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NHL GMs Meet Today: 1-3-1 System and Realignment on Docket

Nov 15

Posted by Eddie in News | No Comments

Tampa Bay Lightning 1-3-1

Tampa Bay (blue) used the 1-3-1 system en route to beating Washington (above) and Pittsburgh in the playoffs. (from TheCoachesSite.com)

Today in Toronto, the first meeting of the regular season between general managers of NHL franchises will meet. And the hot button topic is the controversial 1-3-1 defensive system applied by teams. It came to the forefront last week when Tampa Bay played Philadelphia when the Bolts had a forward by the attacking blue line, three skaters lined up across the red center line and one more player near the defending blue line. There was no attacking by either team; Tampa Bay didn’t apply a fore-check and Philadelphia stalled in their own zone with the puck.

As stated in the NHL rule book, the puck must always be kept in motion. Therefore, the officials whistled the play and conducted a face-off inside the Flyers zone. Interestingly, Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren told NHL.com Monday night from the Hockey Hall of Fame inductions “Coaches do different things and their ultimate job and task is to win the game. Personally, I didn’t have a problem with what Tampa did. They sit back and wait and they have great offensive players so if you turn the puck over they can hurt you. There was a period of time in the first period where we didn’t bite into it and were doing our own thing, but to me it just didn’t sit right.”

With the game being played in Tampa at the St. Petersburg Times Forum, there was certainly a lot of booing coming from the crowd. But Philadelphia was smart because if they were to be caught in the neutral-zone trap the Lightning was trying to apply, it could have resulted in a goal for the home team. To make it even more appalling is that this happened seconds after the opening face-off! Personally I’m not a fan of the system; it’s nothing more than a 2011 version of the mid 90′s neutral zone trap/left wing lock system that Detroit notoriously used to win championships while slowing down the game between the blue lines. The general managers can’t really do anything about it to solve the issue however.

In addition, the issue of realignment will be brought up and discussed. There will not be a vote taken, they will save that for the NHL Board of Governors December 5-6 when they will meet at one of the greatest places on Earth: Pebble Beach, Calif. It is an issue for the Governors, and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly is expected to update and brief the GM’s on the issue as it will affect every team.

If they don’t spend the entire day discussing Guy Boucher’s 1-3-1 system, Judge Brendan Shanahan, NHL Senior V.P. of Player Safety and Hockey Operations, is expected to brief the meeting attendees on recent rule changes in regards to boarding and checks to the head. Before the season started the wording of both rules was altered prior to this season along with the addition of a minor-penalty element to Rule 48: Illegal Check to the Head.

Below is a video of the 1-3-1 incident from last week’s game between Tampa Bay and Philadelphia.

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QMJHL Changes Suspension Announcement Format

Oct 11

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

QMJHLThe Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) commissioner, Gilles Courteau, has announced today that suspensions and other disciplinary sanctions in the league will now be announced in a different way. Beginning today, any one or two game suspensions, along with all fines, will be published on the QMJHL website under the news tab.

For longer suspensions, three games or more, the league has adopted a policy similar to the one brought on by Brendan Shanahan, the NHL’s Chief Disciplinarian. The lengthier suspensions will be announced along with a video of the event which explains the situation and makes reference to the rule violated.

The NHL, along with the QMJHL, will be taking advantage of enhanced video technology and social media to further connect with their fans. They also want to make sure that the suspensions are fully understood by fans and media. “We want to be more transparent and explain the reasons behind the disciplinary decisions,” Courteau said in a statement about the new rule. “With video becoming increasingly prominent, we must take the necessary steps to make sure that our process is better understood,” he added.

The videos also come as a great way to educate the hockey community, according to Raymond Bolduc, the QMJHL Disciplinary Prefect. “The videos and explanatory texts will also be good educational tools for those who want to have a better idea of the disciplinary process,” he said.

