What I would do to improve the NHL

[wjag]

1. Any puck in the net that falls back into play is a live puck and should be played. Too many stoppages plus weird bounces might be entertaining.

2. Shorten the season to a two game round robin with every team and four games within your division where at least one is a home and home. Keep hockey in the winter and early spring time. Playoffs extending into June is too long for a winter sport.

3. Shorten the first two rounds of the playoffs to best of five with the home team getting the first three at home. This places a premium on seeding. If you are the underdog, you need to steal at least one on the road. Return to normal 2-2-1-1-1 for the conf finals and SCP.

4. Give 2 points for a win, 1 pt for an OT win and 0pts for a loss. Get rid of the 3 point games. Losers should not be rewarded.

5. Extend the first OT period to 10 minutes and play 4 on 4.

6. Make a second OT period of 5 minutes of three on three with no dmen. And then and only then go to the shootout.

7. Give teams an option of a PP or a penalty shot.

8. Make the players have a long change two of the three periods.

9. Reduce the penalty time in OT from 2 minutes to 1 minute.

10.Balance the back-to-back nites played by all teams in the league.

11.When one playoff series is ready to start and the next one isn't, start the one's that's ready.

[carpandean]

1. I agree that something needs to be done, but I'm not sure how well that would work. Maybe if they added a piece of "glass" at the top of each board that angled inward.

2. Less games = less revenue (or more expensive tickets.) Probably won't happen.

3. Didn't the playoffs used to be best of five? I might support the change in # for early rounds, but 2-2-1 would be fine. You still have to steal one from the higher team.

4. They do have to change the point system, but a game should be worth a consistent # points no matter when it is won (it's worth 2 or 3 now and would be worth 1 or 2 in your system). Either make OT wins & losses worth 1 with OT wins counting only in the tie-breaker or make regulation wins worth 3, OT wins worth 2 and OT losses worth 1.

5. Agreed.

6. Not sure how I feel about 3-on-3, but you can't really say "no d-men".

7. Interesting. Don't see it happening, but it might have helped us this season.

8. I'd rather the swap benches and have short changes for the whole game.

9. I could take it or leave it.

10. Definitely should be as close as possible.

11. Nah.

 

 

Here's another that I think would speed up the game a lot:

12. Make the blue lines 6 feet wide, resulting in much fewer offsides.

(I don't remember if the puck has to cross the blue line or just be on it before you can enter the zone. I believe it's the former, so that would have to change. The idead being that you can be a little bit ahead of the puck, just not sitting down in the zone cherry-picking.)

[shrader]

Some thoughts:

 

1. Any puck in the net that falls back into play is a live puck and should be played. Too many stoppages plus weird bounces might be entertaining.

 

I don't have any opinion on this one.

 

2. Shorten the season to a two game round robin with every team and four games within your division where at least one is a home and home. Keep hockey in the winter and early spring time. Playoffs extending into June is too long for a winter sport.

 

The season may be too long, but good luck convincing anyone to go along with this and all the lost revenue.

 

3. Shorten the first two rounds of the playoffs to best of five with the home team getting the first three at home. This places a premium on seeding. If you are the underdog, you need to steal at least one on the road. Return to normal 2-2-1-1-1 for the conf finals and SCP.

 

So all the road team has to do is win one game and that guarantees the series will be decided on their rink? That would never work. Also, a best of 7 series tends to favor the higher seed more than a 5 game series does. The weaker team has a better chance of pulling off the upset when they only have to win 3 games instead of 4. I've heard this logic several times now and I'm inclined to agree with it.

 

4. Give 2 points for a win, 1 pt for an OT win and 0pts for a loss. Get rid of the 3 point games. Losers should not be rewarded.

