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Welcome to part two of The Hockey News’ three-part series of the pre-season fan vote. In part one, the first set of results was revealed, including fans' favorite teams and players, predictions for the Hart Trophy and Stanley Cup, and much more.

This second part will reveal fans’ perspectives on NHL rules, and whether some should be removed or changed, including the shootout, overtime and fighting.

Which Rule Should Be Removed/Changed?

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There was a clear top two in the results for this question – delay of game and the trapezoid rule. 

Many fans would like to remove the delay-of-game penalty when a player flips the puck over the glass in their own zone. Some said that it should be treated more like an icing, where a faceoff occurs in the offending team’s zone, and they aren’t allowed to line change. Others would like the option to carefully review the play, to see if it deserves a penalty or not.

The trapezoid rule prevents goaltenders from fishing for pucks in the corners, below the goal line. This allows a better flow of offense, and limits the goalie’s ability to enter open ice with the skaters. However, fans want to see the netminders explore beyond their crease a little more.

Other goaltender regulations were mentioned, including the red line rule that prevents goalies from passing the halfway mark, and goaltender interference – whether that means removing it entirely or changing the way coaches challenge it.

A handful of fans also voted to change the point system, including the removal of the overtime-loser point.

Remove Or Keep The Shootout?

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If the tie isn’t broken in overtime, teams are forced to go to a best-of-three shootout. Hockey fans are split on whether to keep the shootout or remove it.

This survey tells us that the debate between fans for the shootout is as close as it can be. About 50.5 percent of fans voted to remove the shootout, versus the 49.5 percent who want to keep it. 

If the shootout were to be removed, fans made suggestions on how to replace it. The most popular answer was to extend overtime. Even Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark voiced his opinion during the NHL/NHLPA player media tour.

“We should add five more minutes of overtime, like at the 4 Nations. Because it comes down more to play.”

A handful of fans suggested the return of a tie. The NHL hasn’t had games decided in a tie since the 2003-04 season. In fact, the last tie game in the NHL was on April 4, 2004, between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers.

Should Referees Have Post-Game Press Conferences?

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Just like the shootout riddle, the split between fans who think NHL officials should or shouldn’t attend post-game press conferences was close. While this vote wasn’t decided by 0.5 percent, 55 percent of fans would like to see the referees face the mic, versus 45 percent who don’t see a need for it.

Since it’s rare for a referee to face the media, it’s unclear how that process would work out. However, the purpose of this would likely be to address controversial calls that were made during the game, or for officials to explain their thinking and reasoning. 

Former referee Dave Jackson, who officiated over 1,500 NHL games, has been incorporated into ESPN’s broadcasts. He explains or discusses the reasoning behind a call made by a referee, controversial or not. In a way, Jackson provides the thought process of NHL referees, adding context in real time.

Should The NHL Alter Fighting Penalties?

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For the final question related to rule changes, the survey asked fans if the severity of fighting penalties should change. In the NHL, every fight results in a five-minute major penalty, unless otherwise specified. However, other leagues, such as the QMJHL, have banned fighting.

The majority of fans voted to keep fighting penalties the same. They also had the option to vote for lighter or heavier penalties. Lighter penalties could mean shorter time in the penalty box, or even no penalty at all.

Meanwhile, heavier penalties could mean longer time in the box, such as 10 minutes, or even ejection. Along with the QMJHL, fighting in the NCAA and some European leagues results in expulsion. Nonetheless, nearly 80 percent of fans are happy with the way things are.

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When he attended the NHL media day, Montreal Canadiens’ captain Nick Suzuki was asked what he thought about his team’s new additions this offseason, and he made his feelings quite clear.

If the captain had asked GM Kent Hughes not to make any moves at the trade deadline, he made no such request this offseason, and with Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak’s contracts coming off the books, the GM knew precisely how he wanted to use the cap space.

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Canadiens: Rookies Getting Ready For Their Big Day

Hughes first went out and traded his two first-round picks and Emil Heineman to the New York Islanders to fill a considerable organizational need, a prominent right-shot defenseman in Noah Dobson. With David Savard retiring, the Canadiens desperately needed some help in the right-shot blueliner department, and they didn’t just replace Savard; they got an upgrade.

