The United States Hockey League (USHL) recently announced some rule changes for the pre-season and there’s a couple NHL fans should be watching. For starters, the USHL will match the AHL and use 3-on-3 hockey during their overtime periods. It’s believed that the NHL will monitor how the 3-on-3 system works and consider adopting a similar policy in the future. The other rule change of note involves the penalty kill and a new stipulation which may change penalty kill tactics as we know it.
UPDATE:
@PuckDrunkLove the mentioned icing the puck rule on PK is for pre-season sampling only
— USHL (@USHL) September 17, 2014
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During the pre-season, teams on the PK in the USHL won’t be allowed to ice the puck. Previously, as in the NHL, teams were allowed to fire the puck down the ice to kill time and make a quick line change. In the USHL’s pre-season, play will be stopped – like an icing – if a team down a man fires the puck down the ice. The ensuing draw will take place in the defensive zone for the team on the kill who just iced the puck. The only difference between this call and a regular icing call is that the team on the kill will be allowed to change lines.
Why the new rules? The league hopes the icing change and the overtime change will “create more offensive situations” and they acknowledge that other professional leagues (cough – NHL – cough) are watching to see how these changes play out.
(H/T USHL)
