# NHL October 2013 Regular Season **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 1, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106 "2013-10-01T16:36:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/1 "2013-10-01T16:36:04Z")
New divisions, a few new rules, and a full season this year. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/2 "2013-10-01T16:41:13Z")
I hope that the hybrid icing works. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/3 "2013-10-01T16:55:14Z")
I’m really looking forward to this season, for a change. Leafs and Habs tonight! I like the hybrid icing. I also like the additional space behind the net, and the smaller goalie pads. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/4 "2013-10-03T05:05:07Z")
I realize I am insane for caring about the pointless details of the first game of the year, But I didn’t get to see the Wings game since I was working. But how did Quincy get the second star? Stats say he had no points, was -1 and committed a penalty and had 0 credited hits? Did he save a choking Kitten or something? Did anybody see they game and have an explanation? ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/5 "2013-10-03T16:21:21Z")
I’m just a casual hockey fan in a location that doesn’t provide a lot of hockey coverage. What are the new divisions and what are the new rules? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/6 "2013-10-03T18:20:25Z")
**Eastern Conference:** - Atlantic Division Toronto Detroit Boston Florida Ottawa Tampa Bay Montreal Buffalo - Metropolitan Division Carolina Columbus New Jersey NY Islanders NY Rangers Pittsburgh Washington Philadelphia **Western Conference** - Central Division Colorado Chicago Winnipeg Dallas Minnesota Nashville St. Louis - Pacific Division Calgary Los Angeles Phoenix San Jose Vancouver Edmonton Anaheim The top 3 teams in each division make the playoffs, plus the two teams with next highest points in each conference. So, it’s possible that one division will have 3 teams in the playoffs and another division will have 5 teams make it. There have been a few tweaks to the rules, most notably hybrid icing, which, as the name suggests, is a hybrid of the traditional touch icing, and the no-touch icing found in international play. From [here](http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=684940): > [@](#): > > The hybrid-icing system allows the linesman to blow the play dead and call an automatic icing if he determines that the puck will cross the goal line and the defending player is not behind in the race to the end-zone faceoff dots in his defensive zone. You can read about the other half dozen or so tweaks in that same link. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/7 "2013-10-03T18:25:39Z")
New hockey [divisions](http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=685005) In addition to the change from six divisions to four, the bigger moves are Columbus and Detroit to the Eastern Conference and Winipeg (formerly Atlanta) to the West. Playoffs will still be 16 teams but instead of the division winners plus wildcards, I think that it will be the top two in each division plus wildcards. Rule changes involve a more shallow net (more room to skate behind it), shorter goalie pads, hybrid icing (if it is clear the defender is going to get to the puck, icing can be called without the high speed skate to the goal line). A rule that you can’t tuck your jersey (popularized by Gretzky) that has been on the books for years is going to be enforced this year. Ovechkin is probably the biggest name who routinely tucked his jersey. ETA, what Leaffan said… ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/8 "2013-10-03T18:39:35Z")
The Leafs remain unbeaten. 😉 I’m going to keep saying that until it isn’t true any more. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/9 "2013-10-03T18:57:19Z")
Grabovski for the Caps is on pace for 243 goals and 324 points. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/10 "2013-10-03T19:11:28Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The Leafs remain unbeaten. 😉 > > I’m going to keep saying that until it isn’t true any more. Planning a parade down Sens mile? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/11 "2013-10-03T19:55:59Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The Leafs remain unbeaten. 😉 > > I’m going to keep saying that until it isn’t true any more. The Canes are undefeated as well. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/12 "2013-10-04T05:22:14Z")
I don’t see how any of y’alls teams will get past Fleury, who leads all goaltenders in all categories on NHL’s website right now. Dude’s on [fire!](http://www.nhl.com/ice/statshome.htm?navid=nav-sts-league#) ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/13 "2013-10-04T22:21:08Z")
That was one sweet save last night, when he grabbed it from right behind his back. In sadder news, it looks like James Neal is out indefinetly. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/14 "2013-10-04T23:36:29Z")
Good game for the Sharks last night. ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/15 "2013-10-05T02:01:37Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > Rule changes involve a more shallow net (more room to skate behind it) Important to point out that the base of the net is not just shallower, but considerably narrower as well, opening up more angles for passes out front. There’s a good overlay picture [here](http://bloguin.com/puckdrunklove/2013-articles/september/nhl-introduces-minor-changes-to-their-nets.html). ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/16 "2013-10-05T03:17:32Z")
The Canes play a good game, but fall apart with 16 seconds to go in the 3rd. On the bright side everything looked improved except the power play. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/17 "2013-10-05T18:39:02Z")
Every year I adopt a 'girlfriend" team to follow during the season from the Eastern Conference. This year, it is the Carolina Hurricanes. They look like they’ll be an interesting team to watch, I like both their goaltenders and Jeff Skinner is fun to watch. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/18 "2013-10-05T23:59:56Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Every year I adopt a 'girlfriend" team to follow during the season from the Eastern Conference. This year, it is the Carolina Hurricanes. They look like they’ll be an interesting team to watch, I like both their goaltenders and Jeff Skinner is fun to watch. When he’s healthy, Alexander Semin has a deadly shot. You don’t want him fighting … :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/19 "2013-10-06T02:28:38Z")
At the end of last season I mentioned to keep an eye on Alex Chiasson. Well he just keeps scoring. Eight goals in his first nine career games including two in two so far this year. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106/20 "2013-10-06T02:34:02Z")
I love that Patrick Roy nearly got into a fight and got fined $10,000 in his first game as an NHL coach. Can’t wait until the Red Wings game. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-october-2013-regular-season/670106.md?page=2)