With new rules, the future is wide open
By BUCKY GLEASON
News Sports Reporter
7/23/2005

For all the problems the National Hockey League had with its players' association, the biggest complaint from fans in recent years was that hockey had less appeal than a traffic jam. The "Fastest Game on Earth" was reduced to a crawl, and customers quickly found other avenues in which they could spend their money.

The NHL officially signed off on a new collective bargaining agreement Friday, and with the deal came several radical rules changes designed to produce more scoring chances and attract a dwindling fan base. Hockey is undergoing a much-needed face-lift after salaries and ticket prices skyrocketed and scoring plunged over the previous 10 seasons.

New rules alone will likely spark interest. Virtually every change was designed to create more room on the ice, which should produce more goals. Time will tell whether the modifications have their desired effect, but skill players who had been stifled in a congested neutral zone might finally participate in a league intent on showcasing their talent.

The new rules include:

• No red line. The line will still be visible and used for icing purposes, but two-line passes will be allowed in hopes of creating more room on the ice with long passes increasing the number of breakaways and odd-man rushes.

• Shootouts. Every game will have a winner and loser. The league hopes to decide tie games with four-on-four in overtime. If the two teams are still deadlocked, a shootout with three players from each team will be used to determine a winner.

• Tag-up offsides. Players initially offside will be allowed to skate back past the blue line and return to the attacking zone without a whistle. It should create more flow and fewer stoppages in play.

• Pushing the nets back and limiting where goalies can play the puck. The NHL initially tried creating space between the net and the boards because goalies became so adept at playing the puck. Now goalies can only play the puck in a trapezoid-shaped area behind the net. Moving the nets 2 feet back to 11 feet from the boards gives forwards more room to operate in front of the net.

• Smaller goalie equipment. Goaltenders' padding gradually became bigger, allowing them to cover more of the net. Pads will be reduced from 12 inches wide to 11 inches. Blockers, catchers and chest protectors will be downsized. Goalies will no longer look like the Michelin Man.

NHL Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell and Detroit Red Wings forward Brendan Shanahan, a 17-year veteran, played major roles in revamping the rulebook. Shanahan led a committee of players, general managers, coaches and broadcasters who were intent on trying to fix the game on the ice while Bettman and NHLPA chief Bob Goodenow wrestled over the CBA.

"The one thing I consistently heard (from fans) was, "We want a better product on the ice. That's the best way you can pay us back,' " Shanahan said. "I can assure you, along with the game and the way it's going to be played, we're going to reward players with lots of skill."

Campbell emphasized that there would be yet another crackdown on obstruction, which many believe has ruined hockey. Referees for years have been trying to limit teams from constant clutching and grabbing. Campbell promised a clear definition of obstruction and stringent enforcement this season.

"It's the biggest piece of the puzzle if they want to make the game more exciting," Sabres center Daniel Briere said. "We've heard it before. We've tried it before, and it didn't last. We're going to need a full commitment from everybody - every referee, every player, every coach, managers, everybody."

Linesmen will be given more discretion when making icing calls in an effort to keep the game moving. There was discussion about implementing no-touch icing, but the league didn't want to dissuade players from making the two-line passes that are now allowed. If anything, the NHL is encouraging home-run passes.

"The feeling is (new rules) will alleviate some of the pressure that's been brought on the game," Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier said. "The defensive aspects won't be removed, but the intent is it will create more room, more opportunity for the skill players to exhibit their skill. Hopefully, that will result in more goals."

Campbell said referees, many of whom swallow their whistles in the closing minutes of tight games, will be instructed to call the game the same way in the third period as they did in the first. Also, goalies who freeze the puck unnecessarily and players who shoot the puck over the glass from the defending zone will be penalized for delay of game.

Implementing shootouts and removing the red line for the purpose of two-line passes are considered the two biggest changes. Teams will receive two points for a win and one point for a shootout loss or overtime loss.

"The rules changes will make the game more fun," Sabres owner Tom Golisano said. "I'm for more fun."

Bettman also announced Friday that more games will be played within the division and conference in hopes of building intense rivalries. The NHL is desperately trying to repair its relationship with fans after labor strife wiped out an entire season. The league was investigating various ways to bring fans closer to the game. Fans wanted more excitement for their money.

Everybody wanted more goals. Well, everybody but the goalies, of course.

The Edmonton Oilers averaged 5.6 goals per game during the 1983-84 season and scored more than 400 goals in five consecutive seasons. The NHL's highest-scoring team in 2003-04 was Ottawa, which scored 262 goals. By comparison, the Red Wings were the lowest-scoring team in 1985-86 with 266 goals.

In 1992-93, Gary Bettman's first season as NHL commissioner, teams combined for 7.24 goals per game. In 2003-04, teams averaged just more than 5.14 goals per game, the fewest in nearly 50 years. Meanwhile, the average salary skyrocketed from $467,000 to $1.8 million, and ticket prices soared 81 percent over the same period.

Fans were paying - and yawning - more than ever.

The changes mostly affect the two major contributors to the decrease in scoring. The biggest was teams became more adept at playing defense. The neutral-zone trap evolved into an efficient style for many teams, but it also suffocated hockey. There was a greater emphasis on good coaching rather than good players.

"The only way you could level the playing field was to make your team better defensively," Regier said. "The (financial) gaps between teams have been minimized, and the ice has been opened up. Those two things will have a very positive effect."

Another contributing factor was goaltenders. They grew taller, wider and more athletic over the past decade or more. Dominik Hasek, for example, wore big shoulder pads and had a great glove hand, but he also had enough size and agility to simultaneously cover both posts. He alone kept scoring at a minimum.

And it wasn't just Hasek.

Roberto Luongo was a big guy who wore big pads. Garth Snow extended his career with oversized equipment. The average NHL goalie was 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds in 1983-84. Twenty years later, he was 6-foot and 190 pounds. Obviously, the league can't limit the size of the goalie, but it can limit the size of his equipment.

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