NEW YORK -- Ryan Kesler is still recovering from his offseason hip surgery and he remains devastated at losing two former teammates, Rick Rypien and Pavol Demitra, but here he is in the Big Apple with his wife, Andrea, experiencing the NHL Player Media Tour for the first time.

Kesler also wanted to point out in during our conversation tonight at the Versace Boutique that he is the first Canuck to attend the Player Media Tour.

He's happy to say so.

Since he plays in Vancouver, Kesler rarely gets a chance to visit New York. In fact, he said this is Andrea's first time in the city.

They unfortunately can't stay for too long because Ryan has to go to Vail to get his hip examined and Andrea has to get home to their two kids to begin what she called her super mom duties again.

NEW YORK -- Stars of the National Hockey League are taking Manhattan this week for the 2011 Player Media Tour.

More than 30 players, including Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Corey Perry, Steven Stamkos and Tim Thomas, will take part in the League's third annual event that will take them to the NHL headquarters on Sixth Avenue as well as Prudential Center in Newark.

The event begins Wednesday night with an invite-only player cocktail party at the Versace Boutique on 5th Avenue.

The NHL in conjunction with the clubs has coordinated the Player Media Tour since 2008. This year's is going to be the biggest yet with more players than ever.

Brendan Shanahan stopped short of calling the Research, Development and Orientation Camp an annual event, but the value of it for the League, the clubs, players and attending media has grown in leaps and bounds from last year to this year that it'd be strange to think of not having this event next year as well.

"We're still talking about it," Shanahan said. "We've done it two years in a row and we'll take a step back to see if we do it annually. I know there would be some disappointed 17 year olds if we didn't do it next year, so we'll see."

That's just the thing about this camp, the orientation aspect for the top draft-eligible prospects has become such an important element. Testing potential rule changes and technological innovations is certainly important for the NHL, but getting to know the top prospects that could be coming into the League soon should not be undervalued.

"We are doing research and development at a time when our game has never been better, and what we've stumbled upon is a great event for the best 17 year olds in North America," Shanahan said. "It's good for us to get to know them a bit, for them to get to know the NHL a little bit and to learn a few things about what to expect in their draft year. It was a fun event."

Shanahan even came away with a favorite rule change that was tested, one he wouldn't mind seeing one day soon in the NHL.

"I think in overtime to change ends and do the second period line change, the far line change really made a difference," he said. "I think 4-on-4 and 3-on-3 were both really exciting."

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After coaching three games that involved various different rule changes, Dan Bylsma and Dave Tippett were able to pick out what potential changes they liked best. Here are their favorites:

TIPPETT

No line change after going offside and the faceoff goes back into the offending team's zone

"It's a little bit the same as the icing rule, where you can't change and it goes back to the end zone. If they did that with offside also, that's an area where you can really exploit matchups. It's giving a team an advantage. Now, there are going to be some people who say just because you go offside, is it too much of an advantage? The one thing offside does is it stops the game, so you'd basically be penalized for stopping the game. Don't stop the game. Play fast, but there is going to be a consequence if you stop it with icing or offside. I know how hard it is when you ice the puck and you've got tired players on, a mismatch, it can change the outcome of games."

BYLSMA

Switch ends for overtime and start with four minutes of 4-on-4 and then go to three minutes of 3-on-3

"You'd get more games decided in the overtime. That's something I would like to see implemented in our game. All the good players are going to be on the ice more and the long change accentuates being tired. If it goes end-to-end and you get tired, I think more games will be decided in that overtime period than go to a shootout."

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It happened late in the first period of Thursday morning's game here at RDO Camp. The Black team coached by Dave Tippett scored a goal on a 5-on-3 advantage, yet because of the rule change being tested, both of the offending players from Dan Bylsma's White team had to remain in the penalty box.

The 5-on-3 continued for another minute. Tippett's team didn't score another goal, but the message was sent.

A rule change that would force all penalties to be served in their entirety could have a great influence on the outcome of a game.

"Oh what a price to pay," Nashville GM David Poile told NHL.com. "I think we really would have to talk about that one long and hard."

