Only in the NHL would they change the rules in the middle of the playoffs.....the league has instituted a new rule effective immediately (sure to be known as the Sean Avery rule) in response to Avery's actions last night.
From now on, any player who parks himself in front of the net with the sole purpose of distracting the goaltender will get a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. I would imagine this means that players who stand in front of the net to screen the goalie but who are also looking to make a play (ie, deflect a shot, grab a rebound, etc) will still be OK. It's only guys who pull Avery's stunt of turning his back to the play and just trying to stay in the goalie's face that will run afoul of the new rule.
This rule will no doubt trickle down to the WHL next year as well. But like I said, only in the NHL would they make a rule change in the middle of the playoffs.
No comments:
Post a Comment