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Errata courtesy of Dennis Egan: the Backstrom quote about reducing face-offs referred to tag-up offsides, not no-touch icing (he used the words "touch-up rule," and the context was perfectly clear. My bad).

So we can continue to wonder whether no-touch is going to mean more icing or less. Depends on what the linesmen wave off, and how the players adjust. Brian Slagel suggests that the ECHL instituted automatic icing in part because the NHL wants other leagues to try it out, which is a pretty good reason for the CHL to fall in line.

Amarillo's Henry Kuster has the dubious honor of being mentioned by the Hockey News as one of Boston's most disappointing draft picks of the last 10 years. A few other familiar names in the leaguewide breakdown: Eric Naud (taken by the Bruins eight places later the same year), Nick Stajduhar and Gregor Baumgartner (disappointing as Montreal's 37th pick; not mentioned one way another as a Dallas fifth-rounder).

It's a shame about Joe Nieuwendyk. You have to wonder if the Devils would have let the series go this long if they'd had the face-off ace and Conn Smythe winner on the ice.

Then again, the Ducks probably would have won in six if they'd had it together for the first two.

# posted by JC @ 2:50 AM