The Western Hockey League announced today two rule changes that will take effect immediately. The rule changes were approved Tuesday, October 8 at the WHL General Managers meeting in Calgary.
The rule changes to be in effect for games beginning tonight include:
- Double-Minor Penalty – High-Sticking
When a double-minor penalty has been assessed due to an injury from high-sticking, the Referee will instruct the Video Goal Judge to review the situation to either confirm or overturn the penalty. This means that in every situation when a double-minor penalty is assessed for injury due to a high stick, the Video Goal Judge must review the situation.
There are three possible outcomes from a Video Review in this scenario:
- Video Goal Judge confirms that a Double-Minor Penalty for High-Sticking is to be assessed;
- The penalty is overturned because the Video Goal Judge determines the injury was caused by a teammate’s stick or the puck;
- The review is inconclusive and the original call on the ice stands – a Double-Minor Penalty for High-Sticking is assessed.
It is important to note that the Video Goal Judge is only to be used to review a Double-Minor Penalty for High-Sticking that was assessed on the ice by the on-ice officials. The Video Goal Judge cannot be used to add a penalty that was not originally assessed. The Video Goal Judge is also not able to assess a Double-Minor Penalty for High-Sticking when only a single Minor Penalty for High-Sticking has been assessed on the ice by an on-ice official.
- Face-off Location
When a delayed penalty is signalled, and the team not being penalized ices the puck, the ensuing face-off will be conducted at one of the two face-off circles in the penalized team’s end zone. Previously, the face-off would have been moved outside the blue line.
As a result of the elimination of the above exception, when the team not being penalized ices the puck the ensuing face-off will be conducted at one of the two face-off circles in the penalized team’s end zone.
