Jun 23, 2010 9:04:53 AM

The NCAA Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules Committee is inviting comments on a proposed change that would make icing the puck a violation at all times during a game, including short-handed situations.

The committee's rationale behind the proposal, which must be approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel on July 29 to become effective, was to reward speed and skill and help to create scoring chances.

Ice hockey stakeholders can comment on this proposal through July 2.

"We hope that participation in the comment phase is high so the committee has the best possible data to fine-tune  proposals before moving them forward to PROP," said Forrest Karr, the committee chair and the director of athletics at Alaska Fairbanks.

Karr said he has heard from coaches who are opposed to not allowing penalty-killing teams to ice the puck.

Icing occurs when a team sends the puck behind the opposition's goal line before crossing the center line (or red line) of the playing surface. In these instances, officials whistle the play dead and the ensuing faceoff takes place in the defensive zone of the team that iced the puck.

Currently, this is called only when both teams are at even strength. Penalty-killing teams use the tactic to change players while the opposition retrieves the puck.

The committee believes the rules change will create more scoring chances for the team on the power play, and it will increase the skill level of "penalty killers" and could lead to more short-handed scoring chances.

"Penalty-killing teams could still chip the puck into the neutral zone or skate it out and get a change," Karr said. "When they get the puck out of their zone, it could create additional short-handed scoring chances."

Committee members believe players may be less likely to take penalties if the consequences to the team are more severe. If players know their teams can't ice the puck while short-handed, it may change behavior on the ice and reduce the clutching, grabbing, hooking, holding and obstruction type of penalties. This could indirectly open up five-on-five play, as well.

Karr said some coaches think the proposal would cause more whistles, which could disrupt the flow of the game. Also, teams icing the puck aren't allowed to substitute players. Some coaches say this could be a student-athlete safety issue since tired players would have to remain on the ice in short-handed situations.

Karr said the committee discussed these possibilities and surveyed conference commissioners, on- and off-ice officials, and coaches. Of those who responded, more than 61 percent of the commissioners, 45 percent of the officials and 31 percent of men's coaches had at least some level of support for the concept.

While the issue is being vetted, Karr sees four scenarios developing after the comment period ends.

• The rules committee could decide not to advance the proposal to enforce icing when teams are short-handed.
• The committee could advance the proposal with the modification that a short-handed team icing the puck is allowed to substitute players.
• The committee could forward the proposal as voted upon originally.
• The committee could advance the proposal as an experimental rule for the 2010-12 rules book. If it becomes an experimental rule, it could be applied to exhibition games only.