If you could change the NHL.....

[netwolf]

The rules are the rules are the rules. No matter if it's the first period of a Tuesday night game in Calgary or the 3rd OT of game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Yes, there will be a ton of special teams games early, but players will adjust eventually. The key is to stay consistent. You'll always have guys pushing the limits, but most will learn where the line is and the game will be better for it.

All head contact is illegal. At minimum, a 2 minute minor. The head represents less than 10% of the average human body. Asking the best players in the world to avoid it shouldn't be asking to much.

The next CBA dramatically raises the max fine, which is currently a joke. DoPS is also mandated to levy harsher suspensions; stuff that would actual serve as a deterrent. I like the system used over at http://hockeyhurts.com/suspensions/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Point system is changed so ask games are with the same. 3 points for a regulation win, 2 for an OT/SO win, and 1 for an OT/SO loss.

Getting to break a rule as punishment for another makes no sense, so you don't get to ice pucks on the PK anymore. And if you do it three times on the same minor, it's a delay of game penalty.

Speaking of, puck over glass is treated the same as icing. I like the black and white of that rule, but the punishment seems a little harsh.

The netting above the glass is now treated as an extension of it. If a puck hits it, but falls to the playing surface, it remains a live puck.

Not sure what I think of this one, but here goes... if a player is knocked out of a game as a result of an act penalized by a major penalty and ejected, the injured player's team is allowed to replace him in their lineup.

[Sigwolf]

The rules are the rules are the rules. No matter if it's the first period of a Tuesday night game in Calgary or the 3rd OT of game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Yes, there will be a ton of special teams games early, but players will adjust eventually. The key is to stay consistent. You'll always have guys pushing the limits, but most will learn where the line is and the game will be better for it.

All head contact is illegal. At minimum, a 2 minute minor. The head represents less than 10% of the average human body. Asking the best players in the world to avoid it shouldn't be asking to much.

The next CBA dramatically raises the max fine, which is currently a joke. DoPS is also mandated to levy harsher suspensions; stuff that would actual serve as a deterrent. I like the system used over at http://hockeyhurts.com/suspensions/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Point system is changed so ask games are with the same. 3 points for a regulation win, 2 for an OT/SO win, and 1 for an OT/SO loss.

Getting to break a rule as punishment for another makes no sense, so you don't get to ice pucks on the PK anymore. And if you do it three times on the same minor, it's a delay of game penalty.

Speaking of, puck over glass is treated the same as icing. I like the black and white of that rule, but the punishment seems a little harsh.

The netting above the glass is now treated as an extension of it. If a puck hits it, but falls to the playing surface, it remains a live puck.

Not sure what I think of this one, but here goes... if a player is knocked out of a game as a result of an act penalized by a major penalty and ejected, the injured player's team is allowed to replace him in their lineup.

Like the first six, and would love to see them implemented... not too sure about the last two, though. Don't think I can agree about the netting being in-bounds, at all. I think it would result in players trying to time dumps off the net with offensive pushes. It just seems like too much. Out of bounds is out of bounds.

Last one seems totally impractical, even if I like the implications. Does this mean the 1-3 scratches in any given game need to be in full pads and uniform and ready to go if someone is injured, or will this allow a delay for said replacement to get from the pressbox, out of a suit and into uniform, and onto the ice?

[Great58]

I'd say if a player is suspended, he is not eligible for replacement on the roster. No call-ups to replace the three games Player X is suspended, have one fewer dressed players for the duration. Players association would say it's a safety issue, but they allow it due to cap issue now.

All hits to the head are a penalty, unless the player hit makes a deliberate attempt to move that results in the location of his head moving. Being hit, falling off balance and getting hit would not be an exclusion. Only an intentional move resulting in the contact would be considered not to be a penalty.

Call all the penalties, all the time. Cross checking shouldn't suddenly be allowed because it is after April.

Penalties can be subject to review, if you have your TO. At the very minimum double minors and majors/game misconduct calls.

[Pruezy11881]

So Getzlaf got a $10k fine for calling the ref a c***s***er, but someone who gives illegal shot to the head of a player gets $2500. That seems backwards to me.

[CT Mechanic]

1. All NHL games will be played on Olympic sized ice starting in 2037. All minor league games will be played on Olympic ice starting in 2047. The NHL will help minor league teams, as needed, pay for the transition. The goal is to have all ice rinks in North America be Olympic sized by 2057.

