Every April, the American College Hockey Coaches Association holds its annual convention in Florida to allow the coaches to discuss concerns and ways to improve their sport. The coaches also hold their respective league meetings.

Maine coach Tim Whitehead said last week’s meetings covered a lot of topics which will be voted upon by athletic directors and league commissioners or by the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee.

The Hockey East meetings produced a 10-0 vote in favor of video replay for all league games. It will cost each school $16,000 for the equipment. Whitehead said.

“This is a very important step for our league to make the games as fair as possible and take the pressure off the officials,” he said.

Agreed. It is the most difficult sport to officiate and any help they receive is a positive.

The league’s coaches voted 7-0-3 in favor of adopting the more stringent NHL standards on hooks, holding, high sticks and interference.

Whitehead explained they want to encourage scoring since it has been “down consistently the last 10 years.”

Agreed. You want to showcase your skilled players.

The Hockey East coaches voted 8-1-1 in favor of reducing ties but Whitehead said there were mixed feelings about how to do it. The NHL goes to four-on-four (skaters) for five minutes and then a shootout (three shooters apiece).

He expects the NCAA to continue to use a five-minute, five-on-five overtime for the next two-year cycle, but the leagues can expand on that to break ties within their respective league.

In the eyes of the NCAA, games will be considered ties after the five-minute overtime.

My suggestions would be four-on-four for eight minutes or three-on-three for five minutes following the five minutes of five-on-five.

Three items involving rule changes include going to a two-referees-two linesmen system like the NHL rather than the one-referee-two-linesmen system they have now.

I agree. This will help the refs by providing better ice coverage.

The coaches are in favor of having all faceoffs following a penalty call held in the penalized teams’ defensive zone.

Whitehead also said there is a lot of sentiment in favor of not allowing a team to ice the puck when it is shorthanded.

“You’ll see more power-play goals and you’ll also see more shorthanded chances because the [penalized] team will have to make a play rather than ice the puck,” said Whitehead.

This will also discourage teams from taking penalties.

A major issue involving all teams is a need to improve relationships with the NHL and the NHL Players Association to help curb the early signings.

Whitehead pointed out that the NHL paid $9 million to European leagues and $8 million to the three Major Junior A leagues to compensate their teams who had players leave early to sign with NHL teams.

Colleges didn’t get a cent, he said, and they would like to receive some compensation although he indicated he hoped it would go to the coaches association to market college hockey. It would not go to the individual schools.

“Ten players signed early out of college after the 2003-2004 season and 30 signed early a year ago,” said Whitehead.

He said there is also a need for the ACHA to improve its relationship with USA Hockey, possibly by paying a fee, in the hope of getting USA Hockey to encourage American youngsters to choose college over Major Junior. He said more than 100 Americans played Major Junior this year.

lmahoney@bangordailynews.net

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