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NHL CONTEMPLATES RULES CHANGES IN WAKE OF SCORING DECLINE

          NHL Governors will meet in Phoenix in early February
     "to discuss the possibility of revamping the long-standing
     format of games by using four quarters instead of the
     standard three periods," according to Grant Kerr of the
     Toronto GLOBE & MAIL.  NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman
     disclosed the proposal this weekend in his midseason state-
     of-the-union address before the All-Star Game.  Bettman: "I
     think we're very conservative about change, not radical.  We
     could experiment with this in the minors or in the
     preseason."  Kerr added that the concept "apparently comes"
     from Fox and would incorporate 12-minute intermissions
     instead of the usual 18 minutes "so that all the commercials
     can be aired.  Traditionalists in Canada likely will oppose
     any change in the present game format."  Kerr also added
     that Bettman "reiterated" that the league is monitoring a
     slight drop in scoring this season which will be addressed
     again at the February board meeting.  Other suggestions for
     the game include moving the goal nets further from the end
     boards, not letting the goaltender play the puck out of his
     crease, eliminating the center red line, changing the
     offside rule, mandatory forechecking and downsizing goalie
     equipment (GLOBE & MAIL, 1/19).  NHL Senior VP Brian Burke
     said that the league "plans to experiment with a series of
     rules changes in the coming months."  The IHL and AHL "will
     act as guinea pigs for several of the proposed rule
     changes."  Fuller also reported that "many NHL owners are
     convinced a two-hour hockey game would be more enticing to
     the American TV networks."  Burke added that games "would
     end 16 minutes sooner" in four quarters (TORONTO SUN, 1/18).
          REAX: In Toronto, Al Strachan wrote that the new
     suggestions "are not all good.  While some make sense,
     others are far too radical" (TORONTO SUN, 1/18).  In N.Y.,
     Larry Brooks wrote "the game is in need of far more of a fix
     than simply moving the nets two feet farther from the end-
     boards. ... If you've been to a rink lately you recognize
     the crowd noise as the sounds of silence, and for good
     reason.  Nothing happens; for minutes at a time" (N.Y. POST,
     1/18).  In Toronto, Damien Cox, on the four quarter
     proposal: "It is the clearest demonstration yet that this
     league, specifically commissioner Gary Bettman and his
     sheriff Brian Burke, is virtually bankrupt of imagination
     and integrity when it comes to caring for the sport" (STAR,
     1/19).  Anaheim Sports President Tony Tavares: "They're
     really barking up the wrong tree. ... You don't need to
     change the game that much" (SEATTLE TIMES, 1/19).
          FROM THE TOP: Bettman was interviewed on Fox between
     periods of the All-Star Game.  Bettman, on bridging the gap
     between the NHL's Canadian roots and its U.S. expansion: "We
     want to keep the game strong in Canada ... but we also need
     to be more competitive with the other sports in North
     America.  Five years ago we were in 11 U.S. markets.  By the
     turn of the century we'll be in 20.  We do great where we
     have teams.  We just have not had teams in as many places as
     the other leagues" ("NHL on Fox," Fox, 1/18).
          OTHER NEWS: The NHL Board of Governors voted to
     continue the Canadian Assistance Program, according to
     Helene Elliott of the L.A. TIMES.  The Oilers, Flames and
     Senators each received "about" $2.5M last season.  Elliott
     also reported that the governors voted to donate C$500,000
     to assist victims of the recent ice storms in Quebec and
     eastern Ontario (L.A. TIMES, 1/18).....Commissioner Bettman
     also announced the recipients of the NHL's 10 A.S.S.I.S.T.
     grants, totaling $100,000, to youth hockey programs
     worldwide (NHL).....The NHL and USA Hockey announced the
     appointment of Willie O'Ree, the first black player in the
     NHL, to the position of Dir of Youth Development (NHL).     
          WOMEN'S DAY: Canada defeated the U.S. 2-1 in an
     exhibition victory Friday night, before 14,944 at GM Place
     in Vancouver, "the largest crowd ever to watch a women's
     hockey game" (AP/DETROIT NEWS, 1/17).  In Toronto, Jim
     Proudfoot called the women's game "the competitive highlight
     of the entire three-day festival" (TORONTO STAR, 1/19). 

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