The National Hockey League is undergoing difficult changes for the players and coaches. There was a general manager’s meeting to discuss five new NHL rules that should’ve been submitted, but were not. If the rules had been submitted the game of hockey would of changed significantly. It was probably an agreeable decision to keep the rules the same.

One of the possible rule changes was when there is a goal scored on a power play the power play will end; only for minor penalties only. I think this is a good rule because once a team get the advantage of a goal then the power play should stop and go back to six on six.  The rule of the power play is more of a minor rule, a major rule that will have a lot of impact on the NHL is the new netting. The netting will be a trampoline surface so when the puck hits the netting it will ricochet off and play will continue. This rule is different because it will change the game, but will fix the delay of game penalty. When players are skating they will have to get used to the puck either ricocheting off the nets or dropping straight back down. Which means everyone will have to be watching the puck, even coaches and players that sit on the bench because you never know where the puck will end up.

If a goalie commits a penalty, they have to serve it. I agree that they should serve the penalty because coaches have the option of putting the back up goalie in net. I have concerns about what will happen when the penalty is up and the goalie goes back on the ice and the play is still going on there will be two goalies on the ice and one has to be in the rush or play. The goalies have to learn how to be in the play and change quickly which could take up practice time.

When the season starts the previous Stanley Cup champions receive perks in the next season, but once playoffs begin they go back to old rules. The perks are no back to back games for the first half of the season. The team can also dress one extra player and the player must have been on the Cup team roster. All away games, the PA announcer must refer to the team as the Stanley Cup Champion when making announcements. The logo on the front of their jerseys change to the Stanley Cup and any new players will not have the Cup logo they will get the normal logo. I like the changes ,but I have questions about the logo on the shirt because players get switched around for the next season and the logo wouldn’t be fair to player(s) who get traded and were on the Cup team. I feel that just wouldn’t be right.

The NHL wanted to change the point structure, shootouts and overtime I sort of like the new changes because its different, but it will add on a lot of extra minutes. Coaches will usually have their best players skating in overtime to get the win, but now that there are extra minutes, if going to a shootout, that may put pressure on the players and tire them out. If a team wins in regulation, they will receive five points. When the games goes to overtime the players will go four on four for four minutes and receive four points for winning. The same will happen if no one scores in the first overtime, the only change will be three on three then two on two. If they make it to the shootout it’s still the best of three, but it will change to the Olympic rules. Teams can choose to have the same player shoot all three times or switch players in and out like they do now. Winner gets one point.

Reviewing all of the rule changes I’m glad that the NHL decided to keep the same game. If they were to be changed I feel it would cause too  much conflict due to goalies being in the rush or adding a trampoline netting would be too strange for the fans and players.