Five ways to improve the game for the fans

[Randall Flagg]

Puck squirts out of a pile, goalie lunges his glove at it as a player flails his skate toward it to kick it in.

 

No thanks.

[WildCard]

Puck squirts out of a pile, goalie lunges his glove at it as a player flails his skate toward it to kick it in.

 

No thanks.

There it is. Plus, guys kicking frantically where people are falling down can't be good

[Taro T]

Puck squirts out of a pile, goalie lunges his glove at it as a player flails his skate toward it to kick it in.

No thanks.

You're worried about his glove? I'd be more concerned about watching Malarchuk.2.

 

Truly dislike the idea of making kicking the puck into the net legal.

[Randall Flagg]

You're worried about his glove? I'd be more concerned about watching Malarchuk.2.

 

Truly dislike the idea of making kicking the puck into the net legal.

No, I'm implying that a limb and a sharp blade are flying towards the same object. You see goaltenders' wrists/forearms get exposed plenty of times.

[wjag]

Again, most "kicks" are really lifting your skating and angling the puck in by redirection.  I think guys would be too easy to topple over if they routinely picked up their feet to fully kick a puck in.

[skaught]

Well, should at least make heading the puck into the goal legal.

[woods-racer]

Again, most "kicks" are really lifting your skating and angling the puck in by redirection.  I think guys would be too easy to topple over if they routinely picked up their feet to fully kick a puck in.

 

Some player lifts his foot back to give it a soccer ball kick and all the defensemen has to do is give him a fore-arm shiver and he's on his down stairs cheeks.

 

The kicks will small and quick. More like putting in golf. They do it now trying to get it to go toward the net and hope to tap it with the stick before it goes in. 

[pi2000]

Yeah no duh. Just not into the net.

 

why not?   

 

It's a skill play and it's not dangerous.   

[Taro T]

No, I'm implying that a limb and a sharp blade are flying towards the same object. You see goaltenders' wrists/forearms get exposed plenty of times.

I get what you are saying. While I expect allowing kicks to shorten a career or 2 when somebody has their tendons severed, I am far more concerned that we'd see somebody dying when a skate slices their jugular. Malarchuk & Zednik were extremely fortunate - I don't want to be in the rink wondering if the 3rd time was also charmed. Being at the rink when Zednik got clipped was surreal and bad. Really don't want to be there for the next one.

[pi2000]

Some player lifts his foot back to give it a soccer ball kick and all the defensemen has to do is give him a fore-arm shiver and he's on his down stairs cheeks.

 

The kicks will small and quick. More like putting in golf. They do it now trying to get it to go toward the net and hope to tap it with the stick before it goes in. 

 

Yeah, they're short small little sideways jabs at the puck, not full on soccer or football kicks.   If you're overly concerned about saftey, make it so you can only lift you skate black an inch off the ice, or the blade has to say on the ice... something like that.

 

ALso they should be able to play the puck off the netting.   I mean, what's the difference between the netting and glass?  It stays in play.... would make dump ins more interesting.    Goalies would have a harder time tracking the puck, etc...

[Stoner]

why not?   

 

It's a skill play and it's not dangerous.   

Let's go all the way. You should be able to pick the puck up off the ice, stick it in your pocket and dive into the net for a goal. Skill!

[Randall Flagg]

I get what you are saying. While I expect allowing kicks to shorten a career or 2 when somebody has their tendons severed, I am far more concerned that we'd see somebody dying when a skate slices their jugular. Malarchuk & Zednik were extremely fortunate - I don't want to be in the rink wondering if the 3rd time was also charmed. Being at the rink when Zednik got clipped was surreal and bad. Really don't want to be there for the next one.

Totally agree.

Yeah, they're short small little sideways jabs at the puck, not full on soccer or football kicks.   If you're overly concerned about saftey, make it so you can only lift you skate black an inch off the ice, or the blade has to say on the ice... something like that.

 

ALso they should be able to play the puck off the netting.   I mean, what's the difference between the netting and glass?  It stays in play.... would make dump ins more interesting.    Goalies would have a harder time tracking the puck, etc...

They'd have to review kicked-in goals every single time, that would be a nightmare imo.

[woods-racer]

Let's go all the way. You should be able to pick the puck up off the ice, stick it in your pocket and dive into the net for a goal. Skill!

 

Butt goal. 

 

All skill.

[dudacek]

Given a choice, a player will almost always choose stick over kick.

 

It is insanely hard to kick a puck on skates with any kind of power and control is difficult.

That is why the legal kicks you see now are almost always with the side of the blade, in a diagonal motion, not with the toe in a forward motion.

 

If goalies are confined to their crease and players cannot enter the crease, I can't see what kicking to score will be any more dangerous than kicking to pass is during regular play.

[FLYNNSanity]

I agree with 1,3,5...

[Doohicksie]

1) Completely rebuild goalie equipment to make it form-fitting

My first reaction is yes, but I can see this being problematic to enforce, especially measurements related to measurements of the goalie plus some delta.  What happens if he drops a few pounds, does he need to wear different equipment?  I can see some your suggestions being put into the game, but I think it can only go so far when you start to think about the practical aspects of enforcement.

2) Eliminate offsides

No.  Just no.

3) Allow players to kick the puck in

I hear the argument that "players kick the puck all over the ice anyway," but even with all the equipment a goalie has, I don't think you want player actively kicking at the puck when he's down.

4) Force goalies to stay in their crease at all times:

No, but I would like to go back to the time when opposing players could not precede the puck into the crease.  Opponent touches the goalie in the crease?  Interference, EVERY time.  That should be his kingdom.  However, if the goalie leaves the crease, he is a player like anyone else.  Cannot close his hand on the puck outside of the crease, is not protected from checks outside of the crease.

