Four New Rule Changes For NHL's Upcoming Season

Welcome back to thehockeynews.com. So let's talk about four rules changes that were approved by the NHL on Tuesday. They announced the real changes and we'll go over them really quickly. First rule, rule 38.2, which concerns situations subject to a coaches challenge. The coaches challenge now expands to situations where penalty could be taken down if it concerns a puck that's not out of play. This doesn't affect judgment calls that the referees make on how the puck left the defensive zone, but rather it applies to delay of game penalties called when a puck is deemed to have bounced off a or deflected off a player, their stick or the glass or the boards. After coach's challenge fails in this regard at the officials will give a 2 minute minor penalty to the team making the failed challenge. So that's one rule. Rule #2 Rule 63.8 Line change following a dislodge net. This new rule, a defensive team whose goalie accidentally dislodges the net no longer is able to make a line change on the ensuing play. Pretty straightforward there. Wheel 76.4 A face off procedure for centers with this new rule in the wake of an icing, the center on offense now receives 1 morning. Just like the defending player for a face off violation. And finally, rule 75.3, unsportsmanlike conduct concerning players or player sitting on the boards. With this new rule, the official will provide the offending teams coaching players with one morning regarding players sitting on the boards. After that warning players that sit on the boards again will get a bench miner penalty for their team. So those are the four rules. You may agree or disagree, but at least it's nice to see the league continuing to evolve its rules. That's how it should be that you know the rules are a fluid. Entity and I think you always have to be wary of how your game changes and what it's doing. And these aren't, you know, huge gigantic rules changes, but they are tweaks. And I think that's what you need for this league year in and year out. So good for the league for doing this. We'll have to see if it makes a difference. But in the meantime, you can keep coming back to The Hockey News for all your news and analysis. You can also go to thn.com/free to subscribe to the magazine. Until next time, folks, take care. I'm Adam Proto for thehockeynews.com.