NEW AHL RULES

We the People…well, the NHL and AHL OWNERS anyway, in Order to form a more perfect replica of the NHL playing experience, establish Justice, that hopefully the refs will call, allow beer to be served to insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, as long as the game is called evenly, and support the general welfare of teams despite not having a reasonable revenue sharing program to speak of, but that’s another story, and secure the Blessings of Liberty, except to any team bearing the likeness on same on their sweater, that too being another story, and our posterity, if they pay enough to buy into this, and do ordain and establish this Constitution, which we feel we can amend at any time if the occasion warrants it (i.e. Sean Avery thinks out of the box and causes us to make an immediate rule change) for the play of professional ice hockey in North America.

Okay, maybe that’s a long way to go to introduce the rule changes for this new AHL season. Alright, it isn’t maybe; it was a long way to go, but you probably didn’t know that our imaginary salary for writing Howlings doubles whenever we’re creative.

Be that as it may, the AHL has always been an experimental league for the NHL. Whenever they try new things, i.e. the goalie movement restriction, two refs on the ice, etc, it’s always tried there first to see how it flies. You may notice one particularly interesting rule that the league is experimenting with… item 2.

2008-09 Rules Changes
The American Hockey League has implemented the following rules changes for the 2008-09 season:
■ 1) Playing rosters during the regular season have been increased to a maximum of 18 skaters and two goaltenders (up from 17 and two).

■ 2) At the request of NHL general managers, the AHL has implemented one-minute minor penalties during overtime in the regular season. Carry-over time on minor penalties from the third period will be halved.

■ 3) In order to bring the AHL rule book closer in line to the NHL’s, the AHL Board approved the following:

■ A) Rule 60.3 (“High-Sticking”) now calls for a double-minor penalty (rather than a major) in the event of a high-sticking infraction that causes injury, whether accidental or careless, in the opinion of the referee.

■ B) Rule 63.2 (“Delaying the Game”) now calls for an automatic minor penalty when any player or goalkeeper, while in his defending zone, shoots the puck directly out of the playing surface, except where there is no glass.

■ C) A change to Rule 81.1 (“Icing”) states that “Any contact between opposing players while pursuing the puck on an icing must be for the sole purpose of playing the puck and not for eliminating the opponent from playing the puck. Unnecessary or dangerous contact could result in penalties being assessed to the offending player.”

■ D) A change to Rule 85.5 (“Face-Off Location”) provides that if a puck is shot off the goal frame, goal post or crossbar, the subsequent face-off will remain in the end zone where the puck went out of play.

■ E) TV and promotional timeouts will not be permitted immediately following an icing violation.

Now that you’ve read the new changes, let’s hear what you think of them and what affect they would have if implemented into the NHL. Would you like to see them make their way into the NHL?

*** One side note ***

Former Rangers AGM and now currently Phoenix Coyotes General Manager, Don Maloney has once again given a second chance to one of his former draft picks, by signing former Ranger / Wolf Pack player Garth Murray, for the San Antonio Rampage. The Rampage now have Murray, Francis Lessard, Alex Bourret, Dylan Reese, and Al Montoya. This doesn’t even take into account some other players that got a shot like Craig Weller et al.