Tomorrow in New York City, NHL general managers will reportedly debate whether the league needs to “re-set” the standard for obstruction.
While the NHL has repeatedly denied that the standard has changed since the clampdown that followed the lockout, many observers feel that clutching, grabbing, hooking and other forms of obstruction have crept back into the game.
Some even believe the league unofficially endorsed a relaxed rulebook in order to slow the game down and reduce injuries, particularly concussions.
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the GMs will discuss meeting in August to address the issue.
We’ll see if any general managers speak to reporters tomorrow about obstruction. Vancouver’s Mike Gillis and Chicago’s Stan Bowman have each said they’ll keep building their teams with an eye towards offense, so it would be interesting to get their takes.
Related: Does the NHL need to address the decline in goal-scoring?