Russia’s junior hockey league introduced a new overtime rule that prevents teams from returning to their half of the ice. The NHL should follow suit, says Adam Proteau.

 

The NHL regularly examines the flow of its product and often implements changes to the rulebook to produce a more engaging game.

But sometimes, other leagues take the bull by the horns and make changes that the NHL ought to follow.

This week, the Russia-based KHL chose a rule change for its junior league the NHL should adopt.

The KHL announced that starting next season in junior-league overtime, teams will not be permitted to bring the puck back to their half of the ice. Teams that twice violate this new rule will be assessed a minor penalty.

At first glance, this looks like a terrific rule that will prevent teams from constantly dropping passes backward and toward their own defensive zone to maintain control of play. This writer can’t count how many times he’s seen teams bore the opposition into tears by hanging on to the puck, and this new rule will keep them pushing forward.

We’re bound to see more turnovers and more action in KHL junior hockey games. Once the rest of the hockey world sees how effective this is at putting together a more entertaining experience for fans and players, rule changes in other leagues could follow suit.

Of course, as always, coaches will likely pick apart the new rule to see what they can exploit for a safer (read: more boring) game. But that’s why it’s crucial for leagues to be proactive and always focus on being one step ahead of tactics that dull the senses.

The NHL must pay attention to this rule change in particular, and if it does succeed in its goal to improve the quality of OT, the NHL should implement something similar as soon as possible.

There could be unintended consequences, of course, but if that’s what happens, the league can subsequently adjust to stay on top of things. In the ever-ferocious battle to continue putting out a compelling product, hockey’s best leagues should be learning from each other and challenging all involved to adapt. And this latest rule change provides just such an opportunity.