Will the game really open up?

[Jovorock]

A buddy of mine was talking to a pro hockey player that plays in Europe and he said the game won't open up with eliminating the red line. Trap teams will just wait at the red line instead of the blue line. He said that there is more trapping in Europe because of eliminating the red line.

He also said there will be less cycling behind the net with moving the nets back because of less room back there and teams will only send one high and two forwards guarding against the long pass.

Do you guys believe this?

[Madcombinepilot]

yup.

It will still be a trap, just not the one you expect.

[Miller Time]

It is just hopeful that the combination of that and the crack down on obstruction will open things up. My take on it is that it will be better but only slightly.

Everyone is laughing at Clarke for picking up all those big slow dmen but he is looking towards the playoffs when things will be status quo and clutching and grabbing will be the norm again. That is why we need a tough dman for the back end. He might be a liability during the season but come playoff time he will be an asset.

[Cornuck]

WIthout obstruction being called, it can't open up no matter what rules they change.

[JonnyLaRue]

Apparently Naslund said the same sort of thing. He said he has played without the centerline and it does not change the game. What it will do is force your defense that might normally jump up into the rush, to stay back to cover long outlet passes. I think the biggest improvement as far as goal scoring will be the goalie pads shrinking.

[Madcombinepilot]

What it will do is force your defense that might normally jump up into the rush, to stay back to cover long outlet passes

The red line was orginally put in the game to force the defenders to gain center ice. Too many missed breakaway passes, icings, stoppages in play.... It was used to encourage the defence to lug the puck more instead of 'off the glass and out'

Obstruction is everything.

[Entwonder]

There have been reports that icing will be waved if a pass has been attempted.
So if a long pass misses, then you get a foot race.
The goalie cannot go into the corners, so the players have to race to the loose puck.
I hope this is enough to put a chink in the trap.

[Jyrki21]

Of course it won't open up... two-line passes make no real difference, and when the playoffs roll around, the fans will never let the refs call anything ("Let the players play! Don't be the star of the show! Don Cherry says... "). So once more, teams that cheat will be rewarded. Skilled teams like us and Ottawa will be stifled once more.

[jchockey]

Apparently Naslund said the same sort of thing. He said he has played without the centerline and it does not change the game.

naslund didn't say that there were traps in euro hockey. he just said that there's a lot more dirty stickwork in the euro leagues. people say that by eliminating the red it wouldn't open up the game, but you're forgetting that the offensive zone has expanded since the nets have been moved back.

if you don't trap your opponent, you're pretty much screwed. there's too much space to operate in the offensive zone. you'll see less trapping (especially with the no-line-change-if-you-dump-the-puck rule) but you won't see MUCH faster paced hockey either.

[Cookie La Rue]

I think the game will open up a little bit but not with just on change, you must see all changes in addition.

But it doesn't mean some sort of trap will be eliminated totally, in my opinion there's no rule that can change that, it's a philosophy, if you want to play a destructive hockey game you can play it with every kind of rule, slightly changed but still there.