VANCOUVER, B.C. – There will be some new rules in British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) next season.
The Junior A league will see a new overtime format.
If teams are tied at the end of regulation play, they will directly go into a five-minute three-on-three overtime period. If a winner is not determined, the game will move to a three-player shootout, with more shooters as necessary.
This is the exact same format used in the National Hockey League (NHL).
The BCHL is also going to be introducing hybrid icing during the 2018-2019 season. Up until this point, the league has used automatic icing for pucks shot in from beyond the centre line.
The new icing system mimics the one used in the NHL, introducing a race for the puck to determine if icing will be whistled or not.
The league has announced a slight change to the Bauer BCHL Showcase. The 2018 edition is scheduled for September 21, 22 and 23 in Chilliwack.
Both sheets of ice at the Prospera Centre will be in use to shorten the event from five days to three. The 2018-2019 season starts the second weekend of September.
Photo caption: Changes are coming to the BCHL for the 2018-2019 season. Photo courtesy the Powell River Kings.
