Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League hosted a media conference call this week to officially launch the start of the regular season and announced several changes for 2012-13.

 

The following were adopted at the Annual General Meeting of the OHL Board of Governors held on August 17, 2012.

 

OHL Playoff Schedule:

 

The OHL will be adjusting its playoff format from the current alternating game format and will now see the first two (2) games played in the home centre of the team which finished higher in the standings, followed by the next two (2) games to be played in the other team’ centre, with the balance of the games in the series alternating.

 

Video Replay Rule 38.4:

 

The following situations have been added to those areas subject to review by the Video Goal Judge:

1. The puck is hand-passed to a teammate in the offensive zone who subsequently scores.

2. The puck is high-sticked to a teammate in the offensive zone who subsequently scores.

Refusing to Play the Puck - Rule 72:

 

In order to accentuate the speed and skill of the players, if in the opinion of the referee it is deemed that the game has come to a standstill due to no advancement of the puck, the whistle shall be blown with the resulting faceoff at centre ice with it understood that the teams are not permitted to make a line change.

 

Note: Not advancing the puck shall include, but is not limited to a player remaining behind his net with the puck for an extended period of time or regrouping behind his net without moving the puck on more than two (2) consecutive occasions.

 

Supplementary Discipline:

 

1. If a player is assessed a fighting major for the 11^th – 15^th time during the regular season, such player is assessed an automatic two (2) game suspension for each additional fighting major in addition to any other penalties assessed.

2. If a player is assessed a fighting major for the 16^th time or more during the regular season, such player is assessed an automatic two (2) game suspension and the hockey club is fined $1,000.00 for each additional fighting major in addition to any other penalties assessed.

3. If a player is deemed to be the instigator in any of the fights above the ten (10) game threshold, such player would be assessed an automatic four (4) game suspension in addition to any other penalties assessed.

Note: If a player is instigated upon, the fighting major is not included in the player’s total number of fights.

 

Such policy was made based on recommendations of the OHL Competitions Committee at their meeting in June, 2012, and ratified at the Annual General Meeting in August, 2012.