With Dobson filling what could have eventually been Logan Mailloux’s spot, the GM went out and traded the blueliner to the St. Louis Blues in return for Trois-Rivieres native Zachary Bolduc. The right winger was coming off a great rookie season with the Missouri outfit, putting up 36 points in 72 games on top of sporting a plus-20 rating and seeing some action on the power play, picking up seven goals on the man-advantage.

What did the captain have to say about the moves? Here you go:

I think they’re going to fit in perfectly. They both play the style that we like, and I think they’re going to love the way we play. […] It’s pretty impressive that we managed to get those two young guys in trades this summer.

- Suzuki on Dobson and Bolduc

In other words, you can add Suzuki’s name to the list of Hughes’ fans in Montreal. Those acquisitions weren’t for players who had underperformed, and the organization hoped could find their groove in Montreal, like Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, but rather for two players who have already shown what they can do at the highest level and can help address some issues in the Canadiens’ lineup.

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Former Florida Panthers first-round pick and goaltender Spencer Knight has signed a three-year extension with the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Knight's new contract will carry a $5.83 million cap hit, which will kick in next season. Knight has played just 15 games with the Blackhawks, but the franchise believed his performance in the short stint was more than enough to warrant an extension.

In those 15 games, the 24-year-old recorded an .896 save percentage and a 3.18 GAA.

“After joining the team in March, Spencer quickly cemented himself as a crucial piece of our future,” said Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson. “A talented, young goaltender, he brings athleticism, sound positioning and a calm demeanor to his game, and we’re excited to watch Spencer continue to flourish in Chicago over the next four seasons.”

Knight's time as a Panther came to an end after just 80 games, due to a mix of injuries, the need to enter the NHLPA's player assistance program and the simple fact that Sergei Bobrovsky has been playing too well. As well as Knight played during his Panthers tenure, Bobrovsky left little to no space for Knight to grow, and it was time for Knight to become a No.1 goaltender. 

With those factors playing into the situation, Knight was dealt to the Blackhawks as part of the deal that sent Seth Jones to Florida. 

The former 13th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft now has an excellent opportunity to help a young Blackhawks team work their way back to the playoffs. 

The Panthers and Blackhawks will meet for the season opener this year when the Panthers raise their 2024-25 Stanley Cup banner.

The Philadelphia Flyers rookies stormed back from a two-goal deficit to defeat the New York Rangers 4-3 in overtime Friday night, but no two prospects had an equal performance.

This group of Flyers prospects has one more game to play Saturday night, which will feature some lineup rotation, but we can already glean some takeaways from the early goings of camp.

The Flyers fell down 2-0 to the Rangers early thanks to two non-descript goals from Rangers forwards Brennan Othmann and Dylan Roobroeck, and while there was little structure in this game, those goals weren't great ones.

Stock down: Carson Bjarnason

Carson Bjarnason is still a promising goalie prospect, and his status amongst his peers shouldn't change, but the first two goals he allowed are ones he undoubtedly wants back.

Othmann was left uncovered near the blue paint, but he managed to score with a punchy turnaround shot rather than off a crafty tap-in or snipe.

As for Roobroeck, his goal was more of a delayed catch-and-shoot effort from the right circle, but the weak wrister managed to get through Bjarnason's right arm at the far post.

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We can chalk it up to bad luck and be fair, but those goals have consequences in real games. Fortunately, the Flyers were able to come from behind and win, and Bjarnason settled in nicely afterwards, standing tall against Gabe Perreault on a breakaway amongst other saves.

I think Bjarnason is most likely to start the season in the ECHL with the Reading Royals, assuming that Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov split AHL duties with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Stock up: Denver Barkey

Phantoms head coach John Snowden said that Denver Barkey plays like he's 6-foot-4 after Friday night's game, and for good reason.

The 20-year-old was all over the ice and constantly involved in the play, both offensively and defensively.

There was a moment where Barkey held on to an incredible Spencer Gill setup too long and over-passed where he should've shot, but his patience with the puck was remarkable and generated a ton of offense for the Flyers on the evening.

Barkey's already decent foot speed should improve as he gets bigger and his legs get stronger, and it's clear his standout junior performances with the OHL London Knights were no fluke.

Barkey's playmaking really flashed against the Rangers, and I'm bullish on my Brad Marchand comparison.

It's only one rookie game, but Flyers fans should feel really good about where this former third-round pick is headed.

