In NHL news, the book per head saga surrounding the proposed rule change regarding headshots continues.

Although it is unclear when exactly it will come into effect, it appears likely that the rule will be in place before the end of this season. The players however, want more discussion before there is any agreement to a new permanent rule change. While the players are in support of a temporary ban to provide a solution for the remainder of the season, the NHL’s competition committee has made it clear their desire for talks this summer before any new permanent regulations are put into place.

The competition committee is made up of five players, four general managers and one owner. Their assent is required for any rule change – from there, the rule must be approved by the NHL’s 30 governors. In the case of a mid-season rule change, such as the proposed tweaking, a unanimous vote of approval is required from the governors. Were this a sporting contest, sportsbook cappers would consider the rule-change a lock at this point.

The rule change calls for a minor or major penalty to be assessed for “blindside” hits to the head, with all such hits subject to an automatic review by the league’s hockey-operations department. The move comes on the heels of a series of brutal blindside hits in recent memory, with the most recent being Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke’s hit on Boston’s Marc Savard – a blindside check which left Savard out cold and out of competition after suffering a concussion.