OHL to follow QMJHL’s lead and ditch the trapezoid?

Has there been anything so loathed in hockey as the trapezoid indicating the only place where a goaltender is legally allowed to play the puck behind the net? Earlier this summer, the QMJHL among its rule changes decided to ditch the trapezoid and follow the international standard—the goalie can play the puck anywhere he likes as long as he's on his own side of the red line.

The trapezoid rule, which disallows the goaltender from playing the puck in the corners, was brought into the NHL after their 2004-05 lockout in an attempt to increase the amount of offence in a game. The idea, I guess, was to help teams establishing a forecheck, but the rule had an adverse effect. Many puck-handling goaltenders chose to confine themselves to their creases and played more conservatively rather than initiating breakout sequences.

It's become a slog on penalty kills when the defending team is able to ice the puck (with "draw weight") into the opposition's corner to get a much easier change. Goaltenders rarely jump out to cut off the puck before it hits the goal line, and precious seconds are wasted.

Thankfully, according to Greg Millen, the OHL is dropping the trapezoid, or considering dropping the trapezoid, while the NHL appears to be expanding theirs:

If they're talking about it, that's a good sign. The OHL's rule changes last season to disciplinary and priority draft procedures were announced just before the start of the exhibition season, but you have to wonder if there's enough time between any announcement and the start of the exhibition season to physically remove the trapezoid lines from rinks.

It could be a situation, as when international hockey is played in junior rinks, where the lines are ignored, but they're still unsightly and distracting. With no official announcement as of yet, this would most likely be a change instituted at the start of the 2013-14 season, which shapes up nicely for Malcolm Subban. A few of the best OHL puck handlers from last season have already left the league to turn pro, including Brandon Maxwell and Mark Visentin, who scored a goal last season for Niagara.

We'll watch for any official announcement, and as to what this means for the WHL. The OHL has been Canada's goaltending factory for the last few seasons: In the previous five NHL drafts, 23 goaltenders have been selected from the OHL compared to 14 from the "W" and 14 from the "Q".