NHL 14: Hybrid Icing... and Other Rules - Wiggy's Blog

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Wiggy's Blog

NHL 14: Hybrid Icing... and Other Rules Stuck

Posted on October 9, 2013 at 07:48 AM.

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Besides the slight modifications to goalie equipment and an adjustment to the depth of the nets, the biggest change for this year's NHL season has been hybrid icing. The goal of the rule is to prevent heinous injuries to players, like the one that felled Joni Pitkanen of the Carolina Hurricanes. Pitkanen was racing down the ice after a potential icing when he crashed into the boards and broke his heel. This scenario has all sorts of potential risks, as players are skating at full speed, with sticks and limbs flying and the boards as their final destination. Bad stuff can happen in this situation.

The potential push-back against this new hybrid rule -- where it's essentially a race to the face-off dpt and not the goal line -- is that it stifles the excitement of players hustling for an icing. It also limits some of the creative plays that can be done when crossing center, such as the slap shot set play that the Sedin brothers use from time to time. Either way, the rule is in the league now, and it's interesting seeing the players, coaches and officials coming to terms with its impact on the game.

Since the icing rule was voted on so late, it actually wasn't included for NHL 14 (even the realignment barely made it, and it's only half-implemented). Even if the development team had the requisite time to include the rule, I could see a lot of potential issues with its implementation. The current icing rule is already a bit floaty, with some pucks that would be ruled "reachable" by a defender still resulting in an icing call. Just the same, the offsides can get pretty funky from game to game, with certain passes being rewarded when it seems the skater is clearly offside.

To an extent, I like some of the rules to feel a bit organic. I don't want complete randomness, but when the game is trying to simulate a bit of realism and "human error" with the refereeing, that ends up creating a slightly more unpredictable experience. It was kind of cool when the NFL 2K franchise started doing that with play challenges, as they'd spot the ball in slightly different places or call receivers out of bounds from time to time. I think the hybrid icing would fall under this category, as there would be a lot interpretation to which player had the edge at the face-off dots.

If the rule is brought to bear in NHL 15 and beyond, I think the biggest effect on the game will be the inability to catch a defender sleeping on a (un)intentional dump-in from behind center, as he'll just have to get to the imaginary line first and not actually touch the puck. Just as it's been an adjustment for the real players, it will be a big change for the virtual skaters as well.

Of course, icing isn't the only rule that EA has had a tough time implementing the right way. From the boards here at OS to the EA forums and everywhere else, plenty of users in NHL 14 are upset at the lack of instigator calls -- especially in light of the increased fighting emphasis this year. When I talked to the devs at EA in Burnaby before release, they explained that the instigator rule was very much up to interpretation and that "intent" was a hard thing to judge.

I definitely sympathize, as the new fighting system would be useless if you were constantly getting assessed a minor penalty when you wanted to throw down against some guy who had been hitting you all game. Still, the company's moniker -- "If it's in the game, it's in the game" -- leads me to believe that instigator calls should be replicated in some fashion. Maybe it would be after someone declined a fight several times but then the aggressor "forced" the fight or something. It should be a rare call, to be sure, but just like multiple on-ice officials, five-man huddles and playoff beards, it should be in the game.

A rule that EA does have in place for NHL 14, and that has become a bit of a sticking point again with more goalie contact, is goalie interference. A lot of times this call is pretty cut and dry, as you'll steamroll a goalie and be called for a penalty that's clearly deserved. Other times, it seems that the new physics-based hitting can nudge you into the goalie -- or even your momentum can do the same. You can almost see the if-then statement in the code, as the game waits to see whether a goal is scored before assessing the penalty. Again, I like that they've got these kinds of "interpretation" calls in there -- just like video review -- but I'm hopeful that more iteration and better technology can improve these aspects of the gameplay that are less black and white.

I certainly doubt EA will be able to patch in something like hybrid icing, but I'm sure they're paying close attention to its possible impact on the real product. No one will ever be completely satisfied with these types of rules, in real-life or virtual, because that's the very nature of interpretation. Above all, these sorts of rules and plays allow us to get mad at the refs, umpires and officials, and that's a necessary part of any nutritious sports breakfast.

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Comments

# 1 Storm12 @ Oct 8

I think no touch icing would be better to put in, seeing as the euro leagues do that and with the way the play in the NHL is now... It would just work better to me. And it would be way easier to implement in the game than hybrid icing.

# 2 synjin @ Oct 8

I'd also like to see the automatic game misconduct for 3rd fight. A VERY simple check against existing fighting majors during penalty assessment would solve it. It's been like this for years. You'd think someone over there would figure it out.

# 3 ManiacMatt1782 @ Oct 9

Checking from behind not against the boards being called is something I would like to see fixed.

# 4 Bryzine21 @ Oct 9

Last time i checked my Xbox version of NHL 14 hybrid icing was an option. In fact i play with it turned on.

# 5 Wiggy @ Oct 9

Quote:


	Bryzine21 @ Oct 9 (10 Hours Ago) Last time i checked my Xbox version of NHL 14 hybrid icing was an option. In fact i play with it turned on.

I was definitely taken aback when I read your comment here, as I didn't think it was in the game.

Sure enough, when I checked exhibition mode, the only options are "on," "off" and "no-touch." Are you thinking of no-touch icing? Hybrid icing works differently than that.

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I saw it nowhere in the options.

# 6 Weapon X @ Oct 9

At least one scenario of Instigator penalties should be easy to implement given the situations that the Enforcer Engine produces. If a player starts a fight because a guy laid out his teammate, said player instigated the fight.

WX

# 7 thegoons21 @ Oct 10

Wait, how is the realignment only half implemented? What am I missing?

# 8 JKGuy16 @ Oct 10

Quote:


	Bryzine21 @ Oct 9 (1 Day Ago) Last time i checked my Xbox version of NHL 14 hybrid icing was an option. In fact i play with it turned on.

No, it isn't in the game.

# 9 Wiggy @ Oct 10

Quote:


	thegoons21 @ Oct 10 (3 Hours Ago) Wait, how is the realignment only half implemented? What am I missing?

Fair enough. Maybe that's not a correct characterization. I guess the main thing is that it was included at the last second, and the names for the divisions aren't included.