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Brendan Shanahan is Busy Man in Preseason

Oct 3

Posted by Eddie in Behind the Bench | 1 Comment

NHL VP of Player Safety Brendan Shanahan has been a busy man so far this preseason. He has handed down several suspensions for illegal hits to the head. I believe he is sending a message to every player and every team that hits to the head will not be tolerated. No one is exempt from suspension, from Detroit soon-to-be-minor league player Brendan Smith to recently-suspended Clarke MacArthur. When a controversial hit is sent to his desk for review and suspensions are handed down, it won’t be a matter if someone will be suspended but rather how many games.

“NHL Rule 48.1 Illegal Check to the Head – A lateral or blind side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact is not permitted”

I like this because he’s taking a no-nonsense approach to cleaning up the beautiful game. With what happened over this year with Sidney Crosby, the league has to take a proactive approach to maintain the intensity needed to play the game but without the head shots and checks from behind that has plagued the game since men have been lacing up the skates.

Below are a couple of video clips as well as my opinion on the hit. I’ve also included Shanahan’s punishment if he has made a ruling on the incident.

Brendan Smith (Red Wings) on Ben Smith (Blackhawks)

A play that was outright dirty, Brendan Smith deserved a multi-game suspension. He was about to get beat on the 1-on-1 by Ben Smith when Brendan lounged his shoulder clearly into the head of Ben. Seeing a few Red Wings preseason games, Brendan isn’t NHL-ready. He looked like a fish out of water with bad passing and failing to keep his head up when he got hit. He’ll learn how to properly hit someone in the American Hockey League and should be more prepared next season.

Shanahan Sentence: Three preseason and five regular season games.

Next up: Clarke MacArthur (Maple Leafs) on Justin Abdelkader (Red Wings)

The first clip was a hit by a Detroit Red Wing. The clip above was a hit on a Detroit Red Wing. Two days after Smith’s hit, Abdelkader was the victim of a hit to the head. Shanny even decided to clearly explain the rules and why it was called. While MacArthur didn’t intend to hit Abdelkader to the head, it was wreck-less. To help my point, look at the time of the incident. It happened with a few seconds left in the game and it was headed to overtime. It wasn’t like MacArthur tried to stop a scoring opportunity (potentially giving Abdelkader a breakaway). Not to mention, the official should have called interference on MacArthur because the puck was no where near Abdelkader and he was trying to turn up the ice to play the puck. What helped in MacArthur’s case is that this was his first incident and any other time he violates this rule, he will be considered a repeat offender.

Shanahan sentence: Remainder of the preseason as well as two regular season games.

In the end, Shanny is going to use the following guidelines when reviewing cases:

  • Illegal check to the head
  • Head position doesn’t change
  • No discipline history
  • No injury

Check back Behind the Bench periodically throughout the season for my take when ever a controversial play or ruling is made on the ice, in the Toronto War Room, or behind Shanahan’s desk.

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NHL R&D Camp to test more potential rule changes

Aug 11

Posted by Chris in News | 3 Comments

Beginning next week, former NHL player Brendan Shanahan will again oversee the league’s second annual research and development camp where the league brings in some of the top junior players for scrimmages that test out new ideas and tweaked rule changes that range from highly enlightened to zany and far out there in an attempt to put the best possible product on the ice night in and night out.

Most of the proposed changes and tweaks that will be tested at this year’s camp seem pretty down to Earth and should benefit the speed of the game and health of the players. Some of them have even been tested previously and will be revisited this year.

One such rule change would be a “Hybrid Icing” rule. Under this provision, referees would have discretion over a player’s ability to reach the puck and negate an icing. The rule would still allow players to chase down the puck, but when the players reach the face-off dot the referee determines which player will likely reach the puck first. If the referee believes a player can reach the puck to enact the icing, the referee will whistle the play dead before either player can touch the puck. However, if the referee believes a player can reach the puck to negate the icing, he can allow the play to continue.

The “Hybrid Icing” rule is a middle-ground solution for those clamoring for safety and those who like the thrill of the chase. The notion is that this rule would eliminate many of those dangerous chases that sometimes result in serious injuries when players collide with each other or the boards at extremely high speeds.

