FAIRBANKS, AK - Alaska Nanooks Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation,
Forrest Karr, has accepted a nomination to serve on the NCAA Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules Committee.
Current committee member Mark Johnson, head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, nominated Karr for the spot, which becomes vacant on September 1st when Jeff Vizenor of Minnesota State-Mankato (Division II) leaves the committee. Karr's appointment was recently ratified by the Division II Management Council in Indianapolis.
"I was honored to be nominated by Mark and look forward to serving within the NCAA governance structure," said Karr. "Hockey has taught me so much. This appointment is a wonderful opportunity to give back to a sport I passionately care about."
"Both men's and women's intercollegiate hockey continue to evolve. It's very important for the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) to have a voice in the rules that govern competition."
While Johnson's term on the committee will end in September of 2009, Karr's four-year term with the rules committee will commence on September 1 this year and go through September 1, 2010.
Karr will participate in the committee's monthly conference call as well as attend their annual four day meeting each June.
The committee is comprised of thirteen members (twelve voting plus one non-voting rules-editing secretary). Six members are from Division I, one from Division II, four from Division III and one Division II or III at large position. Within the members from Divisions I and III, one half of the members represent men's interests and one half represent women's interests. One position is represented by either Division II or III and from the gender not represented by the specified Division II representative.
The general duties of the committee involve talking with constituencies (coaches, student-athletes, officials, administrators, etc) regarding playing rules and sharing feedback with the committee. Also, attending as many contests as possible to see the effect of playing rules and see potential problems or issues first hand.
The current committee met last month in San Antonio, where it reinforced its commitment to eliminating hitting from behind from the game and mapped out a strategic plan for future changes at its annual meeting. It also dealt with goals directed into the net by an attacking player's skate, offered further protections to the goalkeeper with the crease rule and recommended that conferences check goalkeeper equipment for legality during the season.
The only major change the committee made to its rules dealt with icing. Starting this season, when the attacking team attempts a pass that is deemed receivable, icing will be nullified.
Colonel James Knowlton, Athletic Director at the United States Military Academy, has been named the new committee chair and replaces the University of Miami-Ohio's head men's hockey coach, Enrico Blasi, whose two-year term officially ends in September.
Also departing the committee with Blasi is men's head coach John Harrington of St. Johns University (Division III).
- ALASKA HOCKEY -
