Coaching jobs went to old hands like Pat Burns and new hands like Bruce Cassidy. Bill Guerin, Jose Theodore and Jarome Iginla are among those who rode last season's numbers all the way to bank. The Buffalo Sabres were orphaned when the owner was taken away in handcuffs. The New York Rangers doled out more free agent contracts but still ended up with nobody who can play left wing.

Recycled coaches, fat contracts, crooked owners, clueless franchises: It's all business as usual for the NHL. But even in the hidebound world of hockey, progress is inevitable. Here area few of the changes and stories to watch for in the 2002-2003 NHL season.

Don't Touch!
The NHL claims - yet again - that it is serious about eliminating hooking, holding, "picking" and other forms of interference from the game. The rules are there, but lax enforcement has always been a sore point, especially with scoring stars like Mario Lemieux and Brett Hull. This time the emphasis is on protecting players without the puck and players trying to catch up on the attack. A defender cannot impede the opponent's progress in any way unless he has established "body position." The grey area in this one is a mile wide. Expect much screaming and fuming as the whistles resound in the first weeks of the season.

Speed Drop:
The hurry-up faceoff is designed to eliminate all the jerking around and jockeying for position that follows every whistle. On the referee's signal, the road team has five seconds to make a player change. Then the home team has eight seconds to do the same. Then five more seconds for everyone to get in position and the puck is dropped. The hurry-up faceoff has played to rave reviews in international hockey, the AHL and Canadian junior leagues, and could shave as much as 15 useless minutes from an NHL game. But some players complain that the speed drop eliminates the faceoff-won-or-lost as a tactical part of the game, turning every faceoff into a scrum because no one has a chance to properly set up.

The Liability Net:
Hundreds of hockey fans are hit by pucks every year, and the death of Brittanie Cecil last March - struck in the head by a deflected puck in Columbus - sent shock waves through the NHL. So starting this fall, netting will hang in the corners and behind the nets of every NHL arena. Claiming to have found unobtrusive colors and weaves, the league says fans will adjust quickly and ignore the nets. Canada's three Major Junior leagues will also have netting at all arenas within a year.

Same Couch, Different Night:
Cable subscribers in the U.S. will need to change their viewing habits. For years, Wednesday night has been hockey night on ESPN. But this season, basketball takes over on Wednesday and the NHL moves to a regular Thursday slot.

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