It’s not long until the start of the new NHL season and fans are getting ready for some hockey. Last year featured some major rule changes that seriously shook up the league and this year is no exception. Among these included reworking overtime from the 4-on-4 system that had been in place since 2000 to a new 3-on-3 system in an effort to reduce the number of shootouts.
Melee in Panthers-FLyers match – file photo by Lewis BLeiman
One of the biggest changes was when the league took a page out of the NFL’s book. The Coach’s Challenge System was launched in the NHL in 2015 and it wasn’t long before it had a huge impact during the playoffs. The challenge system is similar to football in that it still uses a timeout that is restored if the challenge is success and it typically applied in instances of goaltender interference and offsides calls that can help to swing the momentum of a match.
All in all, last season saw 266 different challenges and a total of 68 plays overturned. That’s about a 25 percent success rate in challenges, which isn’t a tough call for a coach to make when facing the difference between 2-0 or 3-0. You can learn more about the challenge system and other innovations HERE.
The new system has drastically affected the strategies of coaches during games. New York Islanders coach Jack Capuano said that it served as a turning point for the team in their own playoff series against the Florida Panthers. The biggest issue with the system is making sure that referees can recognize the challenges in time, leading some to suggest a red flag system as seen in football. Read more about how the new rules affected the playoffs HERE.
Taking another cue from the NFL is a rule change happening for the 2016-17 season. Concussions have been big news when it comes to football and the conversation has moved toward hockey as well. In response to this, the league will be adding independent concussion spotters to prevent potentially injured players from staying on the ice.
Given how controversial (and effective) the rule has been in the NFL so far, there’s no telling what kind of outcome this will have in the NHL. However, it could be an important step in the right direction to increasing player safety. Find additional information on the new concussion protocol HERE.
The last few years have seen a flurry of sweeping changes to the game and this has affected the AHL as well. Fighting has increasingly become a rarity in the NHL but has remained a staple of minor league hockey. This year the AHL has made serious adjustments to the fighting rules with automatic suspensions for players involved in more than 10 fights during a season. Last year, there were 22 AHL players who had more than 10 fights, and that’s a lot of guys sitting on the sidelines.
While not always popular, the rule changes are definitely effective. There were 1,249 different fights in the 2011-12 season and that number dropped nearly 50 percent with only 632 scuffles last season. Heavier penalties and even harsher suspensions are likely causing players to think twice before they drop the gloves. Learn further details about the new AHL fighting rules HERE.
Only time will tell if these adjustments are going to be enough to fix some of the inherent dangers of such a physical sport. Most importantly will be the question of if the sport will retain its same level of excitement when its players are effectively declawed. For now, it looks like we’ll have to wait till the season starts to find out.
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