New Season, New Rules

NHL teams

Four-on-four overtime
Maybe the most dramatic change is the new format for regular season overtime. If the score is tied at the end of three periods, each team will earn a point in the standings.

The teams will then play a five-minute sudden-death overtime. If a team scores in overtime it will be the winner and will earn an extra point for total of two with the losing team still keeping one point. The overtime will be played with each team having four skaters and a goaltender.

The idea is to encourage teams to try to win in OT instead of just protecting the tie and on point. Taking one skater out is also designed to create more goal-scoring chances.

Whether it will make the OT more interesting remains to be seen. Teams might just as well play defensively to prevent the other team of getting the extra point.

No replay on crease violations
The NHL will implement a "no harm, no foul, no video review" crease violation rule. From now on a players skate in the crease will not automatically disallow the goal. Only if there is more than incidental contact with the goalkeeper or the goalies ability to make the save was impaired, will the goal be disallowed for having a player in the crease.

It is about the time to make this change. Too many times have goals been disallowed for somebody having the tip of their skate in the crease while having nothing to do with the play.

More two-referee games
Last season saw the introduction of the two-referee system. This season the number of two-referee games is increased to 700 with each team playing 50 games (25 home and 25 away) with two referees.

The two-referee system will be used throughout the regular season, and will be employed extensively for games during the last month.

Other rules
As per the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the roster limitation for 1999-2000 will be 23 players, down from the 24-player limit of last season.

The league stresses that the obstruction rules implemented last season will be strictly enforced as well as the limitations to goalie equipment.