Will NHL’s new faceoff configuration lead to more goals, fewer fights?

[Irishjim]

Monday was a busy day in the hockey world. With only two sleeps left until the start of the regular season, the Ryan Johansen signing and a couple of teams cutting loose their dancing bears, there was a lot of grist for the mill.

 

So it’s understandable that the league’s announcement that it would increase the distance between the hash marks for the offensive/defensive zone faceoff circles would fly under the radar a little bit. It’s not one of those sexy news items that allow people to jump to instant conclusions, such as declaring the enforcer in the NHL obsolete after seeing teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers go into the season with one on their rosters. Nice thought, but these guys seem to be the NHL’s version of the cockroach and I, for one, remain skeptical that we’ve seen the last of them.

 

Which leads us to the new wrinkle for faceoffs, which was passed overwhelmingly by the league’s board of governors Monday after receiving endorsement from both the GMs and the competition committee. It will see the league adopt the hash marks it used as an experiment during the pre-season. Those lines will move from three feet apart to the International Ice Hockey Federation standard of five feet, seven inches. So when you take into account the two-inch width of each line, players will be almost six feet away from one another to drop the puck in the end zones.

 

read full article here: http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/will-nhls-new-faceoff-configuration-lead-to-more-goals-fewer-fights/

[Vanflyer]

I don't mind being compliant with international standards as long as the rinks are equal (ie. olympic size rink). Otherwise its stupid.

[jammer2]

@Irishjim  This is a good solid hockey move. How many needless scrums and fights have been a direct result of players jostling for position on the face off? Message to players looking to slow the game down by trying to intimidate an opponent while lining up for the face-off......do your intimidating *after* the draw is completed...not before or during.

 

  The baseball equivalent is a batter constantly stepping out of the batters box to figit with the gloves, helmet, socks....anything and everything to avoid the inevitable pitch that is coming his way, regardless of how they stall, the ball will come, the puck will drop. How about some respect for the folks in the crowd, that have to go home with only 4 hours of sleep before they start work in the morning?  You know, the people that help fund your outrageous salaries?