5) Increase the importance of offensive zone faceoffs

I kind of like that, except that gives the advantage to the defense since the goal line is closer to the faceoff dot than the blue line.  While you're at it, though, why not faceoffs from center ice with both teams lined up on their respective blue lines.  That would be pretty cool, too.

[dudacek]

No thank you, you'd be turning it into 35 goal games and gimmicky style skill competitions.  

 

No gimmicks or skills competitions here. Every one involves changing an existing rule in a way to tilt the rules to favour offence.

It's not like there isn't precedent. Hockey used to have seven players, no forward passing and goalies weren't allowed to drop to their knees.

 

Keep the offsides, no cherry picking

 

I'd love to see people expand on this because hockey culture — goalsucks are anathema to most hockey players.

But from a fan's perspective isn't the thought of more breakaways, skating and puckhandling a good thing? Less whistles?

Won't it make the game faster and more entertaining?

 

Let's go all the way. You should be able to pick the puck up off the ice, stick it in your pocket and dive into the net for a goal. Skill!

 

I know this is for effect, but carrying the puck in a closed hand would be virtually impossible to defend by legal means.

Kicking a puck at the net is not. It's actually easier to defend; it just gives the attacker another option.

[Doohicksie]

With allowing kicked in goals (which I am for) it also eliminates the obvious defensive play of tying up opposing guys' sticks near the crease; and kills all the lengthy reviews where they spend 5 minutes looking for a "distinct kicking motion." It increases scoring and speeds up the game.

 

How about making it illegal to defend by tying up an opponent's stick?  Call it holding or hooking as if the stick were fully an extension of the player's body.

Let's go all the way. You should be able to pick the puck up off the ice, stick it in your pocket and dive into the net for a goal. Skill!  Football!

 

fify

[dudacek]

1) Completely rebuild goalie equipment to make it form-fitting

My first reaction is yes, but I can see this being problematic to enforce, especially measurements related to measurements of the goalie plus some delta.  What happens if he drops a few pounds, does he need to wear different equipment?  I can see some your suggestions being put into the game, but I think it can only go so far when you start to think about the practical aspects of enforcement.

 

 

5) Increase the importance of offensive zone faceoffs

I kind of like that, except that gives the advantage to the defense since the goal line is closer to the faceoff dot than the blue line.  While you're at it, though, why not faceoffs from center ice with both teams lined up on their respective blue lines.  That would be pretty cool, too.

 

1) I think the measurement standard would not be the player, but the thickness of the pad: no body armor thicker than, say, two inches, no leg pads wider than, say, six inches. The actual widths would be determined by safety tests.

 

5) Each team should be the same distance from the dot, but the defending team would have to be behind the goal line. The thought is this: freezing the puck essentially takes away a scoring chance and gives the defending team a 50/50 chance to clear. Making the faceoff more dangerous a) encourages better offensive chances from the faceoff and/or b) discourages goalies from freezing the puck.

 

Maybe a better idea is making it a penalty for a goalie to freeze the puck,

[#freejame]

4) Force goalies to stay in their crease at all times:

No, but I would like to go back to the time when opposing players could not precede the puck into the crease.  Opponent touches the goalie in the crease?  Interference, EVERY time.  That should be his kingdom.  However, if the goalie leaves the crease, he is a player like anyone else.  Cannot close his hand on the puck outside of the crease, is not protected from checks outside of the crease.

I'm not sure goalies would be down for the second half of that statement, but I think restricting covering the puck to the crease would have a good impact on scores. 

[Doohicksie]

Yeah, I know the problems with the second part of that, but seriously, if they insist on playing like one of the big boys, let them play, well, like the big boys.  The big boys hit and take hits.  Maybe you have a different standard for what constitutes a legal check versus a non-goalie, but if the goalie comes out to play the puck behind the net and another player hits him.... so be it.

[dudacek]

Yeah, I know the problems with the second part of that, but seriously, if they insist on playing like one of the big boys, let them play, well, like the big boys.  The big boys hit and take hits.  Maybe you have a different standard for what constitutes a legal check versus a non-goalie, but if the goalie comes out to play the puck behind the net and another player hits him.... so be it.

 

I've always felt that if a goalie wants to play like a defenceman, then he should be checked like a defenceman.

If the league wants to protect the goalie, make him stay in the crease.

[Doohicksie]

I've always felt that if a goalie wants to play like a defenceman, then he should be checked like a defenceman.

If the league wants to protect the goalie, make him stay in the crease.

 

Or give him the option.  He can wander... if he can take a hit.  One argument against checking the goalie is the bulky goalie pads make it more likely he'll be injured (due to awkward fall), but if the goalie equipment is reduced significantly, then that objection goes away.  :devil:

[woods-racer]

Or give him the option.  He can wander... if he can take a hit.  One argument against checking the goalie is the bulky goalie pads make it more likely he'll be injured (due to awkward fall), but if the goalie equipment is reduced significantly, then that objection goes away.  :devil:

 

I got no problems with this now.

 

Lets face it Lehner is 6'4" and 230 lbs, and then there is the Big Johnson. 

 

I say bring it on.

[thewookie1]

I for one would definitely not enjoy this kind of hockey. I don't want finals that range into the 30+ goals a night which is what you'd get with these changes since the goalie would be nothing more than a glorified defenseman.  I honestly value strategy and defensive play, aside from NJ who's system is ridiculously defensive, I have no problem with a team trying to play a bit more conservatively.

 

So... I'd vote no on any of these ideas. I'm all for reducing pad sizes so they are less blimp like, but not to an extent where .750 save percentages are great.