Bettman says crackdown on slashing next season

[BogsDiamond]

As long as they dont go overboard its fine. If Crosby-Methot slashes get over two minutes its too much. You still have to try to play the puck.

That's correct. But I can't remember the last time I saw a guy 'slash the puck'.
The only slashes you see are against the hands, stick or body. The puck is still 3' away.

They need to make it black and white. If you put your stick on any part of a players body or stick, it's an infraction.

But, as so many others have pointed out, it'll be called to the letter for the first 2 months, then they'll stop.
By the playoffs, it'll look like a scene from Gladiator out there.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

That's correct. But I can't remember the last time I saw a guy 'slash the puck'.
The only slashes you see are against the hands, stick or body. The puck is still 3' away.

They need to make it black and white. If you put your stick on any part of a players body or stick, it's an infraction.

But, as so many others have pointed out, it'll be called to the letter for the first 2 months, then they'll stop.
By the playoffs, it'll look like a scene from Gladiator out there.

Agreed. Any slashes to the upper body, arms, hands and even upper portion of the stick are clearly not an attempt to play the puck. Call it closer to the rule book.

I agree that they'll inevitably loosen back up in calling slashing but it will at least knock it down a bit. The stickwork these playoffs was ridiculous.

 

[Anglesmith]

That's correct. But I can't remember the last time I saw a guy 'slash the puck'.
The only slashes you see are against the hands, stick or body. The puck is still 3' away.

They need to make it black and white. If you put your stick on any part of a players body or stick, it's an infraction.

But, as so many others have pointed out, it'll be called to the letter for the first 2 months, then they'll stop.
By the playoffs, it'll look like a scene from Gladiator out there.

I don't think there'a any reason for a rule change. An opposition player could notice you skating with your stick parallel to the ice, and purposefully skate into it, and that would be a penalty by your proposed standard.

Right now, the rules say any intentional motion of the stick that hits the opposition player without intent to play the puck would be a penalty, and that pretty much covers everything except complete accidents where you aren't aware of the other player being there at all. It's already pretty black and white. The referees just haven't been calling the rules according to the rulebook for so long that we've started to see shades of grey.

 

[pbgoalie]

Embellishment
Enforcement please. Tired of soccer like sniper reactions

All the NHL is missing is the magic spray these days

 

[BogsDiamond]

I don't think there'a any reason for a rule change. An opposition player could notice you skating with your stick parallel to the ice, and purposefully skate into it, and that would be a penalty by your proposed standard.

Right now, the rules say any intentional motion of the stick that hits the opposition player without intent to play the puck would be a penalty, and that pretty much covers everything except complete accidents where you aren't aware of the other player being there at all. It's already pretty black and white. The referees just haven't been calling the rules according to the rulebook for so long that we've started to see shades of grey.

I totally agree.
But it seems because the refs, coaches and players have completely ignored the rulebook for so long, the whole thing needs to be re-written so that all who are involved take note.
The power has to be taken out of the refs hands. There should be no language in any of the rules that states 'discretion on the part of the referee'.

When Goudreau went down with a broken hand after 11(?) straight slashes, the thing that bothered me the most was when Troy Brower - his frickin' teammate - argued against taking slashing out!
Why? Because that's the only thing players like Brower are good for.
And there are way more Browers in the league than Goudreau's.

I'm just so sick and tired of suffering through hockey games where the untalented are catered to.

 

[EmeticDonut]

I will believe it when I see it. But seriously, how hard is it for the officials to actually call the game as the rules dictate? If the officials would be doing their damn jobs, then there wouldn't need to be any crackdowns on slashing or any other infractions for that matter. Also no different standards between "star" players and regular players.

 

[hayen]

"Also no different standards between "star" players and regular players."

You see favoritism in every sport and 100% I agree it needs to stop along with the whining the "star" player displays when they don't get that special treatment.

 

[hellstick]

Rules set for all teams except the Pens, right?

 

[hayen]

Bingo

 

[Anglesmith]

I totally agree.
But it seems because the refs, coaches and players have completely ignored the rulebook for so long, the whole thing needs to be re-written so that all who are involved take note.
The power has to be taken out of the refs hands. There should be no language in any of the rules that states 'discretion on the part of the referee'.

When Goudreau went down with a broken hand after 11(?) straight slashes, the thing that bothered me the most was when Troy Brower - his frickin' teammate - argued against taking slashing out!
Why? Because that's the only thing players like Brower are good for.
And there are way more Browers in the league than Goudreau's.

I'm just so sick and tired of suffering through hockey games where the untalented are catered to.

