BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Of all the ideas related to player safety in the NHL discussed at the GM meetings, the one with the best chance of becoming reality is hybrid icing. It has gained support in recent years. It was tested at the league's research and development camp in Toronto the past two years. And when the league's general managers broke into small groups Monday at their annual meeting, it had unanimous support among the seven GMs who discussed it, according to the Chicago Blackhawks' Stan Bowman. All 30 GMs will discuss it Tuesday. If it has enough support among the whole group, the GMs will recommended it to the competition committee. It would have to go from there to the league's board of governors for approval. "To me, it seems almost that there's no reason it wouldn't be supported," Bowman said. "We'll see maybe if there's something we're missing when we bring it to the bigger group, but you still have a competitive race for the puck. You're not eliminating injuries, but you're reducing the likelihood that guys will get hurt on those plays. It seems like there's a lot there."
