Hi 9mm
Yes it has it's moments but the downside is as i tried to explain a problem for the offencive Teams. imho if they made the Goalie Fair Game when he leaves his crease like it once was then Ok. However as it now stands it gives too much advantage to the defending Team imho.
Here is the latest i found in the sports section of the Sun today. it pretty much mirrors what i was trying to say. It may make the points better

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In this mornings Sports News at the Sun
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Wed, February 11, 2004
NHL GMs' goal is massive change
Bold, sweeping proposal would be great for game
By AL STRACHAN
HENDERSON, Nev. -- In a bold move designed to answer fans' complaints about evaporating offence, the National Hockey League's general managers yesterday created a blueprint for radical change. Like any first blueprint, there are likely to be modifications and refinements.
But the bottom line is that over two days, the GMs examined every aspect of the game, then produced a number of recommendations, most of which will be adopted in a form not far removed from their original state.
"The consensus of the group was that we wanted to achieve more offence," Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe said. "We want people overall to be happy. There's a new movement at the managers' level. Everyone feels we're willing to listen. We're willing to consider all the options that might benefit the game."
The proposed changes are so numerous, in fact, that league officials will spend six weeks or so trying to make sure that they all work in conjunction with each other.
For instance, the nets have been moved back to their 1990 location, three feet closer to the boards.
At the same time, the tag-up rule, which will create more intense forechecking, is to be reinstated.
Add to that the fact the GMs say they don't want goalies handling any pucks behind the goal line.
So the league officials have to consider the ramifications of all these changes when it comes to traffic behind the net. Will one proposal counteract the positive effect of the other?
SUPERB
Keeping in mind the proviso that these rule changes are not set in concrete, they still represent a superb turn of events for hockey and its fans.
The game's intensity has never been lacking, but now it should translate into offence rather than lusty checking.
Whether that offence then creates goals on any given night is up to the goaltenders and the shooters. But at least there should be an increase in the number of scoring opportunities, and that's what fans want to see. At the same time, the game is being given back to the skilled players.
That leads to the matter of what the fans don't want to see -- tie games.
An increasing number of fans, especially those in the United States, hate to watch a game that does not eventually declare a winner.
Baseball and basketball have no ties. Football has them only rarely. But the NHL has them often.
The three-point rule that is to be showcased in the American Hockey League will mean that there will be no more tie games. That should promote offence on a number of levels because it will create a different mind-set.
MIND-SET
As Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier explained it, coaches now go into the game knowing they have one point and they don't want to lose it.
He means that the game starts with the two teams tied and as long as a coach can keep it that way, he's in good shape. Instead of playing to win, coaches play not to lose.
But if the three-point concept comes to fruition, three points will be available every night -- and one team may get all three of them. So if you want to keep your team competitive, you'd better win your share of those three-pointers. And you can't do it by playing defensively.
Two other rules interpretations are expected to go into effect in the next few days.
If a puck should go in while the net is wiggling on its moorings, the goal will stand.
And if a player is streaking toward a loose puck and headed for a breakaway, a penalty shot may be awarded if the player is dragged down before he is in possession of the puck.
So often in the past, the NHL has relied on Band-Aid solutions -- a quick fix here, a tweaking there.
But this time, the GMs have listened to the fans and produced a wide-ranging package that should do wonders for the game.
There will be carping and there will be critics. That's always the case.
So let's hope the GMs realize what a superb job they have done and stick to their guns. They've given the game what it needs.
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Winds of change to hit the NHL
By AL STRACHAN, TORONTO SUN
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HENDERSON, Nev. -- Here is a point-by-point look at possible changes NHL general managers considered during the first two days of their annual meeting. The proposed changes will be analyzed and refined by league officials who will then present a unified package to the GMs when they meet again in about four weeks.
It must be stressed that yesterday's proposals are the first version and some variations may result. But those variations are expected to be refinements, not serious alterations.
Here's how the GMs looked at the issues:
- Tag-up rule: It will be back next season. That means a whistle is not automatic if a player precedes the puck over the blue line. As long as his own team doesn't have possession, a player can leave the zone, "tag up" and return to the forecheck.
- Goalie equipment: Leg pads will be reduced to 10 inches in width. The league is working with manufacturers to develop a suitable stretch fabric that would lead to tighter sweaters. Also, all equipment must be approved by a league clearing house. Goalies will not be allowed to use equipment that does not bear the league's stamp of approval.
- No-touch icing: It had a lot of support, but not enough to gain a majority. It's on the front burner to be reviewed again but not part of the package of proposals.
- Goaltender movement: Goalies will not be allowed to handle the puck if it's behind the goal line. The specifics remain to be finalized, but the committee which studied the issue agreed that the basis for the referee's decision is the location of the puck, not the goalie's feet.
Should a goalie want to skate into the corner to handle a hard shoot-in once it comes out past the goal line, that's up to him.
- Penalty shots: The rule says a player must be hauled down when in possession of the puck. Starting within a few days, the rule will be extended to include a player who is clearly going to get to a puck for a breakaway.
- Hand passes: There was much discussion of whether there should be more -- or fewer -- restrictions on hand passes. GMs decided to leave the rule untouched.
- Eliminating the red line: The GMs were unanimous in their opinion that removing the red line on two-line passes would not improve offence. Many felt it would hinder offence because coaches would simply set up the trap further back.
- Bigger nets: The GMs decided to keep that one on the back burner. It's not imminent.
- Two-minute majors: The idea was that for stick infractions, a player would have to serve the full two minutes whether the opponents scored on the power play or not. It had little support.
- Location of the goal-line: The nets will be moved back three feet to create more room in the neutral zone. Each zone will now be 60 feet long and the area behind the net will be 10 feet deep.
- Three-point wins: The concept is to be tested in the American Hockey League for a year. The idea is that three points are available in every game. A win in regulation time earns all three points. Should the game go to overtime, the winner gets two points and the loser one. Should the game be tied after overtime, there will be a shootout to determine the winner of the extra point.
Hockey will no longer have ties.
- Shootouts: They are part of the three-point package but a decision has not been reached on their structure. Most likely, they'll follow the Olympic format.
- Instigator rule: The NHL Players' Association representatives were asked to go back to their constituents to get clarification of certain issues. In the meantime, there is no action.
- Nets off moorings: This one goes into effect as soon as the memo can be distributed. Should the net be off the ice but still on its moorings, the goal will be allowed. Previously, goals were disallowed if a tiny portion of the frame was off the ice. Some teams were using net wobbling as a defensive strategy.
- Stretching two-line passes: Scott Bowman had suggested that a line be laid down across the top of the circles. A forward pass made from a point ahead of that line would be viewed as a pass from over the blue line. It was defeated because the GMs want to see the impact of the other changes first.
- Line width: The AHL will use 24-inch red and blue lines for a year. At the NHL's request, the AHL experimented with 36-inch lines for eight games this season, but the GMs felt that the test period was too short and that such wide lines caused confusion. If this concept appears to create offence, it will be adopted in the NHL
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regards
minir