REP, if they've changed your itinerary through a schedule change, you get a fair amount of leeway. Not sure they'd pay your hotel, but since you're not asking for that, it shouldn't be an issue. Others have posted (search for CIC*77 [?]) that when they change like this, you've got almost carte blanche for whatever you want. Especially if it's a legal routing.
Legal routings don't matter much. I had a YVR-YWG direct on Z ticket first thing in the morning that got cancelled, so I got got them to route me YVR-(red eye)-YYZ-YWG. First time I called they said it's illegal, second time I called they changed it right away. I just said that I've got meetings that day @ 4 pm and I had to be in at YVR the day before. More miles, and I can take advantage of the fall 2x miles promotion for YVR-YYZ.