5. Extend the first OT period to 10 minutes and play 4 on 4.

6. Make a second OT period of 5 minutes of three on three with no dmen. And then and only then go to the shootout.

7. Give teams an option of a PP or a penalty shot.

8. Make the players have a long change two of the three periods.

9. Reduce the penalty time in OT from 2 minutes to 1 minute.

 

I have no problem with the point for losing in OT, but the shootouts need to go. If they really want to eliminate ties, go to continuous OT. They can work in as many of those 4-on-4 gimmicks as they want, but keep the game going until a goal is scored. Sure, they can say that teams will get tired if a game goes on for too long, but that would give the teams incentive to take chances so that they aren't playing a marathon game. If baseball can have 20 inning games with their 162 game schedule, the NHL can go to continuous OT.

 

10.Balance the back-to-back nites played by all teams in the league.

 

Scheduling is what it is. There are always going to be building conflicts that lead to a strange schedule. Does the typical fan really notice back to back games too much? Yeah, they might cause a competitive imbalance, but it never really bothers me.

 

11.When one playoff series is ready to start and the next one isn't, start the one's that's ready.

 

I don't ever want to see the NBA scenario where a 2nd round series is being closed out at the same time a 1st round series is. Start up eash series at the same time. It gives teams more incentive to close out a series quickly so that they can get some rest and heal up from any injuries. The time off may not be the most entertaining for the fans, but it does lead to better games.

[Hawerchuk]

I agree the CUP should be awarded in May. Not freakin June!!

 

2pts for win, 2 pts for a OT win or Shootout Win, 0 points for a OT Loss, 1 pt ea for Shootout win/loss. Basically the same way it is now, just no points awarded in the first 5min OT if you lose.

 

Do not shorten the playoff rounds. 4 series, 7 games is awesome! Don't mess with it. This is not the friggin NBA.

 

I don't think it would be smart to play the puck off the high glass netting. Its fine the way it is. IMO.

[Taro T]

1. Any puck in the net that falls back into play is a live puck and should be played. Too many stoppages plus weird bounces might be entertaining.

Interesting. I wouldn't mind seeing that experimented with.

2. Shorten the season to a two game round robin with every team and four games within your division where at least one is a home and home. Keep hockey in the winter and early spring time. Playoffs extending into June is too long for a winter sport.

Too much money at stake to ever see this one happen. Wouldn't mind seeing it, but it ain't happening.

3. Shorten the first two rounds of the playoffs to best of five with the home team getting the first three at home. This places a premium on seeding. If you are the underdog, you need to steal at least one on the road. Return to normal 2-2-1-1-1 for the conf finals and SCP.

$'s is why they've expanded to 16W's to take Lord Stanley's Chalice. They aren't going to pull $'s off the table. Unfortunately, I think we'll see 20 teams in the post season before we see this happen.

4. Give 2 points for a win, 1 pt for an OT win and 0pts for a loss. Get rid of the 3 point games. Losers should not be rewarded.

 

5. Extend the first OT period to 10 minutes and play 4 on 4.

 

6. Make a second OT period of 5 minutes of three on three with no dmen. And then and only then go to the shootout.

Definitely on board w/ #4.

 

Instead of #5, I'd prefer to see them play an entire (if necessary) regular playoff style 5-on-5 OT. Considering that they could do a dry cut on the ice and shave the intermission down to about 5-7 minutes, it would be feasible. The reason they won't do it is for whatever reason the networks (or advertisers) refuse to buy conditional ads and networks (read - NBC) doesn't want to mess up the schedule following the game. If tied at the end of that OT, I'd consider any of the following scenarios to be acceptable compared to the current system: give neither team a point - a shootout is an exhibition, treat it as such; go to a shootout where the winner gets a "tie-break" point which only comes into play for seeding purposes between 2 tied teams; give the winner a regular point.

 

No need for #6 w/ my system which has 0% chance of ever being implemented.

7. Give teams an option of a PP or a penalty shot.

Right thought process, wrong decision. Give the team that would go on the powerplay the option of having control of the puck on the stick of the far side defenseman for the next 3 faceoffs (similar to the way the ball gets put back in play in lax). All players line up like they would for a normal faceoff, but the puck essentially has been won back to the point cleanly (or behind the goalline for a defensive zone awarded faceoff). Especially for a team that is poor on the draw AND on the pp, this would be a huge advantage.

