NHL considering allowing Hand Passes and High Sticking

[Rando]

How would either of these things (and not even getting into kicking) improve the game?

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

I don't exactly what the rule is in the WHL, I'll look it up later. Directing the puck in with a skate like they can now in the NHL is fine with me, I just don't want to see soccer-style kicking around the crease. Might not see players injured all the time, but all you need is for it to happen one time for there to be a really terrible injury.

The big distinction is from outside the crease. Which I probably should have started with, but you aren't allowed to score with a foot in the crease with your stick either.

[Delthefunky]

I wish they'd just stop trying to change the game.

[Rando]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

The big distinction is from outside the crease. Which I probably should have started with, but you aren't aloud to score with a foot in the crease with your stick either.

Can you do it quietly?

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Rando

Can you do it quietly?

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Mccree

I think kicking the puck in should count too.

If they did this it would end so many goddamned reviews.

[troutman]

I want to see players head high crosses into the net.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

The NHL is losing sight of player safety.

Losing? The NHL doesn't give a damn when players brains get scrambled, barely an inconvenience for them.

[GirlySports]

Kicking not a good idea when puck is in the crease.

[FireGilbert]

The high stick rule is fine as in with below the shoulder for normal play and below the cross bar for goals. It would be nice if they add some sort of VAR technology for the goals though to determine the point of contact with the puck in relation to the cross bar.

The hand pass is trickier and it's always seemed strange this is allowed in the D zone only. I'd be okay if the got rid of this but it would also have to include a crack down on closing your hand over the puck so that any attempts at a hand pass come with the risk of a penalty. I could also handle something where you are allowed to move the puck backwards or sideways with your hand but cannot move the puck forward (like rugby). This would keep the game moving without having to see ridiculous scenarios of players throwing the puck towards the net.

[topfiverecords]

Why so much talk about kicked goals? That’s not happening, ever.

Allowing high stick goals is a stupid idea.

Hand passes being allowed doesn’t bother me one bit as long as
a) The puck is in the air and not on the ice
b) The player doesn’t close the hand on the puck and it’s just “swatted”
c) Goals can’t be scored by handballing the puck towards the net
d) Player to player pass only

[Canada 02]

I’m fine with high stick deflections, but not high stick swinging to bat a puck in

[Northendzone]

I think that to increase scoring we should allow players to get the puck in the net anyway they can. Kick it, carry it, throw it, shoot it. If it is in the net it is a goal - no questions asked.

People want games that are 34-16

[codynw]

They should consider fixing the stupid offside challenge before they do anything. Worst rule ever.

[Gaskal]

I'm with Canada 02. I would be okay with allowing deflections above the current standard, but only when there is no distinct batting motion. Just like the distinct kicking motion being dangerous when in the crease area, you don't want guys taking big swings at pucks that are at neck-head level. That's asking for a career-ending injury.

I'm all for scoring, but not if it makes the game more dangerous for the players involved, and not if it turns the game into a game of pseudo volleyball nonsense as with the hand pass proposal.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by 81MC

Both these are terrible ideas.
####, I can throw a puck 200', lets do it.

You can already legally throw the puck 200'. Well, you can't throw it because that would require closing your hand on the puck, but it's perfectly fine to bat the puck out of your defensive zone with your hand and send it down the length of the ice. If the first player to touch the puck after you hit it is on the other team, there won't even be a stoppage in play.

Originally Posted by Rando

How would either of these things (and not even getting into kicking) improve the game?

On the flip side, do either of these rules in their current form actually do anything to improve the game now?

Arguably, by making both of these things legal, the improvements would be:

• Fewer overall stoppages in play
• Allows a team to sustain pressure in the offensive zone, potentially leading to more and better scoring chances
• Reduce incorrect stoppages when officials believe they saw a hand pass or high stick that didn't happen
• Reduce potential coach's challenge opportunities and the delays they cause
• Reduce the chance of a goal being called back because of a missed call at some indeterminate point in the past that had no direct impact on the scoring of the goal

Obviously, those last two are only problems now that they allow coach's challenges for hand passes and high sticks.

I guess that's the argument. If those things are against the rules, they should be reviewable. If we don't want them to be reviewable because they're too minor, why are they against the rules at all?

[browna]

I've got less of an issue with kicking then high sticks.

Players aren't going to be kicking FG style suddenly, given awkwardness and the balance issues kicking with skates on. And same goes for those new situations where kicking may be a bit more likely, the scramble in front of a net. Kicking a puck will be a last resort with the stick tied up or puck in the feet, but again, if a guys got time to do a full leg follow through on a kick, which would be the most dangerous, it means there is no one around or knock him on his butt being off balance already. Otherwise the kicks are quick sudden jabs of the foot and tapping in a rebound that aren't an issue of slicing at a guys leg, any more then the scramble of feet and bodies already in the crease with the rule in there.

And on the flipside, defenceman currently use their feet a lot on front of their own net to clear out pucks with thier sticks unavailable in tight quarters, and those scrambles don't result in issues.

High sticks a bigger issue. As mentioned the chance of an errant attempt at the puck going horrible wrong is there, but even just subconsciously, players will be carrying their sticks higher in front of the net and going toward the front of the net, which causes just as much trouble. And, players may start to shoot from the point higher, risking the chance of hitting a teammate in the face vs him batting a tip in down into the net, and more guys are getting pucks in the face.

[topfiverecords]

You want guys kicking at the puck while your goalie is trying to trap it?

Can we get a poll so I can use the results to put anyone that wants kicked goals allowed on my ignore list.

[browna]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

You want guys kicking at the puck while your goalie is trying to trap it?

Can we get a poll so I can use the results to put anyone that wants kicked goals allowed on my ignore list.

?
Defenseman use their skates a lot in front of the net with their sticks tied up or pushed off balance and need to clear the puck out of danger and the foot is a lot closer and quicker then the stick. Forwards too, maybe not kicking st the net, but if they can kick it to pass to a teammate beside the net or into the corner to keep possesion, they will if theta all they have available to them. Not in the crease, but in front of the net or off to the side of the net.

I think the misnomer here is the thought that forwards or defenseman are wildly kicking the puck in the blue paint of the crease while the goalie is flat on his belly and hand and arm outstretched.

Rather, I think the majority of the kick attempts (and defensive plays with the skate) would be 6ft out from the goalie, and after he makes a save and it bounces out 5 or 6 feet from the goalie, and the forward, stick tied, turns the skate side ways and kicks it back toward the net. Or on 2 on 1s when the goalie makes a save, same thing, the player, if able to and balance isn't an issue, directs it back on net.
And, like defensive plays currently, it's a last resort for forward to kick at the puck, so there's no set plays or tactics that you could use,given the absolute weakness of a kicked puck vs a shot from a stick.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Based on some of the goals I've seen so far, I assumed that they already started allowing high stick goals and just forgot to tell everybody. Are the Flames games a pilot test of this idea this year?