The Boston Bruins lean over fallen teammate Marc Savard after a hit in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Sunday, March 7, 2010. Savard was taken from the ice on a stretcher. The Penguins won 2-1. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)Keith Srakocic/The Associated Press
The NHL's new head-shot rule moved one step closer to being added to the league's rulebook Friday when the competition committee gave it their approval at a meeting in Toronto.
In a slight variation on what had been discussed previously, the rule will be for a five-minute major penalty with an automatic game misconduct for blindside hits to the head. Any infractions will also potentially be subject to additional discipline from the league.
The rule is subject to approval from the NHLPA board on Monday and the league's board of governors on Thursday.
"The players had some good input and that's why we have this committee," said Brendan Shanahan, the NHL's vice-president of hockey and business development.
"We've made improvements to the game. Everybody agrees that the game is faster, the skill level gets shown on a nightly basis, we're very happy with it. But the game evolves and one of the things that's evolved is our collisions have gotten more intense. So you make little adjustments and tweaks to keep the players safe."
The move toward eliminating some blows to the head comes after a season in which two high-profile hits - Mike Richards on David Booth and Matt Cooke on Marc Savard - resulted in serious concussions and plenty of negative press for the league.
Neither Richards nor Cooke was penalized at the time, but under the new rule, they would be ejected from the game.
Shanahan and competition committee member Mathieu Schneider, who addressed the media after the meeting at the league's Toronto office, both said the gathering was a cordial and productive one, which isn't always typical of league and player get-togethers.
"I think overall it was one of the best meetings that I've been involved with in three years," Schneider said.
"The gratuitous head shots are going to be eliminated from the game. I think the rule that we're going to hopefully implement is going to take care of those."
Schneider said the wording of the head-shot rule had been modified from the one that was proposed by general managers in March.
"I would say it now covers more ground," Schneider said. "It was very narrow in the drafting of it at the end of the season, but I think it covers a little more territory."
The new rule as it was originally drafted read: "A lateral, back pressure or blindside hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or is the principal point of contact is not permitted. A violation of the above will result in a minor or major penalty and shall be reviewed for possible supplemental discipline."
In addition to the head-shot rule, the committee approved next year's Heritage Classic outdoor game in Calgary, and for new size-based goaltending equipment to be introduced next season. Both measures will need approval from the NHLPA and NHL boards.
Schneider, a soon-to-be free agent who intends to play again next season, is one of five players on the committee this year. He is joined by David Backes, Chris Clark, Mike Commodore and Ryan Miller.
The league side was represented on the 10-member committee by four GMs (Brian Burke, Ken Holland, David Poile and Jim Rutherford) and one owner (Ed Snider).
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA adviser Donald Fehr were also in attendance.