Goal crease differences & location of benches

[chseagle]

Over the past couple of days, been watching various levels of Hockey (NHL, WHL, NCAA, USA Hockey Juniors) and noticed that in the NHL & NCAA games, the goal crease is not the normal half-circle. Why is there that difference?

Also I've noticed while watching NCAA Hockey on CBS Sports Network & NBCSN that rink layouts are not universal throughout. While watching Notre Dame, I noticed that their rink is designed where the home bench, penalty boxes, referee crease, & timekeeper bench are on one side of the rink, while the visiting team bench in on the opposite side of the rink. I also noticed the the referee crease was not located at center ice but off to the side. In another game played at Niagra University, the team benches, penalty boxes, timekeeper bench, & referee crease were all on one side of the rink.

I am curious as to why in NCAA Hockey, all rinks are not designed the same way throughout & follow NHL/WHL layouts.

[SethPDX]

Originally Posted by chseagle

I am curious as to why in NCAA Hockey, all rinks are not designed the same way throughout & follow NHL/WHL layouts.

Because not all rinks are the same age. There was a time when the rules called for putting the team benches were on opposite sides. Now they're supposed to be on the same side. Some rinks can be changed easily to fit this, some can't. Rulemakers know this and make allowances for it.

I know in the WHL, Brandon has the benches on opposite sides. For another example of allowances made for older buildings, Portland's Memorial Coliseum used to be only about 185' long (which was okay when it opened) until last season when it finally got extended to the standard 200'.

As for the goal crease thing, I think the NHL wanted to cut down on crease violations so they just made the crease smaller, but I don't know that for sure.

[RefWEB]

NHL teams also have money at their disposal to change rink layouts on a whim.

School and municipalities often don't.

[chseagle]

Originally Posted by SethPDX

Because not all rinks are the same age. There was a time when the rules called for putting the team benches were on opposite sides. Now they're supposed to be on the same side. Some rinks can be changed easily to fit this, some can't. Rulemakers know this and make allowances for it.

I know in the WHL, Brandon has the benches on opposite sides. For another example of allowances made for older buildings, Portland's Memorial Coliseum used to be only about 185' long (which was okay when it opened) until last season when it finally got extended to the standard 200'.

As for the goal crease thing, I think the NHL wanted to cut down on crease violations so they just made the crease smaller, but I don't know that for sure.

There is something I didn't know concerning the Brandon Wheat Kings' barn.

I found the NCAA Ice Hockey rulesbook online: 2012-2014 Ice Hockey Rules & Interpretations

On pgs, 20-21 it shows the 2 layouts that the NCAA allows.

However that does not answer the reasoning as to the design of Dwyer Arena at Niagra University with them having the player benches, penalty boxes, & scorer's bench all on the same side. The Dwyer Arena opened 1996, with renovations being done before the 1999-2000 season.

Notre Dame's Compton Family Ice Arena opened in 2011, so it's not an older arena, yet it has the Home player's bench, penalty boxes, & scorer's bench on one side with the visitor's bench on the opposite side. So, in theory, the Notre Dame barn should have been built to have the same layout as an NHL barn with it being a newer build. Yet the NCAA rules state that the setup is allowed even on newer barns (apparently).

[RefWEB]

Originally Posted by chseagle

There is something I didn't know concerning the Brandon Wheat Kings' barn.

I found the NCAA Ice Hockey rulesbook online: 2012-2014 Ice Hockey Rules & Interpretations

On pgs, 20-21 it shows the 2 layouts that the NCAA allows.

However that does not answer the reasoning as to the design of Dwyer Arena at Niagra University with them having the player benches, penalty boxes, & scorer's bench all on the same side. The Dwyer Arena opened 1996, with renovations being done before the 1999-2000 season.

Notre Dame's Compton Family Ice Arena opened in 2011, so it's not an older arena, yet it has the Home player's bench, penalty boxes, & scorer's bench on one side with the visitor's bench on the opposite side. So, in theory, the Notre Dame barn should have been built to have the same layout as an NHL barn with it being a newer build. Yet the NCAA rules state that the setup is allowed even on newer barns (apparently).

Everything on one side is a common setup, especially if the stands are only one side of the rink...fans ōn one side, players on the other.

Either way, when constructing buildings, very rarely do municipalities consult with rulebooks. They just build what they can afford.

[chseagle]

Originally Posted by RefWEB

Everything on one side is a common setup, especially if the stands are only one side of the rink...fans ōn one side, players on the other.

Either way, when constructing buildings, very rarely do municipalities consult with rulebooks. They just build what they can afford.

Dwyer University participates in NCAA Ice Hockey, the rink is owned/operated by the university. Without contacting them or the NCAA & asking, I am thinking they got special permission to design their rink that way.

Now a very interesting question, if you had the money & capabilities to build a barn for a hockey team, how would you design it?

[bsaucer]

I've seen a layout with both benches on one side, and penalty boxes on opposite side. The length of the rink was shorter than regulation because of the size of the building. My question is this: If substitutes leave their own bench into the attacking zone, can that cause an offside situation?

Also, what rule book does the ECHL use?

[RefWEB]

Originally Posted by bsaucer

I've seen a layout with both benches on one side, and penalty boxes on opposite side. The length of the rink was shorter than regulation because of the size of the building. My question is this: If substitutes leave their own bench into the attacking zone, can that cause an offside situation?

Absolutely. If they're in the attacking zone before the puck, they're offside.

Also, what rule book does the ECHL use?

The ECHL rulebook. Professional leagues usually operate under their own rules.