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NHL enforcing stricter cross-checking rules in 2021-22

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The NHL is cracking down on cross-checking.

Officials will be more strict with regard to calling cross-checking penalties during the upcoming 2021-22 campaign, the league announced Friday.

Cross-checking will be enforced more commonly in three specific areas of the rink: along the boards, in front of the net, and in open ice.

The league posted a video illustrating examples of instances that'll be affected by Rule 59.

The level of cross-checking enforcement across the league has been under the microscope in recent years, but it was most notably a hot topic during the 2020 postseason.

The NHL's most recent penalty crackdown came on slashing infractions ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

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