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AHL announces rule changes, playoff format for 2015-16 season

MiHockey Staff

FeaturedAHL


By @MichaelCaples –

The American Hockey League announced today that their board of governors has approved the rule changes and playoff format for the 2015-16 season.

Each AHL club will play 76 games in the upcoming season, with the exception of the new AHL members in the Pacific Division (Bakersfield, Ontario, San Diego, San Jose and Stockton), who will play 68 each.

The top four teams in each division ranked by points percentage (points earned divided by the number of points available) will qualify for the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs, with the following exception:

“If the fifth-place team in the Atlantic or Central Division finishes with a better points percentage than the fourth-place team in the North or Pacific Division, it would cross over and compete in the other division’s bracket.”

The 2016 playoffs will feature a divisional playoff format, with conference finals and the Calder Cup Finals. Division semifinals are best-of-five series, all following rounds are best-of-seven.

RULES CHANGES

There are three major rule changes coming to the AHL 2015-16 season:

  • The AHL will play a three-on-three five-minute overtime session in results of regular-season regulation ties.
  • A team can use a ‘coach’s challenge’ to initiate video review – only if they still have their timeout.
  • For all face-offs, the defending player must place his stick on the ice first (visiting player places his stick down first for center-ice face-offs.

Full release:

Rule 85 (“Overtime”) 
• During the regular season, the sudden-death overtime period will be five minutes (5:00) in length.

• Full playing strength will be 3-on-3 (plus goaltenders) for the entire period.

• Overtime will be preceded by a “dry scrape” of the entire ice surface.

• Teams will change ends at the start of overtime.

• If the game is still tied following overtime, a winner will be determined by a three-player shootout.

Rule 79 (“Video Review”) 
• A team may use a “coach’s challenge” to initiate an official video review; only those situations which are subject to review by rule may be challenged.

• A team may only request a coach’s challenge if it has its timeout available, and the coach’s challenge must be effectively initiated prior to the resumption of play.

• If the coach’s challenge does not result in the original call on the ice being overturned, the team exercising such challenge will be charged with a timeout.

Rule 76.4 (“Face-offs”) 
• For all face-offs (excluding center ice), the defending player shall place his stick on the ice first; for face-offs at center ice, the visiting player shall place his stick on the ice first.