R&D Camp.

First off I have been wanting to make a post on the Research and Development camp that happened over the past couple days. The R&D camp is a camp set up by the NHL to research and put possible new rules to the test while also developing and scouting out some of the best 17 year olds. This year a bunch of possible new rules/changes were put to the test. Some of the rules/chances included hybrid icing, clear top on the net and bottom for better camera views, a green line set 3'' past the goal line for video review, taking out the shootout and adding 3on3, and the last was curved stansions for safty. Now let me break it all down for you. Hybrid icing is something that has been discussed for a while now but the NHL just isnt ready to impliment it. What it is, is the referee has the choice to decide if the puck could be played as touch icing or no touch icing. This rule is to get rid of the many injuries that have resulted in touch icing. The reason why the NHL doesnt want no touch icing is because it slows down the game. It works in the CHL because it is already slower than an NHL game. The problem with hybrid is, where do you draw the line? There would be too many arguments betwenn the coaches and refs because he made the decision to call icing before it was touched. Coaches and GMs do not want this because it could put the team in jepordy sometimes because in an icings the team that got the icing , the faceoff is in thier own end and that team isnt aloud a line change this could result in a goal and the game. The clear top on the top of the net and side of the net is for video review so it is easier for the people conducting the review and it is also easier for the refs. Brandon Shannahan who put on the camp said that this could be a possibility durring the pre-season. That and the green line (shown in picture above) has a chance of making it in the NHL this season. The green line indicates that the puck has fully crossed the line, it is also for video review. The last one i will talk about is the 3on3 after 4on4 overtime. The 3on3 would replace the shootout, this is my favourite because I hate the shootout. I think it is stupid that an entire team could battle hard for 65 minutes for the game to be decided by only one guy.  The 3on3 ccould be exciting because there would be so much more room and open space for players to skate with the puck. It would be exciting to watch three players try and work together with so much room. It would almost feel like pond hockey. All of these are just thing that the NHL is consideringfor changes in the future but there isnt a good chance that any of them would actually make it into the game. and just as the name implies, its "Research" so dont take any of what i said and think that it will all happen next year.