Poile is on the fence on this potential rule change. He said he sees its merits, but he also questions if it would affect how the official calls the game.

"If it's a situation late in the game and you're shorthanded already, how will that influence a referee in calling a second penalty when he knows what the increased punishment is?" Poile said. "That's a tough one for me. I mean, I get it. It's not that i dislike it, but what would I vote for it right now? No."

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Brendan Shanahan thought going into the second session at RDO Camp on Wednesday that even with no trapezoid to restrict them, goalies still wouldn't have too much time to skate into the corner in order to play the puck.

Now he feels he has a small sampling of visual evidence to prove his point.

"We took out the trapezoid rule and yet the goalies still had no time to come out and play the puck," Shanahan said Wednesday afternoon. "I think the idea of goaltenders coming out and having all day to set the puck up, tee it up are gone simply because of the lack of the defenseman's ability to hold up the forecheckers now and clutch and grab through the neutral zone. So even though we said to the goalies go play the puck, they had no time."

Shanahan was quick to point out that it was "just one test and it doesn't mean it's the end of that idea." He also admitted that there may still be opportunities in the game that goalies could have the time to head into the corners and play the puck in order to start the attack going forward, but he firmly believes their opportunities would be few and far between in today's game.

"As far as a forward coming through the neutral zone and doing a soft chip and dump, he's just coming so fast now whereas 10 years ago the guy would have been picked or someone would have jumped on his back," Shanahan said.

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Edmonton GM Steve Tambellini wanted to scream out, "Blow the whistle," until he realized in Session 2 here at RDO Camp a team that commits a penalty had to do more than simply gain possession of the puck in order for the whistle to blow and the ensuing power play to start.

"You recognize the onus is on the player to get the puck out before they can blow the whistle," Tambellini told NHL.com. "The play is not over. You have to work to earn the right to get the whistle. I didn't mind that."

Tambellini just described the delayed penalty rule that was tested in Session 2 and appeared to be of keen interest to many in attendance. The team that committed the penalty had to get the puck out of the zone before the referee could blow his whistle to stop play and impose the penalty on the offending player.

The rationale is that the extra time it takes for the offending team to clear their zone would essentially create a longer power play for the opponent once the opposing coach pulled his goalie.

It's hard enough to gain possession when you're down a man; now imagine how difficult it would be to clear the zone with possession.

"It also creates fatigue," Tambellini said. "Say you're playing Detroit and they've been in the zone for a minute and a half, then you take a penalty and now you have to get it out of the zone. You'll have a much greater chance for a scoring opportunity."

Tambellini said he's all for enhancing scoring opportunities through power plays, and making the offending team clear the zone with possession is one way to do it.

"I think it's great that we continue to strive to be able to show the incredible ability of these players," he said. "They're so well-disciplined and so well-coached, so fit that the dropoff level of energy to defend isn't too much. So, you need to keep finding ways to reward the players that have the skill and can make a great play. You have to reward the team that is working hard to keep the puck in the zone. Don't just let teams take lazy penalties against teams and players that maybe are more skilled, hard-working and fit.

"It takes a lot of work in the game to generate a Grade A opportunity. You want to reward the effort and the skill to do that."

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Just prior to Session 2 here at RDO Camp, we caught up to Penguins GM Ray Shero to discuss some of his thoughts on the rule changes that were in place during Session 1.

Shero is particularly pleased that three faceoff variations are being tested here because, "I think we have to come up with something better than what we're doing on faceoffs now," he told NHL.com. "I think it's really confusing. Guys get kicked out now and I don't know why."

In Session 1, a player that committed a violation in the faceoff circle was required to move back one foot and keep his skates behind a penalty line, thereby losing his leverage and strength on the faceoff as the linesman dropped the puck.

The faceoff variation being tested in Session 2 right now involves the linesman putting the puck on the dot and blowing his whistle to let both centerman know they have to come set. The linesman is then picking up the puck and dropping it for a normal draw, but any movement between the whistle and the puck being dropped is a violation.