2. No fighting. Enforcers may have been needed in the 1930's. Given the fact that almost all NHL players are millionaires nowadays, we can expect a certain level of professionalism that allows the referees to enforce the rules of the game, both written and unwritten.

3. No obstruction. No clutching. No grabbing. Enforcing this is really just trying to make the game being played on NHL ice look like the game being played on Olympic ice.

4. The crossbar of the goal was added sometime in the 1890's (I think. The first Stanley Cup was awarded to a team that played without a crossbar). So, lets take a modern standard hockey goal. 4 feet by 6 feet equals 48 inches by 70 inches which gives 3360 square inches of goal. Then, take an average sized goalie from 1900 wearing average sized equipment and with a hockey stick typical of a goalie from 1900. Find a person who is that same size today and dress him up in that same equipment and give him the same stick. Measure how much of the goal he can block in standard pose. I'm going to just assume that he covers 60% of the goal for now.

Now, measure all NHL goalies for height and weight. Find the median of a modern sized NHL goalie. Have the NHL goalies figure out what kind of pads they want now, using all the latest and greatest technologies. Have the goalies come up with their ideal uniform. Find a person who is the same size as the median NHL goalie. Dress him up in the equipment that the goalies decided on. Measure how much area this person can block in a standard pose.

Here is the tricky math part. Take the area that the modern goalie covers and divide it by the percent that the old goalie covered of his net.

OG / ON = NG / NN. Old Goalie divided by Old Net equals New Goalie divided by New Net. So what is the size of the New Net?

NN = NG * ON / OG.

I mixed metaphors there, so my original sentence would be NN = NG / (OG / ON). Invert and multiply brings the ON up top, yielding NN = NG * ON / OG.

If the goalies and players wanted to change the proportions of the net, they could. So that instead of it still being 2 high to 3 wide it could be something else. If they wanted the new net to be proportionally wider or taller. Whatever.

I might even add on another 10% increase in net size, just to increase scoring across the board. Maybe 20%.

I would close all the record books on the old NHL and start wholly new records for everything with the advent of the new net size.

I would also revisit the net size in 2037. And reset the record books again with the increase in the ice size.

Okay, I'm done now. Thanks. Was fun!

[icemancometh]

Realignment:

1. Western Conference
Pacific Division: San Jose, Vancouver, Anaheim, LA, Las Vegas
Mountain Division: Edmonton, Calgary, Colorado, Phoenix, Dallas
Midwest Division: Nashville, Chicago, Winnipeg, Minnesota, St. Louis

2. Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division: Philly, Tampa, Florida, Carolina, Washington
Central Division: Pittsburgh, Columbus, Detroit, Toronto, Buffalo
Northeast Division: NYI, NYR, NJD, Ottawa, Montreal, Boston

Positives:
All divisions are same time zone except Dallas in Mountain.
Geographically makes sense (again except for Dallas) and no ridiculous name like Metropolitan Division.

Negatives:
Pittsburgh and Philly split up

Playoffs:
Division winners are top 3 seeds (seed according to record) and next 5 best records in each conference qualify. Again, seeding of wild cards is by record. Reseed after each round. I think this is the system used previously, which made so much more sense than the current system.

[netwolf]

Like the first six, and would love to see them implemented... not too sure about the last two, though. Don't think I can agree about the netting being in-bounds, at all. I think it would result in players trying to time dumps off the net with offensive pushes. It just seems like too much. Out of bounds is out of bounds.

Last one seems totally impractical, even if I like the implications. Does this mean the 1-3 scratches in any given game need to be in full pads and uniform and ready to go if someone is injured, or will this allow a delay for said replacement to get from the pressbox, out of a suit and into uniform, and onto the ice?

If the puck hits the glass and stays in, no one thinks twice about that staying live, so why should the netting be different? And it's not like you get uniform bounces off the glass all the time. And if someone can execute a "bounce pass" off that netting, more power to him I say. =)

I hadn't thought out the other one fully, but I wouldn't want to delay the game, so I'd say the replacement gets there when he gets there. Guys can get ready pretty fast, so I'd imagine most would be out there before a shift wad missed anyway.