8. Make the players have a long change two of the three periods.

I like this idea.

9. Reduce the penalty time in OT from 2 minutes to 1 minute.

I don't like this idea.

10.Balance the back-to-back nites played by all teams in the league.

Great idea, the logistics of multi-use rinks and all teams wanting to play at home on Saturday will prevent this from ever happening.

11.When one playoff series is ready to start and the next one isn't, start the one's that's ready.

Very much, don't like this idea. There should be a reward to ending a series early. I'd much rather see them go back to the old system where the East all played on day 1, 3, 5, etc. and the West played on day 2, 4, 6, etc. They could alternate who starts 1st each year if there is a perceived disadvantage to which day you play on. They also could have the rinks reserved long in advance, so that should be logistically feasible.

 

And as for Carp's suggestion:

12. Make the blue lines 6 feet wide, resulting in much fewer offsides.

I'd like to see the 3' wide suggestion from the past tried 1st.

 

Some others I would implement:

 

Moving the goallines back 1' closer to the boards (the old 10' that they used to use).

 

Making teams play roughly equivalent #'s of games each month, so they don't only have ~7 games in October and ~20 in March.

 

Get head shots out of the game.

 

Don't let the goalie cover the puck if he's outside the crease. Either that, or allow him to play the puck behind the goalline outside the trapezoid, but he's fair game out there. Or maybe if the goalie covers the puck outside the crease, his team can't make a line change.

 

3-on-3 and 4-on-3 hockey for penalties when they are already at 4-on-4 (in regulation time of course ;) ).

 

As broadcasts go further to HD, get rid of / reduce the 100 second TV timeout and use p-i-p ads. Or maybe go with something along the lines of CBC mini-spots at play stoppages or ESPN soccer style ads where a company name is shown near the clock and score.

 

Commission Syracuse U (or any other school w/ a top-flite communications department) to study and come up with a way to better utilize HD. The game is MADE for HD; take it to it's fullest.

 

Make home teams wear white. If the marketers cry too much, let all home teams wear colored 3rds during either February (short month) or November (to theoretically increase interest early in the year).

 

Get rid of all black primary unis for all teams except the Bruins. (I'd consider giving the Pens permission to wear black as well, but am leaning toward making them go back to either Navy or powder blue.)

 

Since the league doesn't appear to be going to goalie sized goalie equipment anytime soon, give SERIOUS consideration to making the nets 4 inches wider and 4-8 inches taller. If the net is too big to go into a butterfly and block the entire thing, goalies may actually have to REACT to shots (like they did most of the 1st 100 years the game was played). Just say no to rounded nets. The Ford Taurus was an ugly car, I don't want to see it used as a basis for the nets.

 

Move the overhead goalline cam ONTO the goalline. (But we won't be able to see the puck when it's on the goalline. That's the idea.) They can have an extra camera up there in it's current location. Add additional in net cameras.

 

Give the replay officials in the rinks the ability to get ALL available camera angles and forget going to TO for reviews. Fine them if they seriously screw up.

 

Add some padding to the outside of elbow pads and shoulder pads so they aren't weapons.

 

I'd make all players wear full face visors. If the NFL can have full face masks and goalies can play with full facial protection, so can forwards and D-men.

 

Keep calling the obstruction-type penalties and stop calling a clean hip-check kneeing. If I want to see a guy holding another I'll watch brokeback mountain. Keep clean hard hitting legal.

 

I have a few other high tech ideas, but this should work for now.

[ROC Sabres]

I'm a big fan of the 3 on 3 action. Ever since watching the rookies during the all-star game I have wanted them to implement that. I think that would add even more excitement to the game. Another thing that would be interesting would be 2 man advantage regardless. So if it was a 5 on 3 and then both teams got another penalty go 4 on 2. I know that it sounds stupid and impossible but i get the feeling that it would screw alot of teams over that have reps as being goons but still win because of it (cough.. philly).

