Thanks to Kevin Weekes, I now understand hybrid icing and can actually comment on this. For those of you still confused, because the explanation “the NCAA has it” keeps being pushed but never elaborated on, here’s the best video clip:
HOLY COW THIS HAS BEEN AN OPTION AND WE’VE YET TO SEE THE NHL ADAPT IT???
Look I’ve a lot of complaints about those in charge of the NHL, the governing bodies, what have you, but come on. Everyone gets up on their high horses about player safety, Colin Campbell stepped down and a Brendan Shanahan brought in the era of the the Shanaban, every other week a new story comes out about brain damage in hockey, and yet icing hasn’t changed.
As Weekes points out, there is still a level of competition that is intact with the hybrid icing, something that is lacking in no-touch icing, and eliminates a great danger for players as they race down the ice for the puck. Once again, another simple way to protect players that doesn’t require a large amount of research, seeing as the NCAA has already done well with this system.
The GMs are proving to be a united front on this issue, bringing it to the Board of Governors for consideration.