Stock up: Samu Tuomaala and Jack Nesbitt

The line of Samu Tuomaala, Jack Nesbitt, and Alex Bump was phenomenal against the Rangers and basically never played defense due to their domination of puck possession.

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Bump is already earmarked for an NHL role and is really only needing to maintain his current trajectory at this point, so I've opted for Tuomaala and Nesbitt.

Playing as a weak-side left winger, Tuomaala used his legs effectively and was able to pressure Rangers puck-carriers all night long.

Offensively, the 22-year-old always got to the right spots to receive chances and was consistently aggressive and menacing with the puck on his stick.

Tuomaala isn't likely to have a long-term role with the Flyers as a scorer; Matvei Michkov, Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, and perhaps Bobby Brink are all ahead of him at this time.

He'll need to continue to adopt good defensive practices and further round out his game, like he's shown already, to establish himself.

This was just a rookie game where he was one of the most experienced professional players on the ice, but Tuomaala is off to a great start to camp. Good for him.

As for Nesbitt, he's a lot like Sean Couturier where he lumbers around the ice, but the IQ allows him to get to where he needs to go anyway.

I think Nesbitt has more offensive skills, and he didn't look out of place against the Rangers at all. As a bonus, the 2025 first-round pick was mixing it up physically as well.

If the legs can become even average, Nesbitt could be a second-line center at the NHL level and a power play contributor in some capacity.

Stock down: Ty Murchison and Andre Mondoux

No Flyers defenseman really excelled against the Rangers aside from Ethan Samson and Gill, though the latter was paired with Ty Murchison for most of the night.

Murchison wasn't bad, necessarily, but there wasn't much there in terms of making a big hit or creating offensively. The Arizona State product did block some shots and disrupted plays with his stick, but was otherwise just there.

Flyers' Jett Luchanko No Longer Guelph Storm Captain; OHL Trade Coming?In an interesting new twist, top Philadelphia Flyers center prospect Jett Luchanko is no longer the captain of his junior team, the OHL Guelph Storm.

His performance could have been greater, but he'll get another opportunity Saturday.

The same is true of camp invite Mondoux, who looked overmatched and struggled with his passing and pace of the game.

This is not a great surprise given he played only six OHL games last season, but it is a big opportunity potentially going to waste with Austin Moline and Oliver Bonk likely drawing in for Saturday's game.

For Mondoux to truly get on an NHL team's radar, a full OHL season should help him achieve that; he's simply playing from behind compared to the other players on the ice.

Stock up: Nikita Grebenkin

The Flyers are going to have a hard time leaving Nikita Grebenkin off their opening night roster if this continues.

The overtime hero scored his goal off the bench, receiving a drop pass from Karsen Dorwart, driving at the net, and using a defender as a screen to beat Hugo Ollas from the high slot.

Aside from the shot, though, Grebenkin was always in the right position to support his teammates on the cycle, and his puck protection is top notch. You almost think of Michkov sometimes.

The 22-year-old Russian isn't the most agile at 6-foot-2, but he did say that he dropped around 4 kilos (from 220-215 pounds to 210-205 pounds) this summer.

Grebenkin is moving smoother than I remember, and he played an all-around great game against the Rangers.

If Nick Deslauriers isn't going to be an every-night player for the Flyers this season, the LW4 position is Grebenkin's to lose as I currently see it.

The Buffalo Sabres opened up their 2025 Prospects Challenge on Friday with a 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils prospects at LECOM HarborCenter, but for those who attended to get their first look at 2025 first-rounder Radim Mrtka, the big 18-year-old defenseman put on an impressive performance. The Czech blueliner scored the Sabres opening goal in the first period and throttled a Devils player to the ice with a hard check in the third period.   

"He was great, I'll have to watch the game back, but you could argue that he was the best player out there." Amerks head coach Michael Leone said after the game.  "He plays really hard. I probably didn't realize how good he can move. His lateral movement at the blue line is really good. He just makes good decisions with the puck."

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Topias Leinonen started and went all the way for Buffalo, allowing four New Jersey goals on 27 shots, including a pair in the third period to snap a 2-2 tie. 

“I thought he was good. If you look at the the first (goal), it was a broken play in front of the net, really good play. Then you give up an odd man rush,' Leone said. "The other one was a turnover and an odd man rush, but those are 50/50, the one-on-ones. But I thought he did a really good job. He looked quick and it's I thought he gave us a chance."

