When the NHL preseason began Thursday, arenas had a new look.

The league held its first games with protective netting behind the goals in three of five league arenas, according to a report in USA Today.

The NHL is setting the new mandate in reaction to the death of Brittanie Cecil, the 13-year-old who was hit by a puck while attending a Blue Jackets game in March. The league hopes the new precaution will prevent such accidents from happening again.

"We have no illusions everybody is going to think this is the best thing since sliced bread," NHL executive vice president Bill Daly told the newspaper. "Having said that, we do believe as time progresses it will become standard and accepted as part of the arena environment."

The new netting will be featured in Montreal, Chicago and Los Angeles tonight, while Washington's netting won't be ready until Saturday's game against Pittsburgh. Colorado, who is facing Dallas tonight, is still awaiting delivery of the netting.

Columbus' Nationwide Arena, where Cecil was killed, will have netting in place for Sunday's preseason opener vs. Nashville.

"Certainly by the latter portion of the preseason, I would be surprised that there would be any arena that doesn't have the netting up," Daly told USA Today.

According to the report, delays have been caused by difficult logistics as NHL arenas are of different configurations and ages, and none were designed with the thought that it would have to support the rigging needed to secure netting that wraps from corner to corner in each end.

Regardless, teams are making it work.

"It's obviously done first and foremost for the safety of the fans, and it is done successfully in baseball for the seats behind the plate," Penguins vice president Tom McMillan told USA Today. "But it's still an adjustment."