So you're willing to have half of the end zones be the crease? With butterfly positioning you'd need about the whole area below the hash marks to be the crease to make it work, and that's not fair to skaters.
- kingminers

No, I didn't say make it half the zone. Make it end between the bottom of the face off circle and the where it is now. Don't let goalies beable to slide all the way out to the bottom of the face off circle to make a save. It will increase goal production as well..

So basically they are implementing NFL rules? Good thing they had to ask the fans for those

If they asked NHL fans this question, we'd have another team or 2 in Canada, re-alignment of conferences/divisions (I'm a big fan of moving Columbus into the East and putting them in a division with the Pens to try and build a rivalry), and NHL would be back on ESPN in the US.

The no touch icing should be hybrid. I hate it when I'm chasing down a puck and I get to it right when it goes over the icing line! It's like common, I obviously going to win the race with no defensmen around me.
- Synergy98

I could buy that. I change my "no touch icing" to "hybrid icing"!

a) players protective equipment, specifically elbowand shoulder pads should be made out of a soft foam. Enough to protect you from pucks and sticks but not hard enough to break someones face.


- Synergy98

YES!!!

that and it shouldnt matter if its Hagman, Orr, Gagne, Crosby, OV if they do something that is suspension worthy.. SUSPEND THEM!!!! no more "oh well he is a star".. don't give sh!t... suspend him

Not if the goalie stays in his crease.
- Synergy98

But then you're talking away a skill that some have worked hard to achieve.

As a goalie, I don't like the "trapezoid" or the "Free game out of the crease".

So basically they are implementing NFL rules? Good thing they had to ask the fans for those

If they asked NHL fans this question, we'd have another team or 2 in Canada, re-alignment of conferences/divisions (I'm a big fan of moving Columbus into the East and putting them in a division with the Pens to try and build a rivalry), and NHL would be back on ESPN in the US.
- mwiles19

yeah, I would definately realign the conferences. Instead of East and West I would try to have North and South, possibly a four box grid.

I could buy that. I change my "no touch icing" to "hybrid icing"!
- RinkLighter

When a team travels on a road trip, don't make them cross 3 different time zones in 3 days. Keep a road trip all around the same area, and not go from west to east or east to west a bunch of times!~

YES!!!

that and it shouldnt matter if its Hagman, Orr, Gagne, Crosby, OV if they do something that is suspension worthy.. SUSPEND THEM!!!! no more "oh well he is a star".. don't give sh!t... suspend him
- OrangeNBlackBlood

Yeah, that's another reason why I want automatic and specific suspensions.

No bending the rules for the stars. You hit someone from behind or elbow them in the head in a flying leap...you get 5 games. (Or whatever). Do it again...20 games. We don't care who you are - if you break the rules - you get suspended. Deal with it.

Yeah, that's another reason why I want automatic and specific suspensions.

No bending the rules for the stars. You hit someone from behind or elbow them in the head in a flying leap...you get 5 games. (Or whatever). Do it again...20 games. We don't care who you are - if you break the rules - you get suspended. Deal with it.
- RinkLighter

Exactly. This could actually be one of the better, and easiest, things the league could do to improve their image.

Yeah, that's another reason why I want automatic and specific suspensions.

No bending the rules for the stars. You hit someone from behind or elbow them in the head in a flying leap...you get 5 games. (Or whatever). Do it again...20 games. We don't care who you are - if you break the rules - you get suspended. Deal with it.
- RinkLighter

yeah.. I think that pisses me off the most.. you hear the league say they are cracking down on headshots.. then nothing.. last year in the playoffs Carcillo got 1 game.. like 10 other players did the EXACT same thing.. and nothing.. we almost need to wipe upper management completely clean and start with fresh faces who like keeping fans happy

Exactly. This could actually be one of the better, and easiest, things the league could do to improve their image.
- Nipps_4

Their "case-by-case" review of all offenses is just so stupidly random and inconsistent and allows for the bending of the rules for certain players.

I really don't know why the league just can't spell out some automatic suspensions and implement it. Like you said, it would be so easy.

If a couple of "innocent" plays get caught up in the mix, so be it...in the long run, the repeat offenders will be the ones severely punished and the overly cheap garbage will start to disappear.

So basically they are implementing NFL rules? Good thing they had to ask the fans for those

If they asked NHL fans this question, we'd have another team or 2 in Canada, re-alignment of conferences/divisions (I'm a big fan of moving Columbus into the East and putting them in a division with the Pens to try and build a rivalry), and NHL would be back on ESPN in the US.
- mwiles19

I've always been a big fan of moving Columbus to the east just because it makes sense, but I never even considered the idea of building a rivalry with PIT. That is a GREAT point and something I could definitely see paying off for the CBJ down the line

And to the guy who said make it a North/South thing, that wouldnt work because travel would be absurd. The grid thing might, but isn't that pretty much going back to the way it was with the old divisions? (not that I disagree with it, I was jw)

- Automatic and specific suspensions for hits from behind/cheap shots. Suspensions dramatically increase with each offense. i.e., 5 games, 20 games, 40 games, kicked out of NHL...something like that. Remove the random and completely baffling way they hand out suspensions now.

- Remove the instigator rule.

- No-touch icing. 99% of the time the defending team gets the puck first anyway, so remove the dangerous race that leads to meaningless injuries.

- I personally don't like the shootout, but I understand many fans do. I would make the number of shooters 5 rather than 3 - if I had to keep it.
- RinkLighter

Great post, this is the right direction.

