NCAA Hockey: Penalize the players who Embellish?

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I am a subscriber to XM Radio, and I listen to the Hockey Night In Canada Radio a couple of times a week. Today, Hockey Night in Canada Radio had an awesome segment on officiating during the 3:00 p.m. hour.

Former NHL Official and current ECAC head of officials Paul Stewart was on with the HNIC co-hosts (Rob Pizzo and Elliotte Friedman), and he had some interesting things to say. One thing that caught my attention was his proposal that he made to the NCAA about punishing players that embellish. There's more coming on that this week.

Some of his proposal was to give players who embellish a five-minute misconduct penalty. After three five-minute misconducts, that player would sit for a game. After four five-minute misconducts, that player would sit for two games. Also, the linesmen and refs could make the call. I think it's a great idea.

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NHL Hockey: Sharks Hosed by Blown Call in San Jose Last Night...

s/t Duck Daddy. Check this out, the San Jose Sharks got hosed last night, it appears that the Sharks did in fact score the game-winning goal. I am surprised that this wasn't reviewed by the war room in Toronto. The Buffalo Sabres would go on to win the game in a shootout, that was only the third win of the season for the Buffalo Sabres.

I know NHL is going to get destroyed for no-goal in SJ, but neither broadcast had it quickly and BUF's didn't show it at all. If ref says...
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 6, 2013

no-goal on-ice, I'm not sure how that one is getting caught. Not a great moment...but I can see how it happens. Ugh.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 6, 2013

NHL Hockey: League clarifies illegal check to head rule

Original NHL logo, used until 2005. A version of the logo features it in the shape of a hockey puck. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to the Elliotte Friedman of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, the NHL has changed their wording of Rule 48. It's nice to see the rule get clarified and cleaned up a bit.

Now Rule 48.1 declares an illegal check to the head as "a hit resulting in contact with an opponent's head where the head was the main point of contact and such contact to the head was avoidable."

You're going to ask the obvious follow-up. How do you determine if the hit is avoidable? There are three circumstances to be considered:

First, whether the player attempted to hit squarely through the opponent's body and the head was not "picked" as a result of poor timing, poor angle of approach or unnecessary extension of the body upward or outward.

Second, whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position by assuming a posture that made head contact on an otherwise full body check unavoidable.

Third, whether the opponent materially changed the position of his body or head immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit in a way that significantly contributed to the head contact.

Obviously, we need game action to see how this change affects things. But in theory, it makes a lot of sense. By eliminating "targeted" and adding "avoidable," it puts added onus on the hitter to avoid recklessness. Ultimately, that's what you want.

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• Report: NHL to reword head-shot rule (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
• Sidney Crosby Thinks Zdeno Chara's Punch 'Crossed the Line,' Saw It as Attempt to Shut Him Down (nesn.com)

Sabres star Thomas Vanek hasn’t requested a trade

Good read MT @BillHoppeNHL Thomas Vanek: http://t.co/Z3yLE8NDx0 "I’m telling you right now, that’s not true. I’ve never asked for a trade"
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 29, 2013

If I am reading this right, it would appear, at least from my vantage point, that Thomas Vanek might not be all that happy about the Sabres being in a rebuilding year. Of course, a player like Vanek doesn't have to worry too much, he's going to be in demand and he's going to command at least 7-7.5 million. I also think that he will have a few offers to look over like Zach Parise did.

Bill Hoppe, Olean Times Herald – Thomas Vanek spoke firmly. No, the high-scoring winger said, he hasn’t asked to be traded from the Buffalo Sabres. The widespread belief he wants out of town doesn’t bother him. But it’s simply not true.

“The media and people, they can make up their own assumptions as long as I know where I’m at and stuff and my family’s at. That’s fine,” Vanek said following an off-ice workout Wednesday morning. “At the end of the day, people will find out, either from me or the Sabres, just like I’m telling you right now, that’s not true. I’ve never asked for a trade, so I’m not surprised that I’m still here.

”Nonetheless, the Sabres have said Vanek and starting goalie Ryan Miller, the two franchise cornerstones whose contracts expire after the upcoming season, could be dealt.

After the Sabres dished several high-profile veterans late last season and began looking to the future, Vanek was the most outspoken, voicing some disappointment and saying he didn’t want to partake in a two- or three-year rebuild. But the 29-year-old also said he would wait and see before making another commitment to the Sabres, something that he repeated on Wednesday.

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• Vanek Keeping Options Open Entering Camp (wkbw.com)
• Saturday Pontifications: The Thomas Vanek File (hockeywilderness.com)
• Vanek: 'I didn't ask to be traded' (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)