[bhaw]

Like the first six, and would love to see them implemented... not too sure about the last two, though. Don't think I can agree about the netting being in-bounds, at all. I think it would result in players trying to time dumps off the net with offensive pushes. It just seems like too much. Out of bounds is out of bounds.

Last one seems totally impractical, even if I like the implications. Does this mean the 1-3 scratches in any given game need to be in full pads and uniform and ready to go if someone is injured, or will this allow a delay for said replacement to get from the pressbox, out of a suit and into uniform, and onto the ice?

If the puck hits the glass and stays in, no one thinks twice about that staying live, so why should the netting be different? And it's not like you get uniform bounces off the glass all the time. And if someone can execute a "bounce pass" off that netting, more power to him I say. =)

I hadn't thought out the other one fully, but I wouldn't want to delay the game, so I'd say the replacement gets there when he gets there. Guys can get ready pretty fast, so I'd imagine most would be out there before a shift wad missed anyway.

The biggest issue I have with the netting idea is the potential safety issue. When pucks bounce off the glass, it's general a fraction of a second in the air and not a "pop up" type of trajectory.

If you go back to the issue of players continuing to injure each other, having one of those pucks go up for 2-3 seconds while someone is waiting for it to fall is almost asking for a player like Rinaldo or Marchand to line them up and lay them out while they are trying to play the falling puck.

On top of that, if it starts impacting games or playoff series, do we really want the NHL putting something that protects the fans up for debate? They aren't in the playable area and were added just to prevent serious injuries for the fans. That's a secondary issue I have with that. It would be like allowing the catcher in baseball to make a play off the netting behind him.

[pronovost19]

Playoff year One......current format
Playoff year Two......8@1, 7@2, 6@3, 5@4 format
Playoff year Three.....Eastern 8@ Western 1, Western 8@ Eastern 1, and so on for the first round. Then reseed afterwards and continue. Perhaps overall points as first tiebreaker for reseeding, and then season series head to head next.

Then back to year one and rotate through so that the playoffs have differient combinations. I know that it make it hard on travel, and they would never do scenario three, but it would be neat.

[PaLionking]

Like the first six, and would love to see them implemented... not too sure about the last two, though. Don't think I can agree about the netting being in-bounds, at all. I think it would result in players trying to time dumps off the net with offensive pushes. It just seems like too much. Out of bounds is out of bounds.

Last one seems totally impractical, even if I like the implications. Does this mean the 1-3 scratches in any given game need to be in full pads and uniform and ready to go if someone is injured, or will this allow a delay for said replacement to get from the pressbox, out of a suit and into uniform, and onto the ice?

I hadn't thought out the other one fully, but I wouldn't want to delay the game, so I'd say the replacement gets there when he gets there. Guys can get ready pretty fast, so I'd imagine most would be out there before a shift wad missed anyway.

They do that currently now with goalies in the playoffs. They have an emergency 3rd goalie in case the starter would get injured. He comes to the bench when he's dressed & ready to play. No delay in the game waiting for him to suit up.

[netwolf]

The biggest issue I have with the netting idea is the potential safety issue. When pucks bounce off the glass, it's general a fraction of a second in the air and not a "pop up" type of trajectory.

If you go back to the issue of players continuing to injure each other, having one of those pucks go up for 2-3 seconds while someone is waiting for it to fall is almost asking for a player like Rinaldo or Marchand to line them up and lay them out while they are trying to play the falling puck.

On top of that, if it starts impacting games or playoff series, do we really want the NHL putting something that protects the fans up for debate? They aren't in the playable area and were added just to prevent serious injuries for the fans. That's a secondary issue I have with that. It would be like allowing the catcher in baseball to make a play off the netting behind him.

Any potential safety issues would be addressed by calling the game properly and doling out meaningful suspensions when guys cross the line. The Rinaldos of the world would be out of the league and the Marchands would have to clean their games up or be gone too.

As for the potential for a bad bounce off of it deciding a big game, that already exists with the glass, so I don't see a difference. We've all seen pucks dumped in along the glass, hit a stanchion or a seam and pop out at a crazy angle.

[bhaw]

The biggest issue I have with the netting idea is the potential safety issue. When pucks bounce off the glass, it's general a fraction of a second in the air and not a "pop up" type of trajectory.

If you go back to the issue of players continuing to injure each other, having one of those pucks go up for 2-3 seconds while someone is waiting for it to fall is almost asking for a player like Rinaldo or Marchand to line them up and lay them out while they are trying to play the falling puck.

