The Club | The benches on the same side, the NFL schedule and… the four teams from the United Kingdom

Every week, journalists from the Sports team answer your questions.

Benches on the same side in hockey

In hockey, why was it decided to place the players’ benches on the same side of the ice rink while the locker rooms are not?

Gaétan Faucher and Jean Dufresne

Response from Simon-Olivier Lorange

The rule, in force in both the NHL and international hockey, was put in place in the late 1970s so that the two teams were equidistant from the penalty box. For around ten years, teams installed in old arenas benefited from a grandfather clause which avoided them having to carry out costly renovations. In 1988, however, all NHL clubs were required to comply. It was apparently Rexall Place, former home of the Edmonton Oilers, which was the last building where the two players’ benches faced each other.

Wearing a visor

I just read the article regarding Carl Hagelin’s retirement. I know that visors are now mandatory for all new NHL players, but I wonder if this regulation regulates how it is worn. There seems to be a trend among some players to wear it on the top of the helmet.

Benoît Richard

Response from Mathias Brunet

There is no supervision as such. In Montreal, Sean Monahan wears it a bit like Hagelin, that is to say completely straightened, almost at the height of the helmet. It therefore does little to protect the eyes. There’s no rule stopping Monahan from wearing it that way, but a little education never hurts. Former Canadian equipment manager Pierre Gervais would undoubtedly have discussed the matter with Monahan, to ensure maximum protection for the player. Maybe a member of management. But the final decision is up to the athlete, for better or worse.

NFL schedule

How is the NFL schedule made? By lot? We hear the commentators mention that this team has not played against this team for two or three years. How is it possible ?

Diane Therriault

Response from Alexandre Pratt

The calendar is generated by computers, based on criteria provided by humans. Starting in January, the teams submit a list of constraints for the following season. Example: If a music group has already booked a stadium in November 2024, the local club will play abroad that week. The NFL then ensures that a series of criteria are met, including the number of games against division rivals (six per year). Under the current formula, all clubs must play each other at least once in a four-year period. The NFL must also respond to the demands of television networks, who want exciting duels in prime time. In the end, it is humans who will choose the best scenario among those suggested by the software.

The Disunited Kingdoms

Why is the United Kingdom participating in the Olympic Games under the Great Britain umbrella, but we have England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland competing separately in the Olympic Games? soccer?

Marc-André Labbé

Response from Alexandre Pratt

The exception here is not the Olympic Games, but international soccer (and rugby) competitions. In the statutes of the International Football Federation, it is written that “FIFA recognizes as a member only one association per country”, except for the exceptions provided for in paragraphs 5 and 6. And what does paragraph 5 say? “Each of the four British associations is recognized as an individual FIFA association. » This is in a way a clause of acquired rights to recognize the contribution of these four nations in the emancipation of this sport in the first decades. Moreover, the four nations each had a national team even before the founding of FIFA in 1904.

Hockey numbers

I would like to know if, in the National Hockey League, all numbers between 1 and 99 are used.

Louis Giguère

Response from Alexandre Pratt

No. To pay tribute to Wayne Gretzky, the National Hockey League retired his number 99. So no one can wear it. Also, since Joshua Ho-Sang in 2018, no player has touched number 66, popularized by Mario Lemieux.