BOCA RATON, Fla., Nov. 15 (UPI) -- NHL general managers meeting in Florida Tuesday declared goalies need to be protected and reaffirmed they should never be considered fair game for hits.
Their resolve to protect goalies came after Buffalo Sabres goalkeeper Ryan Miller was leveled by Boston's Milan Lucic in a game Saturday, leaving Miller with concussion symptoms.
Lucic received a minor penalty for charging after the play.
Although making intentional contact with goalies anywhere on the ice is already banned, the general managers said they wanted to send a message that the rules should be stringently enforced, NHL.com reported.
"I'm not talking about plays around the crease, because there is going to be incidental contact," Penguins GM Ray Shero told the Web site. "But we're talking about a regular season game with the incident with Lucic and Ryan Miller.
"If you get into a playoff series and these guys are going to play pucks and you run them over and get a 2-minute penalty, I think you're going to open up a set of pretty dangerous circumstances."
