The NHL announced an array of rule changes for the 2014-15 season today. For the most part, those alterations could be considered incremental tweaks rather than enormous leaps, but there were still some interesting reactions to the league’s slightly new approaches.
Let’s take a look at how some of the changes were received.
First, there’s the full range of spin-o-rama drama:
I always thought spin-o-ramas in the shootout were kind of dumb to be honest.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) September 11, 2014
Not many NHLers can execute a spin-a-rama move. High skill play. Not sure why it had to be removed.
— Damien Cox (@DamoSpin) September 11, 2014
Thank god the NHL got rid of the spin-o-rama. Everyone knows the real stars of the shootout are the goaltenderzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) September 11, 2014
Banning of spinorama puts a black armband on #Habs legend Serge Savard #savardianspinorama #dannygallivan
— Dave Stubbs 🇨🇦 (@Dave_Stubbs) September 11, 2014
Can we keep the spin-o-rama and ban the shootout instead @nhl ?
— Strombone (@strombone1) September 11, 2014
With any rule tweak, the big question is: how often will that change actually be enforced? There were at least a couple alterations that drew skepticism:
NHL says it will fine coaches when their players dive too much. Many already calling it the Michel Therrien rule.
— Damien Cox (@DamoSpin) September 11, 2014
A prediction? No NHL coach will get fined this season for excessive diving by one of his players.
— Damien Cox (@DamoSpin) September 11, 2014
(Damien Cox also doesn’t expect faceoff cheating to be fixed too well.)
The Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline doesn’t like that the NHL raised the threshold for a “distinct kicking motion” disallowing a goal:
NHL painting itself into dangerous corner with revising "distinct kicking motion." They never could get that one right, now even shadier.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) September 11, 2014
I mean, 'distinct' is a pretty clear word, right? What's above that, exaggerated? Now they need to see an over-dramatized kick to negate?
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) September 11, 2014
Anything short of a bicycle kick is good?
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) September 11, 2014
Here’s the wording of that rule change, in case you need a refresher:
* In reviewing “Kicked in Goals,” Hockey Operations will require more demonstrable video evidence of a “distinct kicking motion” in order to overrule a “goal” call on the ice, or to uphold a “no goal” call on the ice
Was it difficult for you to tell what kind of difference international-style face-off hashmarks might make? The Carolina Hurricanes provided an example:
You can see here the face-off hashmarks at @PNCArena expanded from 3' to 5'7" already. http://t.co/wQc8QYMDwg pic.twitter.com/k9gGrVxiiB
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) September 11, 2014
Finally, a fun thought to leave you with regarding this overtime tweak:
Rule 84 – Overtime
* Teams will switch ends prior to the start of overtime in the regular
season.
* The entire ice surface will undergo a “dry scrape” prior to the start of overtime in the regular season.
* The procedure requiring the head coach to submit a list of the first three shooters in the shoot-out has been eliminated.
That's a lot of dry scraping.
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) September 11, 2014
A lot of dry scraping, indeed.