The NHL’s Competition Committee met for five hours on Monday, yet they didn’t come to a consensus on many major issues. There was one key exception, though: the league clearly wants to cut down on embellishment.
“We feel (embellishment) is out of control,” Campbell said, according to the Canadian Press’ Stephen Whyno.
There certainly were some high-profile moments of perceived “diving” in Game 2 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, particularly in an unusually penalty-heavy overtime. Many were unhappy about a penalty Rick Nash drew on Justin Williams and an interference call Jeff Carter received on Henrik Lundqvist.
Beyond that recent example, few playoff series go by without a fan base accusing the opposing teams of rampant embellishment.
The Competition Committee’s big twist is that punishments might not just extend to players, but the coaches/teams involved, as well.
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Campbell said embellishment is a real problem today. "We feel it's out of control." Talked about warnings and fines for players and teams.
— Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) June 9, 2014
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Of course, some would argue that players might feel the need to “act” a bit to draw obstruction penalties that normally go unnoticed. There weren’t any reports about increasing awareness of “clutch and grab” infractions during those meetings, however.
Naturally, any changes stemming from this meeting would need to pass through some hoops before they become new or altered rules.
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All of these things will be discussed with the GMs at their meeting this week.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) June 9, 2014
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Stay tuned for more on that lengthy meeting, from marginal tweaks on existing rules to everyone’s favorite subject of goalie interference.