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The 2014–15 NHL season is the 98th season of operation (97th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL).
League business
As part of the deal approved by the City of Glendale to keep the team from relocating, the "Phoenix Coyotes" changed their name to the Arizona Coyotes before the start of the 2014–15 season.
Canadian TV deals
The league's Canadian broadcast agreements with CBC and TSN/RDS expired at the end of the 2013–14 season. On November 26, 2013, the NHL announced it had sold, for the price of C$5.2 billion, twelve seasons' worth of exclusive national broadcast rights to NHL games to Rogers Media who will broadcast games across its numerous platforms, including Sportsnet, Sportsnet One, and City. Hockey Night in Canada will continue on the CBC for the next four seasons; the CBC will give Rogers six hours of free airtime each night to air the broadcasts but will pay no rights fee. CBC will be allotted time during the broadcasts to promote its other programming. French language broadcasts will move to TVA Sports. The moves leave the Bell Media-ESPN consortium (owners of TSN and RDS) shut out of NHL broadcasts except for its regional properties (as of 2014, these include the rights to all teams east of Saskatchewan—the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Canadian rights to the Buffalo Sabres, and beginning this season, the Ottawa Senators).
Rule changes
The following rule changes will be voted upon by the NHL Board of Governors prior to the season:
The trapezoidal areas behind each net in which goaltenders are allowed to play the puck are to be made 4 feet (1.2 m) wider than their current width.
The width of the hashmarks outside the faceoff circles will be extended from their current 3.5 feet to five feet.
Prior to any overtime period, both teams will change ends and the ice will be dry-scraped by an ice resurfacer. The league hopes that the "long line changes" and the better ice surfaces will increase scoring in overtime, and thus decrease shootouts.
Coaches no longer have to submit a list of shootout participants as it begins. The coaches will be free as to who they will pick next.
Teams that ice the puck can only use one center to make the ensuring faceoff. If that player attempts to get kicked out of the faceoff to buy his team time, he'll get a two-minute delay-of-game penalty.
The wording "embellishment" will be changed to allow an escalating scale of fines to repeat-offense players and coaches.
Uniforms
The Arizona Coyotes added a new patch on their home and away jerseys as part of their name change.
The Anaheim Ducks added a new away jersey to match the alternate "webbed D" as their new primary jerseys, replacing the “Anaheim Ducks” word mark.
The Philadelphia Flyers have confirmed that they will have a new third jersey in time for the 2014-15 season.
The St. Louis Blues will have new home and away jerseys; the alternate will remain along with the new set.
Regular season
The regular season will begin on October 8, 2014 and end on April 11, 2015. The Chicago Blackhawks and the Washington Capitals will play in the 2015 NHL Winter Classic on January 1. Both the first Saturday (October 11) and the last day (April 11) of the regular season will feature 15 games (all 30 teams).
Muller was fired on May 5, 2014, after accumulating a 80-80-27 record in three seasons with no trips to the playoffs. On June 19, Peters succeeds after serving three seasons as an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings.
Horachek was fired after one season on April 29, 2014, after going 26-36-4. On June 21, Gallant succeeds after serving two seasons as an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens.
Trotz was fired on April 14, 2014, after fifteen seasons. He accumulated a 557-479-160 regular season record and a 19-31 playoff record. On May 6, Laviolette succeeds after serving six seasons as head coach with the Philadelphia Flyers. He guided the Flyers to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals where they lost in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Byslma was fired on June 6, 2014, after serving on the team from 2009–2014. He accumulated a 252-117-32 regular season record and a 43-35 postseason record. In 2009, he guided the team to win the Stanley Cup. For his efforts during the 2010-11 season, he was awarded the Jack Adams Award as the league's most outstanding coach. On June 25, Johnston succeeds after serving on the Portland Winterhawks as a head coach from 2008-2014, where he compiled a record of 231-114-10-10. In 2013, he guided the team to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
Tortorella was fired after one season on May 1, 2014, after going 36-35-11. On June 23, Desjardins succeeds after two seasons as head coach with the Texas Stars. In his tenure with Texas, he went 91-40-21, won two division titles, a Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for finishing with the most points in the regular season, a Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as the league's most outstanding coach and a Calder Cup in 2013.
Oates was fired after two seasons on April 26, 2014 after compiling a 65-48-17 record. In his first season, he took the Capitals to the playoffs by winning the Southeast Division. They ended up loosing to the New York Rangers in the first round 4-3. On May 26, Trotz succeeds after fifteen seasons as head coach with Nashville Predators. In his tenure with Nashville, he accumulated a 557-479-160 regular season record and a 19-31 playoff record.