The CHL wants to promote offensive hockey.
Three changes are now being made to the attention-grabbing rules.
– Some on the team think it’s a joke, says Växjö’s comeback star Joel Pearson.
Växjö, Skellefteå and Färjestad are the Swedish representatives in the CHL, the Champions Hockey League, next season.
During Thursday afternoon, the Champions Hockey League sent out a press release announcing three new rule changes for the upcoming season.
The team will be allowed to continue playing the power game even if it scores during its numerical advantage.
The expulsion will be judged even if there is a goal during the pending expulsion.
If the team playing in the box scores a goal, the ejection will be removed and the ejected player will be restored.
“It will add more excitement without undermining credibility,” CHL wrote in a press release.
“raise eyebrows”
No, it’s not the first of April, even if some Växjö players didn’t believe it was true.
That was the response Joel Pearson, 29, received after he forwarded the rule changes to some of his Växjö teammates following the announcement.
– Of course they raised their eyebrows. Of course it’s fun to try something new, but that can be three goals in a power play. If you play five-on-three at 1.50, you might hit hard if you get a little bit of chemistry, says Pearson, who was the SHL’s all-time leading scorer in the form of the game.
The rationale is to encourage offensive hockey.
– I understand that. It feels a little crazy beforehand. But it would be interesting to actually test it.
Do you feel that it is too much interference in sports?
– Uh, you have to enter it with an open mind and evaluate it after that. At the same time, Pearson says, I love offensive hockey.
“Let’s see if it will be Donald Duck.”
The one who looks like he’ll have to work a bit more on the ice is Färjestad defender August Tornberg, 30, who is frequently a match on the box play.
– It’s fun when something happens. That they are doing something to try and develop the sport, especially for the public. It’s so much fun, then we’ll see if it’s all “Donkey Duck” or if it turns out well, Tornberg’s spontaneous reaction when he reads the rule changes to him.
The fact that he risks contracting a little extra lactic acid is nothing to worry about.
– You still have it, haha! You want to play as much as possible. This means more ice time for me with my Box play role. And players on a team who play the power game get more play.
“fun and refreshing”
Skellefteåbacken Oskar Nilsson, 32, plays both power play and box play.
– You feel cheerful and refreshed. It would have been different if they had done it more than 52 innings in the SHL. It fits perfectly in the CHL, Nelson says.
Is there a need for increased attention to CHL?
– Maybe a little. Then I don’t know if that means that in Sweden we will value it as much as elsewhere. But it makes it more fun anyway, I guess.