New season (Sunday brunch: October 12, 2014)

While my hockey season started last month, the NHL had its opener this past week (and the Flyers are winless in 3)  A few rules changes were made, most of them pretty minor.

• Larger area where the goalkeeper can handle the puck (an easing of the Marty Brodeur rule).
• Wider spacing of the hashmarks where wingers line up on a face-off (will lessen interference).
• New fines for players who dive or act like they’re hurt in order to draw a penalty against an opponent.
• Face-offs will no longer go out to the neutral zone when a shot is deflected out of the rink.
• A change to face-off procedures to keep teams from stalling after an icing violation.
• Tripping will now be called when a player takes out an opponent with his body or arm, even if he contacts the puck first.
• More situations where the league office can use video replay for goal/no-goal calls.
• Automatic suspension for two game misconducts involving physical fouls.   
• Changes to overtime procedures: a dry scrape of the ice before OT and teams change ends. 
• The “spin-o-rama” move is now outlawed on penalty shots.

Care for opinions? Retired NHL referees Kerry Fraser and Paul Stewart have blogged on the new rule.  Care for puzzles?  Look below.

Our regular cryptics are in the Globe and Mail (watch out for a British degree in 25a) and the National Post.

The Wall Street Journal has a novel Patrick Berry crossword called Changing Direction.  Amazing are the ideas he comes up with.

The New York Times has a Split Decisions by Fred Piscop, blogged (with spoilers) by Deb Amlen.  I just can’t get into those.