Center Noah Ostlund missed the end of the game after taking a shot to the knee area. Leone indicated that he was hit in the area where there was a gap in the padding and that he thought the 2022 first-rounder would be alright, but that he did not return out of an abundance of caution. 

The Sabres take on the Columbus BLue Jackets prospects on Saturday at 7 pm. Scott Ratzlaff is expected to get the start in goal.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

The Winnipeg Jets face off against the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators in the 2025 Prospects Showcase on Saturday and Sunday.

The Winnipeg Jets officially kick off the 2025–26 season with a pair of prospect showcase games, beginning Saturday, September 13, at the Bell Centre against the Montreal Canadiens. Winnipeg will wrap up the weekend with a matchup against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. 

Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) on XHOCKEY! HOCKEY! HOCKEY! 📺: https://t.co/rSDnSZLePm

This will be the first time the Jets are ever participating in a prospects showcase and will feature a lineup that is a mix of the organization’s top prospects, along with several free agent signees and players attending on professional tryouts. 

Some of the notable names playing for the Jets will be 2023 NHL Draft first-round picks Colby Barlow and Brayden Yager, as well as three picks from the 2025 draft class in Owen Martin (third round), Edison Engle (sixth round), and Jacob Cloutier (seventh round). 

Interesting names to look out for on the opposing side of the showcase is high-end prospects in Ivan Demidov, Jacob Fowler, and David Reinbacher for the Canadiens and Carter Yakemchuk, Tyler Boucher, Blake Vanek, 2025 third round pick and the son of former NHLer Thomas Vanek for the Senators. 

The showcase kicks off Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. CT with a matchup against the Habs, followed by another 6:00 p.m. game on Sunday against the Senators. The games can be streamed on winnipegjets.com with Manitoba Moose play-by-play announcer Daniel Fink and colour commentator Jamie Thomas on the call. 

Winnipeg's Newest Top Prospect Eying Redemption After Devastating NCAA FinalsWinnipeg's 2025 first round pick Sascha Boumedienne eyes another shot at a national title following loss in last season's final. 

Winnipeg Jets Prospect Showcase Roster: 

Jets Saturday Lineup vs Habs:

Wagner-Yager-Chibrikov

He-Zhilkin-Barlow

K.Walton-Julien-Cloutier

Yoder-Martin-Newman

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Zloty-Salomonsson

Engle-Fryer

Hamilton-Hartmann

-

DiVincentiis

Worthington

Exclusive: Jets Goalie Prospect Domenic DiVincentiis Eyes NHL Debut in 2025Winnipeg Jets prospect Domenic DiVincentiis talks season goals with AHL All-Star Game, Calder Cup and NHL Debut in new exclusive interview with The Hockey News. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs are signaling a new era by dropping their unique tradition of wearing practice jerseys during prospects games. As the club's rookies hit the ice at Bell Centre in Montreal this past weekend, they did so in their official NHL game jerseys

While this might seem like a small detail, it marks a significant departure from a policy implemented during the previous management's tenure.

Easton Cowan Headlines Maple Leafs Roster For Prospects Showdown in Montreal, Schedule Of GamesThe Toronto Maple Leafs rookie roster is set to take on the rookies of the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators at the 2025 Prospect Showdown this weekend at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Under former General Manager Kyle Dubas the team adopted the tradition of wearing practice threads for prospects games, a policy he continued after becoming the President and General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2023. According to sources, the reasoning behind the switch to practice jerseys was to ensure that every prospect understood they had to earn the right to wear the traditional game jersey. While the logic made sense, the on-ice look often appeared mismatched, as other teams participating in the tournaments clearly do not share that same view.

First year post Shanahan era and the #Leafs have done away with wearing just the practice jerseys at these games like they have in previous years. I like it. https://t.co/RZa2kbdjKs

— David Alter (@dalter) September 13, 2025

Now, with Dubas having departed and Brad Treliving at the helm as the new general manager, the policy has been reversed, although it took a couple of years. This change, which comes as the team prepares to open training camp next week is one of many expected with Treliving reporting directly to MLSE president Keith Pelley and Brendan Shanahan no longer serving as team president. 

With Shanahan out of the picture, Treliving's influence on the day-to-day of things has increased and this is just one example of it.

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