On top of that, if it starts impacting games or playoff series, do we really want the NHL putting something that protects the fans up for debate? They aren't in the playable area and were added just to prevent serious injuries for the fans. That's a secondary issue I have with that. It would be like allowing the catcher in baseball to make a play off the netting behind him.

Any potential safety issues would be addressed by calling the game properly and doling out meaningful suspensions when guys cross the line. The Rinaldos of the world would be out of the league and the Marchands would have to clean their games up or be gone too.

As for the potential for a bad bounce off of it deciding a big game, that already exists with the glass, so I don't see a difference. We've all seen pucks dumped in along the glass, hit a stanchion or a seam and pop out at a crazy angle.

I guess I have 0% faith they would actually call a game properly, making my concern valid

[Great58]

The biggest issue I have with the netting idea is the potential safety issue. When pucks bounce off the glass, it's general a fraction of a second in the air and not a "pop up" type of trajectory.

If you go back to the issue of players continuing to injure each other, having one of those pucks go up for 2-3 seconds while someone is waiting for it to fall is almost asking for a player like Rinaldo or Marchand to line them up and lay them out while they are trying to play the falling puck.

On top of that, if it starts impacting games or playoff series, do we really want the NHL putting something that protects the fans up for debate? They aren't in the playable area and were added just to prevent serious injuries for the fans. That's a secondary issue I have with that. It would be like allowing the catcher in baseball to make a play off the netting behind him.

Any potential safety issues would be addressed by calling the game properly and doling out meaningful suspensions when guys cross the line. The Rinaldos of the world would be out of the league and the Marchands would have to clean their games up or be gone too.

As for the potential for a bad bounce off of it deciding a big game, that already exists with the glass, so I don't see a difference. We've all seen pucks dumped in along the glass, hit a stanchion or a seam and pop out at a crazy angle.

I think popping them into the netting above the glass and letting them fall as they will is a tactic would be a fundamental change in the game that isn't necessary, or in my opinion, wanted.

[FLPensFan]

Nice article by Dave Lozo on the current state of the officials, Player Safety, and Hockey Ops:
https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/r ... l-playoffs

[dark_forces]

A couple of changes.....
Have only 4 pre-season games. With player's in such elite level shape, they don't need these extra exhibition games like they used to.
Start the season on Oct. 1. This ensures that the NHL season ends before the NBA season and doesn't run parallel like it seems to now. The NBA starts on/around Nov. 1. They should be a playoff round behind the NHL. I just don't care for that direction competition. I don't want to see the NHL finals go so deep into June.
Goalie equipment. Continue down this road and don't keep backing off deadlines for equipment to be compliant.
Bring back the 5 minute major anytime blood is drawn by an opponent's stick.
Assess a 2 minute delay of game penalty for player's who block more than 5 shots a game. I guess you'd have to have a stats guy track this.

[netwolf]

I guess I have 0% faith they would actually call a game properly, making my concern valid

Fair point.

Hockey is a tough game to officiate. The speed of the game guarantees things will be missed and mistakes will be made, and there's not much you can do about that. What can be done is to tighten up the standards so there's no such thing as a bit of a hold, a little hook, or a ref yelling "let him go, let him go!" repeatedly with no call. I don't think the refs decide to to that on their own. I think it comes from the BoG. If they wanted a tighter standard, it would happen immediately. And yes, early on you're going to have a ton of special teams play. As long as you stick to it though, players will adjust and the game will be much better off.

[Mango Salsa]

And yes, early on you're going to have a ton of special teams play. As long as you stick to it though, players will adjust and the game will be much better o

Like coming out of the lockout Sids rookie year. Hockey was unwatchable for a couple weeks until players adapted to the new rules and stricter enforcement. Sadly, it's largely regressed back to pre-lockout standards.

[Stillerz Bar]

And yes, early on you're going to have a ton of special teams play. As long as you stick to it though, players will adjust and the game will be much better o

Like coming out of the lockout Sids rookie year. Hockey was unwatchable for a couple weeks until players adapted to the new rules and stricter enforcement. Sadly, it's largely regressed back to pre-lockout standards.

Bingo!! If it is consistent, players will adjust to what is being called. The problem comes when no one knows whether something they do will be called or not so they take more liberties hoping to get away with it.

