As soon as September 1st hits, hockey fans know that the season is a cell phone cycle away. Here are the ten things you need to know in September.
When does my team’s camp open?
Here is a list of when training camp opens for each NHL team via NHL.com:
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New Coaches
Without a doubt, the new coaches this season will be ones to watch. There are six new coaches in the NHL this season:
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Rule changes on the ice
Here are some rules changes to check out during the pre-season. [ wikipedia ]
The following rule changes will be voted upon by the NHL Board of Governors prior to the season:
- The trapezoidal areas behind each net in which goaltenders are allowed to play the puck are to be made 4 feet (1.2 m) wider than their current width.
- The width of the hashmarks outside the faceoff circles will be extended from their current 3.5 feet to five feet.
- Prior to any overtime period, both teams will change ends and the ice will be dry-scraped by an ice resurfacer. The league hopes that the “long line changes” and the better ice surfaces will increase scoring in overtime, and thus decrease shootouts.
- Coaches no longer have to submit a list of shootout participants as it begins. The coaches will be free as to who they will pick next.
- Teams that ice the puck can only use one center to make the ensuring faceoff. If that player attempts to get kicked out of the faceoff to buy his team time, he’ll get a two-minute delay-of-game penalty.
- The NHL’s “situation room” will have more latitude to conduct video reviews of goals that don’t fall under the guidelines of what can be reviewed but that clearly weren’t scored legally.
- The wording “embellishment” will be changed to allow an escalating scale of fines to repeat-offense players and coaches.
The overtime switch and using one center to take a faceoff after an icing will be the best rules to watch.
Uniform changes
Thank god again for wikipeda because someone tracked all of these:
- The Anaheim Ducks added a new away jersey to match the alternate “webbed D” as their new primary jerseys, replacing the old home/road jerseys that bore the “Anaheim Ducks” word mark on the crest.
- The Arizona Coyotes added a new patch on their home and away jerseys as part of their name change. The third jersey that they had since the 2008–09 NHL season is retired. There will also be a throwback alternate based off of the Kachina-styled jerseys they wore from their move from Winnipeg in 1996 to 2003.
- The Chicago Blackhawks will participate in the 2015 NHL Winter Classic on New Years Day. The team will unveil it’s jersey for the game at a later date.
- The Los Angeles Kings will wear alternate throwbacks based off of their inaugural 1967 gold uniforms, instead of the purple ones they have been wearing since 2011. The team will also be attending a game of the 2015 NHL Stadium Series on February 21 at Levi’s Stadium. It is unknown if they will simply bring back the jersey they wore for their previous Stadium Series game, or wear a new one.
- The New York Islanders will wear a special shoulder patch during their final season playing inside Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The venue has served the franchise for 43 years.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have confirmed that they will have a new third jersey in time for the 2014-15 season. It will possibly be just the jersey they wore for the 2012 Winter Classic.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins will be wearing a throwback alternate jersey, featuring the shade of gold the team has worn on the uniforms from 1980-2002 (recently dubbed “Pittsburgh Gold”) instead of Vegas Gold, what the team wears now. The jersey will most likely resemble what the team wore when it won two consecutive Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992.[15]
- The San Jose Sharks will face the Kings in a Stadium Series game this season. Their special jersey for the game is yet to be unveiled as well.
- The St. Louis Blues will have new home and away jerseys; the alternate will remain along with the new set. The uniforms reflect a modernized version of the classic traditional look worn by the team from 1997-2007. The uniform leaves the long-lasting, iconic Blue Note unchanged, symbolizing the club’s pride and history. The team is not the first to move from a jersey design that was modernized by Reebok when the league started using the new Edge jersey template in the 2007-08 season, to a cleaner, more traditional look. The change removes the irregular curves on the cuff stripes and the apron string piping.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning will replace the alternate jersey they wore with the “BOLTS” script on the front with a new black alternate, to be revealed at a later date.
- The Washington Capitals will face the Blackhawks in the Winter Classic. Their jersey for the game will be revealed at a later date.
- For the 2015 All-Star Game, the two teams are predicted to wear black/neon green jerseys, a far cry from any other jersey that has been used for the special game
The whole word awaits the Arizona Coyotes ” Kachina-styled jerseys .”
Changes off the ice
The 2014-2015 marks huge changes in the broadcasting landscape. The CBC is dead, long live the CBC. Sportsnet takes over in Canada. For American TV viewers, not a whole lot changes, however one face that will be new to the NBCSN team is Kathryn Tappen. Tappen got hired by NBCSN and will be involved in nightly NHL shows. It will make dealing with Mike Milbury and Keith Jones a little easier, we hope.