from Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider,

On how he expects hybrid icing to change the game:

Obviously we’ve played it for seven games. Is it going to change the game at all? No. It’s still a race, and there’s still offensive plays that the linesmen have to make the right call on, because the dot is the line now – the faceoff dot – but the top of the circle of the dot, where there’s a big change in who’s got gold, silver, right? There’s a big change in there.

Silver can be gold, as long as the linesmen make the call. It’s not a problem, but they’re going to have to blow the whistle sooner. They can’t make the call at the dot and then blow the whistle at the goal line. They’re going to have to make the call at the dot, and that’s the big difference in the game.

We’re doing it now, but it’s so much faster than any other league. They did it in Europe, well it’s basically that no one’s forechecking anyways. Defensemen didn’t come back. As soon as it’s shot down, they just go back. They don’t even come to the blue line in Europe. In the American League, it’s obviously a slower league when they tried it last year, and as soon as the lockout started, it was no more. And in junior hockey and any place where they do it, well, it’s a totally different skill set. It’s like a horse that’s two furlongs ahead, well, you could call that from the booth.

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