Tidbits on Sid the Kid

• Chosen No. 1 by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL draft on Saturday.

• Crosby wore No. 87 in two seasons with Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

• Crosby had 66 goals and 102 assists in 62 games last season, after rookie campaign that featured 54 goals and 81 assists in 59 games.

• He was the Canadian major junior player of the year both seasons.

• Crosby started skating when he was 4 and gave first newspaper interview at 7.

• Played at Shattuck-St. Mary's prep school in Minnesota during 2002-03 year and scored 72 goals in 57 games.

• He was No. 1 pick of Rimouski in midget draft.

• Crosby became youngest player to score for Canada's world juniors team when he had a goal at the championships at age 16 years, 4 months, 24 days.

adam foote has signed with columbus

I say, GO JETS!

I can't wait to see this kid play.

Finally. After drafting that pussy Klesla, I didn't think the bluejacket front office actually knew what a defenseman hockey was.

at least you have rick nash

He had 34 points in 57 games last year.

another good young player

BRUINS SUCK!

Let's go Rangers!

ICK!!!!

You are not a Bruins fan? I think the B's will be pretty good this year. They have the most money to spend of any team in the NHL.....could be fun....

lighten up, McFly,,,,,,jeebus. ;-)

That said, watching the Avalanche choke horribly (Roy - what the hell was going on???) with a bunch of goddam Red Wings fans was one of the most unpleasant experiences of 2002.

As much as I am kinda miffed Edmonton has let Brewer go...... Are you F'n kiddin me The Oil have Pronger?!?!?!

Naslund, who turned 32 on Saturday, recorded 35 goals and 49 assists in 78 games in 2003-04. He played the final 13 games of the regular season without right wing Todd Bertuzzi, who was suspended indefinitely for punching Colorado's Steve Moore from behind on March 8 and is expected to miss 10-20 more games to start 2005-06.

Will Moore miss 10-20 more games or will Bertuzzi?

And holy shit, Forsberg signed with the Flyers.

Why is he only getting 10.7M for 2 years?!?!

Islanders trade Peca for York; sign Satan to free-agent deal

NHL Enacts Rule Changes, Creates Competition Committee
(7/22/2005)

The National Hockey League’s Board of Governors has approved a series of rule changes that will emphasize entertainment, skill and competition on the ice. Commissioner Gary Bettman, who presented the package to the Board, also formally announced the creation of a Competition Committee, which formulated and recommended the proposed rules changes for approval by the Board.

One primary objective of the new rules will be to reduce the scope of defensive "tools" a team may effectively employ, and to create a corresponding benefit to the offensive part of the game – thus allowing skill players to use their skills and increasing the number and quality of scoring chances.

The Competition Committee is currently comprised of four NHL players, four General Managers and one owner and is supervised by Colin Campbell, NHL Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations. The players are Rob Blake of Colorado, Jarome Iginla of Calgary, Trevor Linden of Vancouver and Brendan Shanahan of Detroit. The General Managers are Bob Gainey of Montreal, Kevin Lowe of Edmonton, David Poile of Nashville and Don Waddell of Atlanta. The owner is Ed Snider of Philadelphia. The NHL Players' Association Director of Business Operations, Mike Gartner, also will provide input to the Committee.

"Over the past 18 months, we have spoken with hockey players, managers, coaches, executives and fans who have expressed their opinions on rule changes that will make a great game even better. We have listened, analyzed and debated," Colin Campbell said. "While all of the constituent groups will never reach complete agreement on what the changes should be, we felt it was our obligation to recommend a slate of changes that will succeed in doing one thing: entertaining our fans – both those in the arena and those watching on television.

"I am confident these changes will meet that objective and the Competition Committee will continue to ensure a commitment to achieving this in future seasons."

The following rules changes will take effect for the 2005-06 NHL season:

DIMENSIONS OF THE RINK

• The neutral-zone edges of the blue lines will be positioned 64 feet from the attacking goal line and 75 feet from the end boards in the attacking zone. The addition of four feet in each of the offensive zones should encourage more offensive play, particularly on power plays.

• The goal lines will be positioned 11 feet from the end boards, two feet closer to the end boards than previously.

