The new Icing Rule.

[Beaner]

Is anyone else confused about the way this is being called?

I have seen a few games now where Team A Ices the puck, a few players from that team come onto the ice, the Ref skates over and sends them back to the bench, no call.

I have seen, where on the exact same play, one players skate touches the Ice, and the penalty is blown right away.

I looked at the rule and it states,


(NEW for 2005-06) Any team that is in violation of this Rule shall not be permitted to make any player substitutions prior to the ensuing face-off. However, a team in violation of this Rule shall be permitted to make a player substitution in order to replace a goalkeeper who had been substituted for an extra attacker.

So when is it a player substitution? When a player comes off the ice or when a new player goes onto the ice? It just seems to be very confusing out there right now. Maybe someone here can offer some clarification.

I like this new rule, but it just seems to be very confusing as to how it is being called right now.

[Jimmypop316]

Yea its confusing as hell sometimes, but I think its the best new rule that they have.

Pretty much the way I'm being seen it enforced is if they ice the puck and make a change during the icing (before its blown dead) they will send a man to the box for illegal substition.

Also, is anyone else disappointed with the obstruction crackdown that the WHL is doing? I think its god awful compared to how it is up in the NHL.

[Kamfan]

The rule is: if you ice it from behind your blueline, you don't get to make a change; if you ice it from in front of your blueline, you do.

And yes, I agree the refs have once again slacked off on the annual "crackdown on obstruction". It seemed good in the preseason and the first couple regular season games, but now they've slacked off like they always do.

[Beaner]

The rule is: if you ice it from behind your blueline, you don't get to make a change; if you ice it from in front of your blueline, you do.


I know that is the case for a defensive player, chipping the puck over the glass.

But that doesnt make sense, in the cases I am seeing. The team is icing the puck, players come off the bench, and the ref sends them back to the bench, with no call. I believe I have seen it both circumstances, defensive zone icing/ neutral zone, but I am not 100% sure.

So either they are allowed to make a change or they are not. If the ref is sending players back to the bench should that not be a penalty?

I havent seen anything anywhere, where it states it has to be defensive zone icing, because that was my first thought as well as to why there was no penalty.


Pretty much the way I'm being seen it enforced is if they ice the puck and make a change during the icing (before its blown dead) they will send a man to the box for illegal substition.

Right ok. But shouldnt players be staying on the bench once the play is dead? Isn't an Icing call, once its been made pretty easy to tell?

[rinkrat]

I'll try to ask one of the refs,I frequently see them before game time.

[Beaner]

I'll try to ask one of the refs,I frequently see them before game time.

That would be great rinkrat, I am tired of yelling at the ref for a rule that doesnt seem to be all that clear.

[Stay-Puft]

[QUOTE=Kamfan]The rule is: if you ice it from behind your blueline, you don't get to make a change; if you ice it from in front of your blueline, you do.
QUOTE]

I saw it a couple of times last night in the Blade-Americans game where the puck was iced, starting clearly in the neutral zone, yet no substitutions were allowed. Coaches with arms raised asking why not. I even saw one that was icing from the defensive zone, called icing, but they allowed a change because it hit a stick, same team mind you, in the same defensive zone. Is it me or are the linesman and officials thoroughly confused on this matter. I know I am beginning to be. :spineyes:

[Jimmypop316]

[QUOTE=Kamfan]The rule is: if you ice it from behind your blueline, you don't get to make a change; if you ice it from in front of your blueline, you do.
QUOTE]

I saw it a couple of times last night in the Blade-Americans game where the puck was iced, starting clearly in the neutral zone, yet no substitutions were allowed. Coaches with arms raised asking why not. I even saw one that was icing from the defensive zone, called icing, but they allowed a change because it hit a stick, same team mind you, in the same defensive zone. Is it me or are the linesman and officials thoroughly confused on this matter. I know I am beginning to be. :spineyes:

Yea this is reallllly confusing me, the game the Chiefs played the Raiders a week ago they were calling no substitutions no matter what on the icings, and I thought it was only if you iced it in the defencive zone.

But from the little new rules pamphlet I got from the Chiefs opener it says

"When a team ices the puck from their defencive zone, they are not allowed to change the players on the ice. Determination of players on the ice will be made when the puck leaves the offending player's stick."

[Brad]

Stay-Puft...

