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Hybrid icing, video review for high-sticking, shallower nets to be introduced

NHL and NHLPA logo

In addition to recommending that visors be made mandatory for all new players, the NHL’s competition committee also made the following recommendations at today’s meetings:

---- Hybrid icing to be tested during the preseason, with the possibility of keeping the new rule for the regular season. (From NHL.com: “Hybrid icing is a mixture of touch and no-touch icing. It gives a linesman the discretion to blow his whistle and stop the play if he believes a defending player will reach the puck first. If the linesman believes the attacking player has a chance to reach the puck first, he keeps his whistle in his pocket and lets the race to the puck play out. The linesman always will side with the defending player and blow his whistle if he feels the race is a tie by the time the players reach the faceoff dots.”)

---- A joint committee to be formed to study potential equipment changes for skaters and goaltenders. (See: here.)

---- The elimination of the ‘attainable pass’ rule on icings, which reads:

The Linesman shall have discretion to wave off apparent icing infractions on attempted passes if those passes are deemed receivable (attainable). In order for the Linesman to wash out the icing for this reason, the receiving player’s stick must be on the attacking side of the center red line and he must be eligible to receive the pass (e.g. he cannot be in an off-side position and cannot be involved in a player change that would result in a too many men on the ice penalty if he were to play the puck).

---- Shallower nets to be introduced for next season (going from 44" to 40"), allowing more room behind the goal to make plays.

---- All high-sticking double-minor penalties to be subject to video review.

The recommendations are subject to approval by the NHL’s Board of Governors in June.