PWHL tweaks penalty, short-handed goal, shootout in rule book

The Professional Women's Hockey League rule book released hours before its first game Monday features a short-handed goal ending a power-play for the opposing team.

The six-team PWHL, which opened Monday with Toronto hosting New York, modelled its rule book on the NHL's and the International Ice Hockey Federation's.

But the women's league adopted a unique rule interpretation after experimenting with it during December's pre-season evaluation camp in Utica, N.Y.

Also unique in shootouts is, "a player is eligible at any time to take any number of shots and as often as the team chooses."

The PWHL also adopted a 3-2-1 point system that differs from the NHL with three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime or shootout win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss and zero for a regulation loss.

"The entire PWHL has embraced the opportunity to be innovative with how our game is played," PWHL hockey operations senior vice-president Jayna Hefford said in a statement issued Monday.

"After the pre-season evaluation camp, we surveyed general managers, coaches, players, and officials and received broad consensus that this new rule added excitement to the game and to special teams situations. I think fans are really going to enjoy the PWHL for its speed and skill in addition to its physicality and competitiveness."

Game rosters will consist of 21 players of 19 skaters and two goaltenders.

WATCH l Shelton, 4th overall pick, will go down in history as first to score in the league:

If the score is tied at the end of three periods, five minutes of three-on-three.

If tied after OT, the shootout will consist first of five shots per team — instead of the NHL's three — unless the outcome is determined earlier.

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