NHL to modify faceoff circle hash marks

The National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) announced today that the modification to Rule 1.9 - Face-off Spots and Circles will be implemented for the commencement of the 2014-15 Season.

The rule change, which moves the hash marks at the end zone circles from three feet apart to five feet, seven inches apart, had been tested during the 2014-15 preseason.

Rule 1.9 - Face-off Spots and Circles:

A circular blue spot, twelve inches (12") in diameter, shall be marked exactly in the center of the rink; and with this spot as a center, a circle of fifteen feet (15') radius shall bemarked with a blue line two inches (2") in width.

Two red spots two feet (2') in diameter shall be marked on the ice in the neutral zone five feet (5') from each blue line. Within the face-off spot, draw two parallel lines three inches (3") from the top and bottom of the spot. The area within the two lines shall be painted red, the remainder shall be painted white. The spots shall be forty-four feet (44') apart and each shall be a uniform distance from the adjacent boards.

In both end zones and on both sides of each goal, red face-off spots and circles shall be marked on the ice. The face-off spots shall be two feet (2') in diameter. Within the face-off spot, draw two parallel lines three inches (3") from the top and bottom of the spot. The area within the two lines shall be painted red, the remainder shall be painted white.

The circles shall be two inches (2") wide with a radius of fifteen feet (15') from the center of the face-off spots. At the outer edge of both sides of each face-off circle and parallel to the goal line shall be marked two red lines, two inches (2") wide and two feet (2') in length and five feet, seven inches (5'7") apart.

One foot away from the outer edge of the face-off spot, two lines shall be drawn parallel with the side boards that shall be four feet (4') in length and eighteen inches (18") apart. Parallel to the end boards, commencing at the end of the line nearest to the face-off spot, a line shall extend two feet ten inches (2'10") in length. All lines shall be two inches (2") in width.

The location of the face-off spots shall be fixed in the following manner:

Along a line twenty feet (20') from each goal line and parallel to it, mark two points twenty-two feet (22') on both sides of the straight line joining the center of the two goals. Each such point shall be the center of a face-off spot and circle.