Un"Rule"y...get it?

Todays worst rule in hockey, which will probably change many times, until the game never reaches perfect, is the "shoot the puck over the glass from your defensive zone delay of game penalty". It took longer to write that sentence than the delay it creates. In fact, it takes longer to send someone to the penalty box than it is to grab a new puck and drop it.

It may not be that simple, but if you get penalized for "intentionally" shooting the puck over the glass then you should get a penalty for "intentionally" icing the puck. You ice the puck for the same reason. You are getting buzzed in your own zone and need to clear it/get a whistle/get a line change.

Awhile ago (and not the only example) Aaron Rome (Vancouver Canucks) was on his stomach, swung his stick around on the the ice, in attempt to knock it of the opponents stick. As it was rolling in front of said opponent, it went of the shaft (which was parallel to the ice) and popped over the glass. His only objective was to remove the puck from the opponent and by chance, it left the rink. Did he intentionally clear the puck? He was not in real trouble, he was not at the end of a shift, he was just making a hockey play. Apparently there is no discretion for ref's to make a judgement call. It is maddening. Will it take that play, losing someone a playoff series or worse a Stanley Cup, for it to be changed? Let's hope not.

Yes, they are trying to speed the game and deter players from clearing it over the glass, but was it ever really a problem. It would have continued to go unnoticed to 99% of hockey watchers. The "big dogs" in suits who want to make there mark on the game in some way as they could never actually play the game, were the only ones who thought this rule was needed. How many times do you remember a puck being shot over the glass before the rule was implemented? Never. It went over the glass, they got a fresh puck, dropped it, and kept playing. It did not overtly affect the game, it was just something that happened once in awhile.

If they need to implement something to save face on instituting a ridiculous rule to begin with, they don't have to get rid of it. All they need to do, is treat it like icing. If you shoot the puck over the glass then no line change, you have to stay out. Not allowing a line change will speed the game up more than anything. Puck goes over glass, players line up at face-off dot, linesmen grabs a puck hands it to other linesmen, they drop it and play goes on. It will also reduce the times we have to hear a ref announce a penalty then seconds later hear the P.A. announcer, announce the same thing, but that is another story.

Z