On The Trapezoid, Head Shots, and Long Term Contracts

The quarterly NHL General Managers meeting was held this week in Toronto to discuss equipment and rule change issues that could affect game play and safety.

A hot topic of discussion was the trapezoid rule. Currently, goaltenders can only play the puck within the trapezoid behind the net. I think the point of this rule was to encourage end to end play, speed up the game, and enhance offense. What it has done instead is discourage puck handling goalies, increase forechecking in the defensive zone, and intensify injuries. However, the GMs chose to keep the trapezoid restriction in place, which seems to be hugely unpopular with the fans. I am guessing we will see this topic revisited before the season is out.

Another point of discussion was head shots and player safety. The pace of the game is much faster post lockout, effectively ending the neutral zone trap and the clutch and grab style that dominated the early ‘90s. Players are bigger and faster. As more teams break away from the dump and chase into more of a puck possession offense, player safety is a bigger concern.

Head shots are a huge topic of conversation right now, because while this kind of hit is legal, it is potentially lethal. Here’s a hit delivered to David Booth of the Panthers by Mike Richards of the Flyers on October 24th:



Or this hit by Curtis Glencross of the Flames to Chris Drury of the Flyers on November 7th:



While Glencross was suspended for three games, Richards was not.

These kinds of hits are becoming more frequent and no resolution was made at the meeting. Most GMs are in favor of changing the rules and this topic will be discussed and revisited when they reconvene in March.

Long term contracts were also discussed in the wake of the deals that Marian Hossa signed with the Chicago Blackhawks (12 years, 62.8 million, 5.23 million cap hit, age 42 at end of contract), Chris Pronger with the Philadelphia Flyers (7 year extension, just shy of $5 million cap hit, age 42 at end of contract), and Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks (12 years, $64 million, cap hit of $5.33 million, age 43 at end of contract). all of which are currently under investigation. The NHL may have an issue with the Hawks and Canucks, as those players are under 35, if they retire prior to the end of their contracts, the cap hit will be off the books. Pronger’s situation is a little different, as he will be 35 before his extension kicks in, saddling the Flyers with this cap hit for the length of the deal. The Detroit Red Wings are famous (notoriously so?) for making these kinds of deals with their players (Henrik Zetterberg with a 12 year contract, Johan Franzen with an 11 year contract). Many GMs feel that these deals circumvent the salary cap. Fans love them or hate them. As a Wings fan, I may be biased, but I do feel that given the current salary cap situation, teams have to do what they can to ensure that their star players can stay with the organization for their entire careers. It’s what the fans want. Nobody wants to see Sid and Geno broken up, or Toews, Kane, and Sharp go their separate ways. Unless the cap situation changes, I think long term deals are the only way to ensure that your franchise players will stay with your team, or not leave for the big money KHL.

While it seems like nothing was really accomplished at this meeting, it definitely gives the managers many things to monitor and discuss throughout the season in preparation for their next gathering in March. I do hope they revisit the trapezoid rule. I don’t like it, I think skilled goalies allowed more freedom to handle the puck would be an asset to their teams defensively. If head shots are such a concern, it would certainly reduce the occurrence of those as well. I do envision a rule change making head shots illegal next season, as I’m sure this is just the beginning of the kind of injuries we’ll be seeing in the upcoming months. As for the Hollandesque contracts? I’ve made it pretty clear I’d like them to stay. But with the current disarray of the NHLPA and the CBA due to be renegotiated after the 2010-2011 season (although they are at this point within their rights to reopen it), I’m guessing those deals will soon be a thing of the past.