sentences:  Three months after the incident, the NHL instituted a policy requiring that protective netting be placed around the ends of each rink prior to the start of the 2002–03 season, a decision which both the Flames and Blue Jackets advocated.The Flames finished 11th in the Western Conference, 15 points back of the 8th place Vancouver Canucks.This was the sixth consecutive season the Flames failed to qualify for the post-season.