Coming to NHL arenas near you

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Verifications lines and thinner mesh at the top of nets...


Hockey fans could see modifications around the goal net before the puck is officially dropped on the 2011-12 NHL regular season.

The NHL Board of Governors met in New York on Tuesday and received conditional approval for the use of the verification line; a three-and-a-quarter inch line that sits behind the goalline.

The Board also received conditional approval to use thin mesh along the top of the net and a plastic skirt along the bottom.

Other changes discussed on Tuesday were the shallow base nets, which are four inches shallower than the current size. Neither the Board nor the NHLPA have intentions of implementing this for the upcoming season.

Potential re-alignment scenarios were also discussed at Tuesday's meeting, but nothing was decided upon.

The ideas to make changes around the goal net were tested during the NHL's research and development camp last month. The verification lines, as well as the shallower nets with the thin mesh and plastic skirt, were also tested in Monday's exhibition game in Toronto between the Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators.

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

...for those that don't speak Bettman?

 

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NHL conditionally approves verification line, thinner mesh

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Older article from NHL.com has a video with some pretty good overviews of the new nets and verification line:

Verification line, shallow nets ideas that make sense - 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp

 

[flyersfan4706]

Why do they hold out on using verification lines? They are not going to hurt, and it isnt a ton of paint...

 

[DChero]

They sound like good things. The green line isn't much of a factor outside of a handful of goals each year, but at least they'll be more accurate. The shallower nets seem fine. They could potentially bite them in the ass in having to replay more goals, since the pucks rebounds out more quickly. All in all, sounds like an improvement.

Now if they could just put some padding on that turnbuckleless turnbuckle..

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Ugghh...we have to wait for Colin Campbell to make the decision on if/when to implement.

So some teams will get the lines after two games and other teams will get the same identical lines at the start of the season or 10 games in?