're going to have a team defensive style where you have forwards back to help your defensemen. I don't mind taking out the red line. I actually like it and I like where the blue lines are."
Not everyone is wild about the new rules. Panthers defenseman Jay Bouwmeester got called for four penalties recently.
"I don't have anything good to say about it," Bouwmeester grumbled.
<!--DON'T MODIFY BELOW THIS LINE-->