Well, that's not exactly what he said. Brouwer said that it's part of the game and that all teams do it, including the Flames, and the general sentiment is that they can't stop, because other teams aren't going to stop.

When Crosby slashed Methot and was interviewed about it, he said the same thing, but also said he'd love for it to be gone from the game.

The general sentiment is that as long as the refs have been allowing it, teams and players who didn't viciously chop at each other were putting themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Which is the most ridiculous thing given how blunt these players were being about it in the media, and given what the rulebook says.

 

[meenamjah]

Good.



Someone I know has 'some' insight in the NHL (brothers, cousins, first neighbour so take it for what it's worth).

But he said the refs all have incredible ego's and they don't take to direction/suggestions very well.
Much like the plate umpire, they think the game is about them and they'll dictate the game how they see fit.

I think the NHL needs to take the officiating back to Ground Zero.
Make sure they know they are employees of the league and that they expect the rulebook to be called as it's written.
Then tell all the manages and coaches that any lip about too many penalties will result in loss of draft picks.
Any players that complain or go nuts on the ice get an auto 2-game suspension.

They need to scorch the earth on this so that everyone involved with hockey from the NHL down to grassroots minor leagues, learns that the refs will call everything and there is no more 'gray' area.

It'll never happen, but it's a dream.

so they're all incompetent egomaniacs? sounds about right. the officiating is absolute garbage.

 

[Kale Hulls]

Should crack down on nut shots next

lol my post number

 

[NuxFan09]

Yeah....right.

Maybe they'll crack down at first but then...well you know.

 

[JPeeper]

If this actually comes in to effect, the Flames will be on the powerplay for 40 minutes a night just on the slashes Gaudreau takes.

The other 20 minutes will be on the PK from all the slashes Brouwer and Stajan give.

If the officiating actually does crack down, which pleeeeeease do, you'd expect post lockout number of PP's being given until players stop.

 

[leaflover]

Maybe they'll look into crosschecking next. It's at an unprecedented level now.

 

[rboomercat90]

I'll believe it when I see it. Not like they give a **** about this in the PO's anyways where it's worse.

Yep, I don't see how anyone can believe anything the league says about how they're going to enforce their rules. They haven't consistently or permanently followed up on anything they've said they were going to enforce going back decades.

 

[rboomercat90]

About time, as a Ducks fans I feel like other teams often get away with way too much stickwork.

As a Ducks fan I'd figure you'd be against any more enforcement of stick rules. Your team is the biggest reason this is being looked into.

 

[rboomercat90]

Good.



Someone I know has 'some' insight in the NHL (brothers, cousins, first neighbour so take it for what it's worth).

But he said the refs all have incredible ego's and they don't take to direction/suggestions very well.
Much like the plate umpire, they think the game is about them and they'll dictate the game how they see fit.

I think the NHL needs to take the officiating back to Ground Zero.
Make sure they know they are employees of the league and that they expect the rulebook to be called as it's written.
Then tell all the manages and coaches that any lip about too many penalties will result in loss of draft picks.
Any players that complain or go nuts on the ice get an auto 2-game suspension.

They need to scorch the earth on this so that everyone involved with hockey from the NHL down to grassroots minor leagues, learns that the refs will call everything and there is no more 'gray' area.

It'll never happen, but it's a dream.

First thing the league needs to do is go back to a one referee system. Officiating was never particularly good but, imo, it nosedived after they went to two referees. Start there. If you're having a problem getting them to take direction from the league (not sure that's really the case though, but if it is) eliminating half their jobs should grab their attention.

 

[rboomercat90]

If this actually comes in to effect, the Flames will be on the powerplay for 40 minutes a night just on the slashes Gaudreau takes.

The other 20 minutes will be on the PK from all the slashes Brouwer and Stajan give.

If the officiating actually does crack down, which pleeeeeease do, you'd expect post lockout number of PP's being given until players stop.

There really wasn't anything wrong with all those penalties called post lockout either. Fans weren't complaining about penalties being called it was just players, coaches, GM's and some media types who support those people. It wasn't a big surprise that the people who were complaining were complaining because they were the one saying that needed to change. League could have kept the enforcement up if they wanted to, they just didn't really want to. Lots of power plays means lots of goals and lots of goals makes it difficult to achieve their artificial parity. That's what the league wants and that's why I take comments like these from Bettman or Daly with a grain of salt.

 

[Flamingo]

As long as they dont go overboard its fine. If Crosby-Methot slashes get over two minutes its too much. You still have to try to play the puck.

Wait, what??!!

Crosby was making no effort for the puck, he took a liberal two-hand chop to Methot's mitts. And the play had just been blown offside. His slash had nothing to do with the puck.