NHL Rule Changes for 2006-2007

[RadioGaGa 162]

[bob McKenzie - tsn.ca]

The big change on the National Hockey League rule front this season is that there will be very little in the way of change.

A year ago, the game underwent a dramatic makeover on every level. This year there will be just two rule changes of note that the NHL board of governors will be asked to approve when they get together Thursday in Chicago.

One is the allowable maximum stick curve will go from a half inch to three quarters of an inch, which should make Ilya Kovalchuk and Jaromir Jagr (as well as Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita) happy.

The other is that the league will no longer measure sticks as part of its shootout protocol and instead leave that to the discretion of the coaches, who can now call for a stick measurement in the shootout if they feel someone is cheating, just like they can in regulation time and overtime.

Forfeiting shootout shots and paying of fines will be the repercussions for successful and/or unsuccessful stick measurement calls in the shootout.

But with the curve limit now at three quarters of an inch, if a player gets caught with an illegal stick in a shootout, they should be calling for an IQ measurement instead.

[Edge 0]

I can't see anyone being able to go from a legal curve during a game to a ridiculous sized curve over 3/4 in the shootout and being able to adjust that quickly. We shall see I guess.

So a coach has to pay a fine if they are wrong in believing a curve is illegal?

[Eazy_b97 1]

I don't think anyone will be changing to an illegal curve for the shootout, it just may be easier to spot during the shootout or the time the coach wants it called.

[DEATHTRON 19]

Why dont they just do away with the curve limit all together. And is Kovalchuk & jagr's curve under 3/4?

Zach

[mack 44]

Kovalchuk's (at least Nike/Bauer) isn't.