 

Also a big fan of the no 3 point games. They screw teams over (whether it be the sabres or other teams). I like the idea of having separation and not every game being a swing game to move from 5th to 13th in the standings.

 

Having the goal line cam moved to the goal line, good idea but, would be better if they were able to be able to do something like FOX did when they still played hockey with the blue and red puck that would show up. If they can make a sensor to do that, make a sensor to tell if the puck crossed the goal line and have it have to go throw the goal to activate the light and if the goal comes off it will disable the scoring system.

[Chief Enabler]

Turn it back to 1988!

 

Adams

Patrick

Norris

Smythe Divisions

 

Thanks. :thumbsup:

[rbochan]

Turn it back to 1988!

 

Adams

Patrick

Norris

Smythe Divisions

 

Thanks. :thumbsup:

And dump the %#&%$&^#$ shootouts!

[Bmwolf21]

Turn it back to 1988!

 

Adams

Patrick

Norris

Smythe Divisions

 

Thanks. :thumbsup:

We have a winner!

[SwampD]

1. Any puck in the net that falls back into play is a live puck and should be played. Too many stoppages plus weird bounces might be entertaining.

I think this would change the game too much. teams would start to throw the puck into the netting so that it would fall into the corner. If you had a real burner on your team it would probably be a set play...Hey, I change my mind, I think we've just found a use for Max.

2. Shorten the season to a two game round robin with every team and four games within your division where at least one is a home and home. Keep hockey in the winter and early spring time. Playoffs extending into June is too long for a winter sport.

3. Shorten the first two rounds of the playoffs to best of five with the home team getting the first three at home. This places a premium on seeding. If you are the underdog, you need to steal at least one on the road. Return to normal 2-2-1-1-1 for the conf finals and SCP.

Don't really know what to do about this but it is a problem.

4. Give 2 points for a win, 1 pt for an OT win and 0pts for a loss. Get rid of the 3 point games. Losers should not be rewarded.

5. Extend the first OT period to 10 minutes and play 4 on 4.

6. Make a second OT period of 5 minutes of three on three with no dmen. And then and only then go to the shootout.

I don't like 3 point games either(funny how I liked them the two previous seasons)

I'd rather see 10 min OT 4 on 4 with a tie, one point each.

7. Give teams an option of a PP or a penalty shot.

I have no opinion on this.

8. Make the players have a long change two of the three periods.

The idea of tired players not being able to come of for a change isn't the kind of hockey I want to watch. I'd rather watch fresh players playing hard all the time. It's just better hockey.

9. Reduce the penalty time in OT from 2 minutes to 1 minute.

Absolutely

10.Balance the back-to-back nites played by all teams in the league.

Don't really care. Sometimes it helps, sometime it hurts.

11.When one playoff series is ready to start and the next one isn't, start the one's that's ready.

Nope. One conference could potentially have two weeks off before the SCF's

 

12. No touch icing

 

EDIT: I also like the idea of 3 foot blue lines. Those stoppages kill the flow of the game more than anything else. And many times they are wrong.

[Goodfella25]

1. Any puck in the net that falls back into play is a live puck and should be played. Too many stoppages plus weird bounces might be entertaining.

2. Shorten the season to a two game round robin with every team and four games within your division where at least one is a home and home. Keep hockey in the winter and early spring time. Playoffs extending into June is too long for a winter sport.

3. Shorten the first two rounds of the playoffs to best of five with the home team getting the first three at home. This places a premium on seeding. If you are the underdog, you need to steal at least one on the road. Return to normal 2-2-1-1-1 for the conf finals and SCP.

4. Give 2 points for a win, 1 pt for an OT win and 0pts for a loss. Get rid of the 3 point games. Losers should not be rewarded.

