No line changes after an offside is a horrible, horrible idea. It will inherently punish puck possession teams and reward teams that play a dump and chase style.

If an offside is clearly intentional because a team is gassed, then I get it, but then you get into more “intent” rules that are too fuzzy on the judgment calls. Nobody will be happy with this rule.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 08/20/10 at 10:58 AM ET

I agree with Nathan.  For every time you have a lazy forward intentionally going offsides, you have a simply misjudged play.  This would slow play down through the neutral zone incredibly. 

If you think people are already up in arms about the puck-over-glass penalty, just wait until they try to implement this new rule.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 08/20/10 at 11:12 AM ET

Generally, I’m in favour of four ideas recently tested:

1) Replace the current icing rule with no-touch icing or hybrid icing. Either will do, but the hybrid version preserves some of race element while (hopefully) taking some of the injury risk away.

2) No icing exception when shorthanded. Icing should apply whether it’s man advantage situation, even strength, or shorthanded. A uniformity rule change that makes penalties harsher.

3) Like Kelley, I find the possession rule too open during a delayed penalty. Having to do something tangible, like getting the puck out of the defensive zone (everywhere else is merely touch/possession), seems reasonable.

4) Bench switching before overtime.

Adding to those four, an additional yellow line behind the goal line might also be a good idea unless there’s a better technological solution.

Posted by Moq from Denmark on 08/20/10 at 11:30 AM ET

Changing sides in overtime - good
Yellow line in net - Would really help TV replay go faster and be more accurate.
I like the no icing when shorthanded but Kelley makes a valid point.
Hybrid icing - good

Overtime, I can’t see it happening.  Even a three-on-three I can’t see working.  Would it become a three-on-two if there’s a penalty? 
In terms of this, I’m more of a proponent of changing point systems so players will be more “motivated” to finish the game in overtime.  The shootout I thought was good when it started but games are going to shootout too often.

Posted by Matt Fry from Winnipeg on 08/20/10 at 12:10 PM ET

Would it become a three-on-two if there’s a penalty? 
In terms of this, I’m more of a proponent of changing point systems so players will be more “motivated” to finish the game in overtime.  The shootout I thought was good when it started but games are going to shootout too often.

Posted by Matt Fry from Winnipeg on 08/20/10 at 12:10 PM ET

I would more readily accept letting the other team have a fourth man for those two minutes (and every second after the penalty until a play stoppage) than I would go to 3-on-2 or 2-on-1.  The guy committing the penalty sits in the box, but a third man comes out to replace him while a fourth on the other team comes out to play.  When the penalty expires, the guy comes out of the box and they play 4-on-4 until the next whistle, where they’d then go back to 3-on-3.  Of course, that’s gimmicky as hell, so I would understand anybody’s objection to that idea.

I do like the 3-2-1-0 point system where every game is worth the same number of points.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 08/20/10 at 12:25 PM ET

I don’t understand why anyone supports the hybrid icing.  it doesn’t solve the problem - potential for severe injury to players racing for the puck.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 08/20/10 at 12:35 PM ET

The way I understand it, the linesman will only blow the whistle if it’s clear the attacking player will get to the puck free-and-clear.  If it’s not free-and-clear (a tie), then the whistle blows.

It gives the linesmen room for error in that play to be sure, but it least it gives him a rule by which he has the option to prevent the disaster.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 08/20/10 at 12:56 PM ET

The way I understand it, the linesman will only blow the whistle if it’s clear the attacking player will get to the puck free-and-clear.  If it’s not free-and-clear (a tie), then the whistle blows.

wait, in what you said here he blows the whistle in both instances.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 08/20/10 at 01:46 PM ET

wait, in what you said here he blows the whistle in both instances.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 08/20/10 at 01:46 PM ET

You’re right, sorry.  I mean to say that he will only blow the whistle if it’s NOT clear the attacking player will get to the puck free-and-clear.

The whistle would blow in instances where there’s either no race, too close a race, or a race where the defender would easily get there first.

There’s still the chance that the forechecker will get creamed by a defenseman chasing him down for the puck, but that’s already the chance.  This should help eliminate either the defender getting creamed or the both of them taking each other out awkwardly, which is currently the most dangerous situation.  The forechecker in situations like that generally tries to poke the puck away from the defender and get out of the way while it’s different for what the defender does.  Offensive players hardly ever want to eat the puck behind the net. 

The hybrid rule won’t outright eliminate the danger, but it also won’t outright elminate offensive chances granted by an onsides play to a speed-demon that happens to cross too many lines.  I think it’s a step in the right direction.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 08/20/10 at 01:51 PM ET

If you break it down its kinda ridiculous. Imagine if Datsyuk was racing with someone to get the icing. Lets say he falls and gets injured. Is the race for the puck so entertaining that we risk injury to our players. What would you rather have. A full year of Datsyuk playing hockey or one short sprint that determines where the icing will be?????

I dont get the Hybrid stuff rule. Can someone explain it to me please?

Posted by pjwalny from Not Detroit, evidently?? on 08/20/10 at 03:22 PM ET

Is the race for the puck so entertaining that we risk injury to our players.

Yes, it is so entertaining that we risk injury to our players.

The Hybrid icing rule essentially states that unless it’s clear that an offensive player will get to the puck free-and-clear first, the linesman will blow the play dead as soon as the puck crosses the back line.  ONLY in cases where the offensive player has a chance to get to the puck first is the play allowed to keep going.  In the event of a tie or too close a race, the linesman is supposed to blow the play dead as icing as soon as the puck crosses to keep them both from barrelling into the boards.

This should speed up the game on the useless icings and make it safer on the closer calls.  It won’t eliminate the risk of an injury during a race completely, but it should help to mitigate that risk very well.

Players run the risk of falling and getting injured on every single shift and the game of hockey is still entertaining.  I want him racing to every puck, just like I want all of my team’s players racing to every puck.  The hybrid icing rule should help eliminate some of the needless racing.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 08/20/10 at 03:31 PM ET

I think that’d be interesting to try overtime that way but yeah. 

Theoretically, it would work.
Practically, not so much.

Good points on the Hybrid icing.

Posted by Matt Fry from Winnipeg on 08/20/10 at 05:19 PM ET

Yes, it is so entertaining that we risk injury to our players.
Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 08/20/10 at 03:31 PM ET
Really???
Sure its fun to see that footrace but it dangerous. Is that better than watching Datsyuk play the whole season. I would be angry if I lost my teams best player for a simple faceoff. Pick one Datsyuk healthy or a faceoff outside the zone??

Thanks for the explanation. I like the idea. Only 20% of icing are challenged. The is an inherent risk on every shift but this is different in my opinion. Those races force the players to high speed. After touching the puck there is about 3 feet (giver take) a room before the boards. The speed is not the problem though.

In these races the opponents are tangled up, trying to hold each other back. This wrestling causes them to hit the board awkwardly. They might have a twisted arm or leg in the wrong place. Especially dangerous if its a head trauma.  This is how most of the injuries are caused with icing.

Posted by pjwalny from Not Detroit, evidently?? on 08/20/10 at 06:22 PM ET