Finally, the variation that will be tested Thursday morning prohibits involves encroachment. The player guilty of encroaching on the faceoff will be prohibited from being a replacement for the centerman who had to get booted out of the circle as a result of the encroachment.

"I like these faceoff ideas," Shero said. "Just looking at the faceoff is a good thing."

Shero also told NHL.com that he's a fan of having the same linesman dropping the puck for every faceoff except for the start of periods and after goals. That was a change tested in Session 1.

"I think there is the continuity of getting to know them," Shero said. "The center icemen want to learn the tendencies of the linesmen and this is just another way where there is more consistency to it. Maybe then they won't get thrown out as much. I think the centers would like some uniformity to it."

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As soon as the penalty was called on the opposing team with 1:29 left in the second period, Dan Bylsma screamed for his goalie and told him to come to the bench.

It certainly seemed like odd timing to pull the goalie.

However, considering the shorthanded team was not allowed to legally ice the puck in the first session of RDO Camp on Wednesday, Bylsma had to figure the penalty killers wouldn't be shooting the puck the length of the ice just to get it out of the zone. Provided they weren't accurate enough to shoot it into the empty net, all icing the puck would do is create a faceoff back in their defensive zone.

So by pulling his goalie Bylsma created a 6-on-4 advantage. It was a calculated risk considering the rule change being tested, but it backfired when the shorthanded team got the puck out of the zone and created a 2-on-1 against a helpless defenseman with no goaltender behind him.

Washington coach Bruce Boudreau, who was sitting in the stands here watching it all unfold, understood Bylsma's tactic and didn't mind the risk, but if he were coaching the shorthanded team he would have told them to fire the puck down the ice regardless of the potential for icing being called and the ensuing faceoff coming back into his defensive zone.

"I'm going to try for the free goal," Boudreau told NHL.com. "Shoot it down and take your chances."

While acknowledging a rule change that would eliminate the shorthanded team from legally icing the puck "would be quite an advantage for the power-play team," Boudreau also said it would be hard to effectively kill a penalty without clearing the puck out of the zone.

Even though the shorthanded team would not be allowed to make a line change if they're called for icing, he feels the break between the whistle and the ensuing faceoff is long enough to give the players on the ice a breather.

"When you're under pressure and you're shorthanded, I don't think it will stop you from icing the puck because you've got to get it out of the zone," Boudreau said. "That's the No. 1 thing."

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TORONTO -- Hockey Hall of Famer Igor Larionov was all smiles as he breezed through the hotel lobby here Tuesday, waiting somewhat impatiently for his prized teenage clients to arrive.
 
Larionov found out hours before we saw him that he has officially been certified by the NHLPA to be a player agent in the NHL. He already received his certification to be a player agent in the Kontinental Hockey League six months ago.
 
"It took me a while, but I got the e-mail today," Larionov told NHL.com. "It feels good. It's a new adventure for me. I started in this last year after I resigned from the KHL's Board of Directors. I want to see young players play and guide them through to the NHL."
 
With his certification official, Larionov can relax and watch his clients, Sarnia Sting forwards Nail Yakupov and Alex Galchenyuk, participate in this week's Research, Development and Orientation Camp.
 
A year from now, he will likely find himself working out entry-level contracts for each client after they become first-round draft picks.
 
Yakupov is considered to be the top player eligible for the 2012 Entry Draft. He was the Rookie of the Year in the Ontario Hockey League with 101 points (49 goals, 52 assists) in 65 games. While playing for Team Russia, Yakupov had a hat trick in the bronze medal game at this year's World Juniors.
 
Galchenyuk had 83 points on 31 goals and 52 assists in 68 games for Sarnia last season. He's a 6-foot-2 center who skated for Team USA at the recently completed Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Slovakia. Galchenyuk's father, also named Alex, grew up playing in the Soviet Union and later represented Belarus in international competition, including the 1998 Olympics.
 
Larionov said he gets to Sarnia often to see his clients play.
 
"Detroit to Sarnia is a real easy trip," Larionov said.
 
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