NHL enforcing stricter cross-checking rules in 2021-22
The NHL is cracking down on cross-checking.
Officials will be more strict with regard to calling cross-checking penalties during the upcoming 2021-22 campaign, the league announced Friday.
Cross-checking will be enforced more commonly in three specific areas of the rink: along the boards, in front of the net, and in open ice.
The league posted a video illustrating examples of instances that'll be affected by Rule 59.
2021-22 Rule Interpretation: Rule 59 - Cross-checking
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) September 24, 2021
For the 2021-22 season there will be a tighter standard of enforcement for Rule 59 - Cross-checking.
Find more in the NHL Video Rulebook: https://t.co/HJ93BdTp5f pic.twitter.com/H95yTcr4M3
The level of cross-checking enforcement across the league has been under the microscope in recent years, but it was most notably a hot topic during the 2020 postseason.
The NHL's most recent penalty crackdown came on slashing infractions ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.