SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced today that the league’s Board of Governors approved the following rule changes at its Fall Meeting, held Tuesday in Springfield:
The maximum allowed curvature of a player’s stick has been increased from half an inch (½”) to three-quarters of an inch (¾”).
The home team now has the option of shooting first or second in a shootout. Previously, the visiting team always shot first.
Requests for stick measurements during a shootout must be made prior to the referee blowing his whistle to begin a shootout attempt. If the stick is deemed to be legal, the requesting team forfeits its next shootout attempt; if the stick is deemed to be illegal, the offending team forfeits that attempt and the offending player becomes ineligible to participate in the rest of the shootout.
In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 80 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the fifth year in a row, more than 6.3 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2005-06.
The AHL’s 71st regular season begins on Wed., Oct. 4, as 27 teams begin competition for the prestigious Calder Cup. |
