A high number of penalties were called across the NHL in the first
weekend of action, but will the the strict enforcement of rules stick
throughout the season?
(CP) -- Colin Campbell wasn't surprised at all to see steady traffic
to and from the penalty boxes in the opening games of the NHL
pre-season.
The league's director of hockey operations says it will take time for
players to adapt to a crackdown on hooking, holding and other fouls
that the NHL hopes will bring more offence and excitement to the
sport.
"It's like we expected," Campbell said Monday. "You have a culture
that's been ingrained for years.
"We don't know when it started, but the acceptance of so much hooking
and holding will take a while to get out of the psyche. Even if
they're told beforehand, people still tend to do it."
A total of 37 penalties were called in the Montreal Canadiens' 3-2 win
over the Atlanta Thrashers on Sunday night and 26 were handed out in
the Ottawa Senators' 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Similarly high totals were seen across the league in the first weekend
of pre-season matches.
No comments:
Post a Comment