There is just about a month left until the beginning of the new NHL season, on October 8th. Both the fans of the sport itself and punters can hardly wait for it to finally happen (and I’m sure there will be loads of free online sports gambling bonuses tied to it as well). Let’s see what changes to expect in the new season.
First, let’s see what rules the National Hockey League has changed in its 98th year of operation.
The League has changed some features of the rink for the new season. The goaltender trap zone – the trapezoid behind the goal in which the goalkeeper is allowed to handle the puck – will be made 4 feet wider. The hashmarks outside the faceoff circles will also be extended – from 3.5 feet to 5 feet.
There are some changes to expect in the rules of the game as well.
In the new season the teams will change ends before an overtime period, and the ice will be dry scraped before it. The reason for this change is that the League wants to maximize scoring in overtime by the “long line changes” and the better play surface, and reduce shootouts. If the game is to be concluded in shootouts, the coaches will not have to choose their participants from a previously submitted list – they will be free to send in the player at their discretion.
The teams that ice the puck will be allowed to use a single center to make the ensuring faceoff. If the chosen player will attempt to get kicked out of the faceoff to buy time for his team, he will get a penalty of a two minute delay.
There will also be changes in the new NHL season concerning the teams themselves.
The Phoenix Coyotes have officially changed their name to Arizona Coyotes. The team has also introduced a new patch on their home and away jerseys, replacing the initials PHX with AZ.
The New York Islanders will have a special shoulder patch added to their uniform for their final season playing inside the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum – their current home arena that will be torn down in the near future. There will also be changes in the uniforms of the Anaheim Ducks, the Los Angeles Kings, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Philadelphia Flyers, the San Jose Sharks and many other teams.
There will also be changes to some teams’ coaches for the new season: Bill Peters will replace Kirk Muller at the Carolina Hurricanes, Barry Trotz leaves the Nashville Predators to coach the Washington Capitals, while the Nashville team will play in the new season under the helm of Peter Laviolette, former head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Access the NHL website to read more about the changes.
There is not much time left until the start of the next NHL season. Until then you can try to get an exclusive no deposit bonus to play no download casino games in flash mode, including grizzlygambling’s free slots, blackjack, roulette and more. Stay tuned.