5. Extend the first OT period to 10 minutes and play 4 on 4.

6. Make a second OT period of 5 minutes of three on three with no dmen. And then and only then go to the shootout.

7. Give teams an option of a PP or a penalty shot.

8. Make the players have a long change two of the three periods.

9. Reduce the penalty time in OT from 2 minutes to 1 minute.

10.Balance the back-to-back nites played by all teams in the league.

11.When one playoff series is ready to start and the next one isn't, start the one's that's ready.

 

This is a good and interesting thread. Man, where to even begin. Each one of those could be its own discussion. I guess I'll just comment on a couple I agree with:

 

#4 - I think it has become nearly universal that the 3-point system has got to go. It is quite ridiculous to believe that a team should be awarded for losing.

#6 - I'm not sure I totally agree with that system, but certainly more obstacles to arriving at a shootout would be ideal. The validity of a shootout will be argued to death, but I still maintain that for a shut-down defenseman, to have to sit and watch opposing forwards take free breakaways on your goaltender cannot be easy. There needs to be something in place to make it harder to get to shootouts. In addition, they need to enforce penalties that occur within 2 minutes of the end of overtime. The player should not be eligible to participate in a shootout. I think we've seen many situations where teams will just take penalties near the very end of OT because there's really no consequence (i.e., trip an opposing forward when there's 5 seconds left).

[SCSabresFan!]

Turn it back to 1988!

 

Adams

Patrick

Norris

Smythe Divisions

 

Thanks. :thumbsup:

 

 

YEA=S!!!

 

Also fold teams in Miami, Phoenix, carolina and Nashville. Put a teams back In Winnipeg and Quebec City. I'd put one in Seattle.

[Bmwolf21]

YEA=S!!!

 

Also fold teams in Miami, Phoenix, carolina and Nashville. Put a teams back In Winnipeg and Quebec City. I'd put one in Seattle.

I like the idea to move Miami and I'd put Atlanta, Nashville and Phoenix on the hot seat -- get attendance up and hit season ticket minimums or facing forced relocation. I think Phoenix is building a good young team, so if they can't get people out to watch them in their still relatively new arena then there is a problem. Nashville, although being a bunch of punks and thugs, has been to the playoffs each of the last four years and has some good talent - Arnott and Ellis come to mind - so I'd wait to see how the new owners do in attracting more fans and increasing season ticket holders.

 

Carolina, as much as I hate it, gets a pass for a couple more years to see how they support the team coming off back-to-back non-playoff years.

[SCSabresFan!]

I like the idea to move Miami and I'd put Atlanta, Nashville and Phoenix on the hot seat -- get attendance up and hit season ticket minimums or facing forced relocation. I think Phoenix is building a good young team, so if they can't get people out to watch them in their still relatively new arena then there is a problem. Nashville, although being a bunch of punks and thugs, has been to the playoffs each of the last four years and has some good talent - Arnott and Ellis come to mind - so I'd wait to see how the new owners do in attracting more fans and increasing season ticket holders.

 

Carolina, as much as I hate it, gets a pass for a couple more years to see how they support the team coming off back-to-back non-playoff years.

 

I forgot about Atlanta. I would keep them around because of the size of the Metro area and huge number of Yankees that call Atlanta home. And why fold a team with such great looking uniforms? <_<

[Eleven]

The season should end in late July. After one week, it should begin in early August. The biggest problem I have with the NHL is this "summer break" thing. It sux.

[Bmwolf21]

I forgot about Atlanta. I would keep them around because of the size of the Metro area and huge number of Yankees that call Atlanta home. And why fold a team with such great looking uniforms? <_<

The only thing is that Atlanta just doesn't seem to be a great pro sports city. The Hawks have struggled to draw good numbers, the Thrashers have been in the bottom third of the league attendance-wise for the last few years - you'd expect more from a major market with so many Northern transplants.

 

Course I expect to see better attendance from Boston and the Islanders, but what the heck do we know?