USHL announces rule changes for 2017-18 season

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Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey

 

By @MichaelCaples –

There are some substantial rule changes coming to the United States Hockey League next season.

Notable changes – all listed below – include the expansion of the league playoffs and new rules as it relates to import players and over-age players.

“The American development path that involves playing NCAA-eligible junior hockey continues to increase in awareness and popularity,” said Bob Fallen, USHL President and Commissioner. “This path is attracting top players from all over the world who come to the USHL hoping to test their abilities before advancing to college and professional hockey.  We constantly strive to expand opportunities for our players, coaches and officials and many of the rules changes help us to achieve our developmental objectives.”

Rule changes:

  • The regular season has been reduced from 28 weeks to 26 weeks, while teams will still maintain a 60-game regular-season schedule.
  • The amount of teams qualifying for the USHL playoffs has been expanded from eight to 12, with the top two seeds in each conference receiving a first-round bye. The first round will be a best-of-three series hosted by the No. 3 and 4 seeds in each conference vs. the No. 5 and 6 seeds, respectively. Remaining rounds of the playoffs will be best-of-five series with the home-ice advantage going to the higher seed.
  • Regular-season overtime play will now be a five-minute, three-on-three period, then a best-of-three shootout if necessary.
  • USHL teams will now be able to roster up to two Canadian-born citizens as non-imports. Currently, each team is allowed up to four import positions; now, they will have six – provided that two of the imports are Canadian.
  • Any non-USA Hockey goaltender shall be counted against the team’s important limit as two imports. No team will be allowed to have more than one important (non-U.S. citizen) goalie on their active 23-man roster.
  • An overage goaltender will not count towards a team’s over-age player limit. Current USHL teams are allowed four over-age players on an active roster.