Hounds complete weekend sweep

The Soo Greyhounds are a perfect two for two in the exhibition campaign after competing their second straight win over the Saginaw Spirit on Saturday night.

The Hounds doubled up the hometown Spirit 6-3 just one night after skating to a 4-1 win at Memorial Gardens.

Ryan McInerney opened the scoring for the Hounds with two goals, including one on the power play just 1:37 into the game.

After Saginaw's Ryan McDonough cut the score to 2-1 on the power play late in the first period, the Greyhounds exploded for four goals to take a 6-1 lead into the final period.

Chris Lawrence, Brett Halstead, Tyler Kennedy, who added two assists, and Tyson Aitcheson completed the Hounds scoring.

The Spirit replied with a pair of goals in the third period as Sault product Zack Torquato connected on the power play and Tim Priamo added another.

To finish the game, the teams entertained the crowd with a shootout in order to get a feel for the new overtime rules which will be adopted by the Ontario Hockey League this season. (see related article below)

Matt Hache turned in a good effort for the Hounds in goal and stopped 34 of 37 shots directed his way for the victory. The Hounds fired 30 shots at Saginaw.

The Greyhounds are back in action next weekend with two more exhibition games against the Sudbury Wolves. The Hounds will visit Sudbury on Friday at 7:30 p.m. before returning home for a date at the Gardens on Sunday at 7 p.m.

*** ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE

PRESS RELEASE

OHL Adopts NHL's "New Rules" Created: Sep 9, 2005

For the 2005-06 playing season, the Ontario Hockey League along with the Canadian Hockey League has endorsed certain new playing rules and a new standard of enforcement of existing playing rules.

Our commitment to opening up the game and allowing our skilled players the optimum opportunity to showcase their skills was embraced and supported by the League's Board of Governors, General Managers, Coaches and On-Ice Officials.

The League appreciates the continued support of our dedicated fans and we are extremely positive that our commitment to opening up the game will best serve the interest of the overall development of our players in the best development League in the world.

The following is a summary of the significant rule changes:

GOAL CREASE An area behind the net has been established to restrict the goalkeeper when playing the puck behind the goal line. A violation would result in a delay of game penalty.

CHANGE OF PLAYERS WHEN ICING THE PUCK A team who has committed an icing infraction is not permitted to make any player substitutions.

DIVING The penalty assessed for diving has been changed from an unsportsmanlike conduct and will simply be assessed as a minor penalty for "diving". The OHL has also added a 10 minute misconduct to diving penalties.

DELAY OF GAME Any player who shoots the puck over the glass and out of play from his defending zone will be penalized for delay of game, except when the puck goes out of play into the player's bench.

A delay of game penalty will be assessed to a goaltender who, inside or outside the goal crease, freezes the puck without immediate pressure from an attacking player.

OFF-SIDE PRECEEDING PUCK INTO ATTACKING ZONE Re-introduction of the "tag-up" off-side. Players who are in an off-side position can nullify the delayed off-side by making skate contact with the blue line before re-entering the zone.

PASSES The centre red line has been eliminated for the purpose of off-side passes (two line pass).

TIED GAME Overtime will continue to be five minutes, four skaters against four skaters. If the game remains tied at the end of overtime, there will be a shootout.

CHL Shootout Policies & Procedures

1. The shootout shall commence following a one (1) minute rest period.

2. The teams will not change ends for the shootout. The visiting team shall shoot first. The teams shall alternate shots.

3. All players must remain on their respective players’ bench during the shootout.

4. All players participating in the shootout must wear their standard uniform including their helmet properly fastened.

5. One linesman will take his position between the players’ benches (if applicable), with one linesman and the referee on either side of the net – skating to the opposite end for each subsequent shot. In a two-man referee system, both referees will take their position on either side of the net with one linesman between the players’ benches and the other at the penalty box. If the players’ benches should be on opposite sides, one linesman will be at each bench.

6. A new puck will be used at the commencement of the shootout and for any shootout which proceeds to sudden death (after the 6th shot).

7. The in-arena public address announcer will announce each shooter as he moves into position and announce the shootout score after each subsequent shot.

8. Three (3) players from each team shall participate in the shootout and they shall proceed in such order as the coach selects. All players are eligible to participate in the shootout unless they are serving a ten (10) minute misconduct or they have been assessed a game misconduct, gross misconduct or match penalty.

9. Once the shootout begins, the goalkeeper cannot be replaced unless he is injured. No warm-up shall be permitted for a substitute goalkeeper. Players will not commence their shot until the referee drops his arm (similar to line change procedure) and blows his whistle.

10. Any action by an opposition player to distract the player taking a shot, will result in a misconduct to the player involved and a second shot if a goal is not scored on the first shot. The player receiving the misconduct will be removed from the game.

11. Any action by an opposition player to distract the goaltender during a shot will result in a misconduct to the player involved and a “no goal” decision by the referee. The shot will not be repeated, and the player receiving the misconduct will be removed from the game.

12. Regardless of the number of goals scored during the shootout portion of overtime, the final score recorded for the game will give the winning team one (1) more goal than its opponent, based on the score at the end of overtime, and count towards the overall season end totals of goals for and goals against for a team.

13. The losing goalkeeper will not be charged with the extra goal against. The player scoring the game winning goal in the shootout will not be credited with a goal scored in his personal statistics.

14. Each team will be given three (3) shots unless the outcome is determined earlier in a shootout. After each team has taken three (3) shots, if the score remains tied, the shootout will proceed to “a sudden death” format. No player may shoot twice until everyone who is eligible has shot, excluding the backup goaltender.

15. Stick measurements prior to or during the shootout are not permitted.

* The CHL has also adopted the NHL's new standard of enforcement for hooking, holding and tripping of the puck carrier as well as interference on the non-puck carrier. The following is a link to the NHL's education video on these changes - www.nhl.com

***

The OHL will also employ the two-man refereeing system for up to 50% of its regular season games and 100% of its playoff games with each team seeing an equal number of two-man refereed games at home during the regular season.