The NHL conducted their weekly March meetings this week and the big news to surface comes from a rule change to the current icing format. The proposal was approved by the leagues 30 general managers; however the GMs still have to draft a definition of the rule change to eliminate any grey areas.
"It's going to go forward as a recommendation, but there is some cleaning up as to how exactly it is going to work and what directives we're going to give," Montreal Canadiens General Manager Pierre Gauthier said.
The New Rule States:An icing play would be negated under the change if an attacking forward outraces the opposing team’s defenseman to an imaginary line across the defensive-zone faceoff dots while chasing a puck shot down ice from behind the center red line.
Current Rule:Under the current icing rule, a forward must beat a defenseman to the puck after it crosses the goal line to negate an icing call.
Personally, I believe this is a necessary rule change because of the speed in today's game and the vulnerability and risk of injury is not worth a player's health or career. This rule will ultimately help reduce or eliminate players being smashed into the end boards, which usually result in concussions. As we can clearly see, player safety is continually a hot topic during the GM meetings because of the amount of players suffering from concussions and the awareness that continues to spread about their impact on players lives.
Last night's game between the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers again demonstrated how the speed of today's game can have a devastating impact on players; as you will see in the above video! The Flyers haven't released any news on Voracek's condition, but I believe its safe to say he will be heavily evaluated by team doctors for concussion like symptons. When watching the replay of the hit, it looks like a hit to the head because that is where the principle point of contact was made with Kronwall's shoulder. However, in my opinion he didn't do anything illegal (elbow, leave the ice with his feet, etc.) making the hit legal. In conclusion, Kronwall in notorious for ERASING people along the boards and players need to be aware when he is on the ice at all times.
Two of the NHL's young stars will be back in the press box after suffering concussions. This is Letang's second of the season and the Pittsburgh Penguins wasted no time placing him on the IR in anticipation of him returning for the playoffs and because of the fact that they know all too well what a concussion can do to a player (Sidney Crosby). Letang is currently listed as day-to-day and is suffering from mild headaches. The Chicago Blackhawks have lost team captain Jonathan Toews for an extended length of time after playing five games with concussion like symptoms that went unnoticed or were kept secret as the Western Conference playoff race continues to heat up.
We’ll see how he’s progressing,' coach Joel Quenneville said. 'Today is no change from yesterday, so hopefully he can get going soon, and we can get him (Toews) back on the ice.'
This again reinforces the importance of treating players immediately after a head injury, and not allowing them back into a game until they have medical clearance. If the Chicago Blackhawks lose Toews for an extended period of time, there will be serious consequences in the short-term and possibly long term for the Blackhawks. On the other hand, the Penguins reacted immediately by placing Letang on injured reserve to prevent further damage from occurring.
In conclusion, all NHL franchises need to realize that their player's health and safety are more important than the game. This statement will lead to some saying that players are making sacrifices for their team and my questions then becomes at what cost? Franchises need these players to play well into the future for the success of the game in the competitive North American sports market!