[pressure=9Pa]

I guess I have 0% faith they would actually call a game properly, making my concern valid

Fair point.

Hockey is a tough game to officiate. The speed of the game guarantees things will be missed and mistakes will be made, and there's not much you can do about that. What can be done is to tighten up the standards so there's no such thing as a bit of a hold, a little hook, or a ref yelling "let him go, let him go!" repeatedly with no call. I don't think the refs decide to to that on their own. I think it comes from the BoG. If they wanted a tighter standard, it would happen immediately. And yes, early on you're going to have a ton of special teams play. As long as you stick to it though, players will adjust and the game will be much better off.

I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but I don't understand why the league wouldn't want a lot of special teams play. To the entry-level fan, it's the most exciting part of the first 55 minutes.

[Cu11en]

I guess I have 0% faith they would actually call a game properly, making my concern valid

Fair point.

Hockey is a tough game to officiate. The speed of the game guarantees things will be missed and mistakes will be made, and there's not much you can do about that. What can be done is to tighten up the standards so there's no such thing as a bit of a hold, a little hook, or a ref yelling "let him go, let him go!" repeatedly with no call. I don't think the refs decide to to that on their own. I think it comes from the BoG. If they wanted a tighter standard, it would happen immediately. And yes, early on you're going to have a ton of special teams play. As long as you stick to it though, players will adjust and the game will be much better off.

I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but I don't understand why the league wouldn't want a lot of special teams play. To the entry-level fan, it's the most exciting part of the first 55 minutes.

The Pens give entry-level fans something to get excited about in the final 5 minutes as well, by skating 7 or 8 guys out on the ice.

[BurghThing]

I guess I have 0% faith they would actually call a game properly, making my concern valid

Fair point.

Hockey is a tough game to officiate. The speed of the game guarantees things will be missed and mistakes will be made, and there's not much you can do about that. What can be done is to tighten up the standards so there's no such thing as a bit of a hold, a little hook, or a ref yelling "let him go, let him go!" repeatedly with no call. I don't think the refs decide to to that on their own. I think it comes from the BoG. If they wanted a tighter standard, it would happen immediately. And yes, early on you're going to have a ton of special teams play. As long as you stick to it though, players will adjust and the game will be much better off.

I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but I don't understand why the league wouldn't want a lot of special teams play. To the entry-level fan, it's the most exciting part of the first 55 minutes.

The Pens give entry-level fans something to get excited about in the final 5 minutes as well, by skating 7 or 8 guys out on the ice.

Compared to, say the Caps and Sens, who trot out 7-8-9 guys whenever they feel like it, knowing they won't be penalized.

[Cu11en]

I guess I have 0% faith they would actually call a game properly, making my concern valid

Fair point.

Hockey is a tough game to officiate. The speed of the game guarantees things will be missed and mistakes will be made, and there's not much you can do about that. What can be done is to tighten up the standards so there's no such thing as a bit of a hold, a little hook, or a ref yelling "let him go, let him go!" repeatedly with no call. I don't think the refs decide to to that on their own. I think it comes from the BoG. If they wanted a tighter standard, it would happen immediately. And yes, early on you're going to have a ton of special teams play. As long as you stick to it though, players will adjust and the game will be much better off.

I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but I don't understand why the league wouldn't want a lot of special teams play. To the entry-level fan, it's the most exciting part of the first 55 minutes.

The Pens give entry-level fans something to get excited about in the final 5 minutes as well, by skating 7 or 8 guys out on the ice.

Compared to, say the Caps and Sens, who trot out 7-8-9 guys whenever they feel like it, knowing they won't be penalized.

To your point, Sully needs to delve deep into the rulebook to see if air horns or cow bells are legal in the bench area. Pens players rapping their sticks to get the ref's attention isn't working like it is for their opponent.

[pens9192]

I'd like to say making the rink bigger but the biggest thing is something pretty basic, like oh, I don know....being consistent with calling penalties as in the rule book states. And call them the same on Game 1 as Game 100. Some a-hole tackles Sid in Game 1 first period and Game 100 third period? Call it roughing both times.

Imagine if the NBA let other players tackle, purposely eye gouge, and repeated blows to the head to LeBron? And say those are "basketball plays" or "that's playoff basketball!" Yeah, the NBA isn't that dumb