Early season action has resulted in the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee issuing a number of clarifications from its first two monthly phone calls.

• In separate places in the rule book, the penalty for a player shooting the puck after the whistle is listed as a two-minute minor and a ten-minute misconduct. It is a ten-minute misconduct.
  
• When, at the same stoppage of play, Team A receives a minor and Team B receives a minor on one player and a double-minor on another, regardless of the order, the result is a 5-on-4 for four minutes. Someone had asked if a 5-on-3 for two minutes would result.
  
• Detailed protocol for shootouts have been mailed out. Please note:
  
  • Different players are used if the shootout extends past the original five participants. All players stay on the bench (except participating goaltenders) until it is their turn to shoot.
    
  • Players serving penalties at the end of the game are ineligible for the shootout.
    
  • If a team is penalized during a shootout, it loses an opportunity. If coinicidental penalties are assessed during the shootout, there are no lost opportunities unless one team is penalized more than the other. If Team A receives two penalties and Team B one (all of equal value), Team A loses one opportunity (the difference between the two amounts).
    
  • If a goalkeeper is injured during a shootout, he may be replaced but no warm-up time will be allowed.
    
  • All stick challenges must take place before the shootout. If a stick is illegal, the team loses one opportunity to shoot. If the stick turns out to be legal, then the challenging team loses one opportunity to shoot.

Secretary-Editor Paul Duffy of Geneseo sends in this reminder: If you have a man in the box serving a minor and a delayed penalty is called on you...and your opponent scores, the correct call is to wipe out the penalty of the man in the box and begin the new (delayed) penalty. The National Hockey League wipes out both the penalty being served and the delayed call. College hockey did this as well at one time. This situation is addressed in the 2000-2001 NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Book on Page HR-31 (Rule 4, Section 2-d.)

The NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee for 2000-2001 is made up of Joe Bertagna, Commisioner, Hockey East (chair); Zaf Bludevich, Assistant Athletic Director, St. Michael's College; Tim Coghlin, Head Coach, St. Norbert; Paul Duffy, Head Coach, SUNY Geneseo (Secretary-Editor); Tony Mariano, Athletic Director, Norwich; Ron Mason, Head Coach, Michigan State; Katey Stone, Head Coach, Harvard; Don Vaughan, Head Coach, Colgate. NCAA Liaison to the committee is Ty Halpin.

Anyone wishing to place an item on the conference call agenda may contact any of the above. The committee meets by conference call on the second Tuesday of the month.