The potential problem with this rule is how the referee will determine the right call if both players racing for the puck appear to be neck and neck. Do you err on the side of caution and whistle the play dead or do you allow the chase to continue to see who arrives at the puck first? Most serious injuries in this scenario seem to stem from the latter where players are both racing hard and jockeying for body position. If the rule change allows this to continue, is it really going to be beneficial to the players’ health and prevent injuries? That’s what the research and development camp is for, however, to test each rule and ensure that activating new provisions will benefit the health of the players and the overall game.

Another big potential change that will be tested could have huge ramifications in league scoring and on the power play. This rule change would implement icing calls for shorthanded teams on the power play. Currently, shorthanded teams are allowed to sling the puck the length of the ice to clear the zone and force the team with the man advantage to regroup without being assessed an icing infraction. By forcing the shorthanded team to adhere to typical icing rules, the league could not only ramp up scoring but also the effectiveness of the power play to “discipline” the team that took the infraction.

Other simulations that will be tested include a 3-on-3 overtime period after the initial 4-on-4 overtime period to allow more time to decide the game on the ice instead of during a shootout. However, Shanahan and Co. will also test advancing the shootout from three rounds to five rounds, allowing teams a better chance of coming back to win the shootout.

The shootout has come under heavy criticism since it was implemented after the lockout. While it\’s fancy and entertaining to watch, it’s also a cheap way to win the game and has been rendered largely ineffective since the league ruled that extra points secured during a shootout win cannot count toward the point total in a playoff tie-breaker.

The research and development camp will also look into eliminating the trapezoid behind the goal, something that should be implemented without having to test it, as well as setting up a goal-line camera within the net, which would allow officials a better view of the puck on the goal line during video reviews. This one is a no brainer. If the technology is there and it can help get the call right, why would you hesitate to include it?

Give us your feedback! Which rules do you think the NHL should change and which should they leave alone? Should overtime be changed again to include a 3-on-3 period? Will Hybrid Icing help eliminate player injuries? We want to hear from you!

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NHL Discipline Getting Better

Jun 3

Posted by EB in News, Soap Box | 1 Comment

League disciplinarian Colin Campbell will be stepping down after this year. In doing so, the torch is expected to be passed to former player Brendan Shanahan.

In the 13 years of league disciplinarian, Campbell has taken many criticism from fans. At times he has been viewed as too tough, others not tough at all. The reality however, is that his position was set-up to be scrutinized, ultimately to fail.

The current disciplinarian system is a one man decision, influenced by one’s perspective. On top of this, the decision is based on a set of rules that at times, does not address the action to be later disciplined. Also, the U.S. believes in “justice is blind”, yet it is evident that the current discipline does take into account who the offender is. Factor all these together and you have what we have today, a broken system.

With a new face in Brendan Shanahan, the league intends on changing the position entirely. Although the details have not been laid out, the league does expect to crack down on players.

“If we are going to move to harsher discipline, that change needs to send a clear message and we think it would probably be best to do on a clean slate.” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in regards to Campbell stepping down.

Shanahan will have his hands full in the off-season. He is already handling the department of player safety. The two roles will overlap though, with player safety developing rules to better protect players without changing the fundamental nature of the game, the disciplinarian position will be to enforce the rules to protect the players.

Look to next season to be more consistent than years past. This is in part with the leaving of Campbell, but more so, having the rules in place to be enforced. The game evolves, as does the rules. Not many fans will morn Campbell stepping down, but as a fan and as a rational person, a lot of respect should be shown towards Campbell for doing the best that he could do in a tough, tough position.

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Shanahan Returns to Devils

Aug 5

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

Brendan Shanahan

Brendan Shanahan

The New Jersey Devils have signed veteran winger Brendan Shanahan to a one year deal. While several NHL teams have made a push for Shanahan this summer, he ultimately decided to return to the team which drafted him in 1987.The terms of the contract have not been disclosed.

After playing four seasons with the Devils from 1987-1991, Shanahan spent time with the Blues, Whalers, Red Wings and Rangers, before returning to New Jersey in January. He has 656 goals and 698 assists for 1354 points in 1524 NHL games. Shanahan is an eight time NHL All Star and has represented Team Canada twice in the Olympics.

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