The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
On Tuesday, General Managers in the NHL agreed to endorse a number of reccomendations for the 2004-05 season. The suggestions include reducing the width of goaltenders' pads from 12 inches to 10 inches, prohibiting goaltenders from handling the puck behind the goal line, returning the goal lines to 10 feet from the end-boards, restoring six feet to the neutral zone, and would restore the "tag-up" offside rule. Also, GM's recommended that two changes be tested in the American Hockey League next season. The first was to change the point season and eliminate tie games in the regular season. This would be achieved by implementing a shootout following a scoreless five-minute overtime period. The points system would be refined, with three points awarded for a victory in regulation time, two points awarded for an overtime or shootout victory and one point awarded for an overtime or shootout loss. The second rule would see the blue lines and center red line enlarged to 24 inches in width, doubling their size, clearing up discrepancies on close offsides. To take place immediately, two clarifications were made on existing rules A penalty shot may be awarded to any player who has a clear path to a breakaway and is fouled from behind before he has gained possession of the puck. Until the clarification, a player had to be in clear possession of the puck before a penalty shot could be awarded. Additionally, the net must be completely dislodged for an otherwise legal goal to be disallowed if a puck legally was shot into it. Previously, the goal would have been disallowed if the puck entered the goal while the frame is being tilted even slightly.