Those were called by Kneale. I didn't see Edgely do it once. I had never seen Kneale before this weekend. I think he is a rookie and made the wrong call (repeatedly).

[LifelongChiefsFan]

I know during the Chiefs home opener, they didn't call it after an icing either way. If one team did try to make a substitution, they would just send the new players back. I also believe they did allow subs if the icing was past the blue line.

Does anyone know if they even have the illegal substitution penalty in the NHL? I don't follow the NHL that closely but I haven't yet seen it called in the pros.

[RunTheGoalie]

Kamfan - I don't think you are correct on that interpretation. To the best of my knowledge, any icing falls under this rule, regardless of where it occurs.

However, the WHL/CHL does nt appear to have properly trained it's officials on caling this rule, as I have seen some refs let players change, by error, then "even it up" by letting the other team change on their next icing, then not allowing changes. I've seen warnings, and I've seen penalties. The league desperately needs to clarify how this rule is called.

Better yet, the league needs to eliminate it entirely, as it is completely stupid and pointless.

[Jimmypop316]

Kamfan - I don't think you are correct on that interpretation. To the best of my knowledge, any icing falls under this rule, regardless of where it occurs.

However, the WHL/CHL does nt appear to have properly trained it's officials on caling this rule, as I have seen some refs let players change, by error, then "even it up" by letting the other team change on their next icing, then not allowing changes. I've seen warnings, and I've seen penalties. The league desperately needs to clarify how this rule is called.

Better yet, the league needs to eliminate it entirely, as it is completely stupid and pointless.

I think it is by far and away the best new rule they have out there this year. It totally eliminates a team icing the puck if they are tired just to get a change. It creates so many oppurtunities just by eliminating them from icing the puck.

They really need to make it not so confusing and start either enforcing penalties, and no warnings or standardize one of the two.

I still am steaming about the "obstruction crackdown" this year.

[LifelongChiefsFan]

Kamfan - I don't think you are correct on that interpretation. To the best of my knowledge, any icing falls under this rule, regardless of where it occurs.

However, the WHL/CHL does nt appear to have properly trained it's officials on caling this rule, as I have seen some refs let players change, by error, then "even it up" by letting the other team change on their next icing, then not allowing changes. I've seen warnings, and I've seen penalties. The league desperately needs to clarify how this rule is called.

Better yet, the league needs to eliminate it entirely, as it is completely stupid and pointless.

I made sure to pay attention to this rule during the Chiefs game tonight and teams ARE allowed to change if the icing occurs outside the blue line. When a player iced the puck from inside their zone you could hear the linesman yell, "No change," which also leads to the conclusion that not all icings mean you cannot substitue. If the linesman are on top of it like they were in the game tonight, there shouldn't be too many ill sub penalties. I don't know if the league went over the rule over the last few weeks or what, but the linesman were on it tonight and I have to agree that this is a good rule change to help prevent teams like Everett (sorry Tips fans, but that's the only team I can think of right now) from icing the puck the entire 3rd period, or if not preventing it, at least penalizing them (in a way) for it.

[RunTheGoalie]

Odd. Clearly a departure from the NHL then.

Jimmy - I hate this rule because it takes the referee and a linseman away from what they should be doing - watching the play. As soon as a delayed icing is called, two officials stop watching the play, and start watching the bench. Not good.

Also, in the case of icings that end up being waived off, I've seen the officials prevent a change until the icing is waived. You then have a team that is stuck at their own bench, preventing them from generating any pressure, and giving the defending team a large advantage.

This rule creates more problems than it solves.

[RunTheGoalie]

Another reason why I hate this rule: it is practicaly unenforcable.

Tonights Hitmen-Broncos game. SC ices the puck, gets called, can't change. They call a time out so they can rest their players. Good plan. Time out ends, and as all three officials are skating into the Swift Current zone, they sneak two fresh defensemen onto the ice while the zebras have their backs to the benches.

Smart play by the Broncos.

[Wingnut]

I spoke with the league last week and they told me the following:

1 - You can make whatever substitutions you want after a time-out. So if you get called for icing, you can change your line if you or the other team calls a time-out.

2 - The no substitution rule applies only to icings from within the defensive zone. So if the team gains the blue line and gets into the neutral zone and ices the puck, they are allowed to make a substitution. This is a WHL rule only. The NHL has no such exception.