Chirps from Center Ice

AHL Board of Governors Meetings wrapped up in South Carolina this week. Some new rule changes to share:

–> Video goal review. On any disputed goal the referee, at his discretion, can review if the puck crossed the goal line. There is no “war room” like they have in Toronto. A monitor will be in the scorekeepers box.

Huge step forward for the AHL adopting goal review. In the cost containment world that minor league sports leagues operate in, this is a major league move.

–> Divisional shakeups. Nothing affects the Eastern Conference. Everything stays the same in the East with Wilkes-Barre, Hershey, Binghamton, Norfolk and Syracuse. Grand Rapids moves out of the North Division and into the Midwest Division bouncing Charlotte to the newly named “South” Division (the old West Division) and bounces Abbotsford back into the North Division, taking the place of Grand Rapids. One full circle. Reactions from Jenni, who runs the blog “Chasing Checkers” on her Checkers finding themselves in a new division for the third consecutive year in a row here.

–> Opening night is October 12, 2012.

–> You can’t close your hand on the puck when playing it on the ice anymore.

–> You can’t touch the puck anymore when involved in a face-off either.

–> Hybrid icing. Essentially the same rule as before, but instead of a race to the goal line, you eliminate touching the puck and it’s a race to the end zone face-off dots. The Board will reassess this rule again on November 19, 2012.

I like this rule. You eliminate crushing a guy racing to the puck to beat out an icing.

Business is getting ready to pick up with Free Agency beginning July 1. Reactions on Twitter for the latest then probably a blog post recap in the evening each day recapping moves which could affect the East Division in the Fall for as long as the news is newsworthy to blog about.