•The size of the neutral zone will be reduced to 50' from 54'.

• The blue lines and center line will remain 12 inches in width.

FEWER STOPPAGES, INCREASED "FLOW"

• Passes from behind the defensive blue line to the attacking blue line will be considered legal. The center red line will be ignored for purposes of the "two-line pass".

• "The Tag-up Rule" will permit play to continue if offensive players who preceded the puck into the zone return to the blue line and "tag" it.

ICING THE PUCK

• Icing the puck offenses still will be penalized by a face-off in the defensive zone of the team that ices the puck.

• A team that ices the puck cannot make a line change prior to the ensuing face-off.

• "Touch" icing will remain the practice, although the Linesman will have discretion to wave off apparent icing infractions if they are deemed the result of an attempted pass. Providing the discretion to the Linesman also should have the effect of reducing the number of situations in which a race for the puck might result in an injury to a player.

INSTIGATOR RULE

• A player who instigates a fight in the final five minutes of a game will receive a game misconduct and an automatic one-game suspension. The length of suspension would double for each additional incident.

• As well, the player’s Coach will be fined $10,000 – a fine that would double for each such incident.

LIMITS ON GOALTENDERS

• The dimensions of goaltender equipment will be reduced by approximately 11 percent. In addition to a one-inch reduction (to 11") in the width of legpads, the blocking glove, upper-body protector, pants and jersey also will be reduced in size.

• Goaltenders may play the puck behind the goal line only in a trapezoid-shaped area defined by lines that begin six feet from either goal post and extend diagonally to points 28 feet apart at the endboards.

OFFICIATING POINTS OF EMPHASIS

• Zero tolerance on Interference, Hooking and Holding/Obstruction.

• Goaltenders who play the puck behind the goal line but outside the designated puck-handling area will be penalized for delay of game.

• Goaltenders will be penalized for delaying the game if they "freeze" the puck unnecessarily.

• Any player who shoots the puck directly over the glass in his defending zone will be penalized for delay of game.

SHOOTOUT

• Following a scoreless five-minute overtime, three players from each team participate in the order the coach selects.

• Each team takes three shots. The team with the most goals after those six shots is the winner.

• If the score remains tied, the shootout will proceed to a "sudden death" format.

• Regardless the number of goals scored during the shootout portion of overtime, the final score recorded for the game will give the winning team one more goal than its opponent, based on the score at the end of overtime.

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

• In addition to the minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct/diving that may be assessed by the Referee during a game, Hockey Operations will review game videos and assess fines to players who dive or embellish a fall or a reaction, or who feign injury in an attempt to draw penalties.

• The first such incident will result in a warning letter being sent to the player.

• The second such incident will result in a $1,000 fine.

• The third such incident will result in a $2,000 fine.

• The fourth such incident will result in a one-game suspension.

• Public complaints or derogatory comments toward the game also will result in fines.

A SUMMARY OF THE RULE-MAKING PROCESS

In February, 2004, the League began a thorough review of all aspects of the game at a meeting of the 30 Club General Managers. Three current and former players also participated. Following the meeting, the League requested that six potential rule changes be tested in the American Hockey League during the 2004-05 season.

In July, 2004, the "Game Committee" comprised of current and former players, owners, general managers, coaches, on-ice officials and broadcasters met in New York to further discuss the direction of the on-ice product. Following that meeting, the League continued to review and assess the merits of a number of rule changes implemented in the American Hockey League during the 2004-05 season.

The League's General Managers and nine current players met in Detroit in April, 2005, to further discuss potential changes and the League conducted a Research and Development camp with OHL players and Canadian University players in Toronto last month to test the merits of several suggested rules.

In addition, the League did extensive polling to determine changes desired by NHL fans. The League also spoke to numerous NHL players and coaches as well as representatives of the American Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League, Canadian Hockey League (major junior) and NCAA. As well, the League elicited input from managers, coaches and players from European leagues during the 2004-05 season.

The Competition Committee met for the first time on June 23 in Toronto and, after considering the significant body of information that had been developed over many months, arrived at a consensus for the series of rule changes.

dude.. we are taking the stanley cup.. a first round exit

dude.. we are taking the stanley cup..

im not sure i like the idea of a shootout.