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NHL players who deliver blindside hits to the head will be penalized and ejected from games under a proposal presented by all 30 of the league's general managers.
After rushing a new rule into the books in March that outlawed blows to the head of unsuspecting players, the general managers unanimously decided Wednesday to recommend that offenders be given a 5-minute major penalty and a game misconduct.
The rule prohibits "lateral, back-pressure or blindside hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact."
Originally, players who delivered such previously allowable hits with their shoulders were merely subject to supplemental discipline from the NHL and not penalized during the game.
"We want in-game penalties," Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke said. "It's one thing to suspend a player, but that has no impact on the game. It doesn't penalize the team for that game."
The original plan in March was to discuss the institution of in-game penalties, as well. The GMs took that first step Wednesday in their annual meetings at the Stanley Cup finals. Their recommendation will now need to pass through the league's competition committee before it is presented to the board of governors for a final vote. That group already approved the original ban.
"The board was pretty supportive when we explained it to them," said Colin Campbell, the NHL executive vice president and director of hockey operations. "This is one of those rules that when you change it midseason, it's a rule that needed a 30-0 vote midseason, and it got it."
If the new punishments are approved by the board, they will become league policy.
After rushing a new rule into the books in March that outlawed blows to the head of unsuspecting players, the general managers unanimously decided Wednesday to recommend that offenders be given a 5-minute major penalty and a game misconduct.
The rule prohibits "lateral, back-pressure or blindside hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact."
Originally, players who delivered such previously allowable hits with their shoulders were merely subject to supplemental discipline from the NHL and not penalized during the game.
"We want in-game penalties," Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke said. "It's one thing to suspend a player, but that has no impact on the game. It doesn't penalize the team for that game."
The original plan in March was to discuss the institution of in-game penalties, as well. The GMs took that first step Wednesday in their annual meetings at the Stanley Cup finals. Their recommendation will now need to pass through the league's competition committee before it is presented to the board of governors for a final vote. That group already approved the original ban.
"The board was pretty supportive when we explained it to them," said Colin Campbell, the NHL executive vice president and director of hockey operations. "This is one of those rules that when you change it midseason, it's a rule that needed a 30-0 vote midseason, and it got it."
If the new punishments are approved by the board, they will become league policy.
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