The first one would have to be carefully considered, to avoid the inconsistent officiating the league is so fond of. Having rigid suspension rules would help alleviate this though, I agree. It's kind of disgraceful how sometimes the name on a player's back factors into the punishments they recieve.

The instigator rule is plain stupid and favors troublemakers like Avery (sometimes a player deserves to have his ass kicked, plain and simple. If there was no instigator, those on the ice would have no trouble putting the actual "instigators" in their place).

No-touch icing is just a good idea. Not necessary, but a good idea nonetheless.

Five round shootouts make sense. In a best of three situation, it seems like close games end all to suddenly rather often. With five shooters, it keeps regular season games from going into overly long overtime while still allowing a fuller resolution to a tie game, leaves it a bit less up to luck.

I also think the automatic slashing on a broken stick rule should either be rigidly enforced, or completely removed. It's treated way too subjectively. Same with scoring of the skate. Either it's always a goal or it's never a goal. It's silly to officiate intentions.

Their "case-by-case" review of all offenses is just so stupidly random and inconsistent and allows for the bending of the rules for certain players.

I really don't know why the league just can't spell out some automatic suspensions and implement it. Like you said, it would be so easy.

If a couple of "innocent" plays get caught up in the mix, so be it...in the long run, the repeat offenders will be the ones severely punished and the overly cheap garbage will start to disappear.
- RinkLighter

Agreeing with this. If they really want a "case-by-case" review, make it after the suspension, and in regards the the severity of the next suspension. It'll make more sense to determine who is and isn't a repeat offender after the fact. Even an accident deserves some punishment, and by giving leniency to the "stars" the NHL is essentially picking who said "stars" are.

yeah.. I think that pisses me off the most.. you hear the league say they are cracking down on headshots.. then nothing.. last year in the playoffs Carcillo got 1 game.. like 10 other players did the EXACT same thing.. and nothing.. we almost need to wipe upper management completely clean and start with fresh faces who like keeping fans happy
- OrangeNBlackBlood

Related to the "automatic and specific" suspensions suggestion, suspensions should and would be handed out in exactly the same way in the playoffs as in the regular season.

There's no good reason why suspensions should be less or non-existant in the playoffs - which the NHL seems to believe.

One thing I would like to see considered is to change the way the Conferences are aligned.

Everytime I hear a player say they don't want to leave the Eastern Conference because of the increased travel by playing in the West it drives me up the wall.

However, the players do have a point in pointing out that the stress of playing in the West may in fact be greater due in a large part to the expansion of the league westward over the years.

What I would like to see instead is a realignment into a Northern and Southern Conference. This would force every team to experience about the same travel expectation. Also, and probably much to the delight of the Canadian hockey fan, force the Canadian teams to all play each other at least 4 teams a year.

While some traditional rivalries could fall by the wayside, I believe the news that could develop would eventually become just as entertaining. In fact, I would go so far as to say that very few of the important rivalries would even be affected since most of the history in the rivalries we all grew up watching were in the Northeast anyway.

I've always been a big fan of moving Columbus to the east just because it makes sense, but I never even considered the idea of building a rivalry with PIT. That is a GREAT point and something I could definitely see paying off for the CBJ down the line

And to the guy who said make it a North/South thing, that wouldnt work because travel would be absurd. The grid thing might, but isn't that pretty much going back to the way it was with the old divisions? (not that I disagree with it, I was jw)
- marcs797

I really haven't taken the time to map it out due to my life being in the way but I just believe their could be a better solution. I know it wouldn't be perfect, but at least its a start and you could use it as a template for the divisions.

no more guaranteed contracts. you earn your pay and knowing that you can get released at the drop of a dime. too many players skate through their contracts till its the last year of their contracts.
we all have seen how these contracts have killed the NBA.

no more guaranteed contracts. you earn your pay and knowing that you can get released at the drop of a dime. too many players skate through their contracts till its the last year of their contracts.
we all have seen how these contracts have killed the NBA.
- phi1671

yeah, I don't see why they can't get paid base salary with performance bonuses like the rest of the world does.

yeah, I don't see why they can't get paid base salary with performance bonuses like the rest of the world does.
- Synergy98

I've always thought the same thing as well.

Of course the players and their bloody union would complain bitterly if such an idea was ever presented because really, that's just crazy to think that you might have to earn you wages instead of having them handed to you.

Hmm . . . I think Paul McCann did the same thing not too long ago . . . I think it was "King of the NHL for a Day" or something like that. Anyway . . .

Goalies outside the crease are fair game. This change really shouldn't create line brawls every game because 1) the players and the goalies would be aware of the rule and the consequences if the goalie does decide to try to play the puck and 2) if the goalie were treated like a regular skater, he would be subject to the same rules as the other five players. So if an attacking forward lays him out but the goalie hasn't touched the puck yet, it's still interference. You could also implement an automatic double-minor for intentionally/solely going after the goalie, not the puck.

Goals allowed/disallowed with the argument being goalie interference are added to the list of video-reviewable plays. If the player is standing on white ice in front of the goalie's crease, it's NOT goalie interference especially if the player was there first, the goalie creates the contact, or both players run into each other (Jokinen and Brodeur, Game 4 of the Conference Quarterfinals this past year). (This change is assuming "goalies are fair game outside the crease" doesn't exist.)

Hmm . . . I think Paul McCann did the same thing not too long ago . . . I think it was "King of the NHL for a Day" or something like that. Anyway . . .

Goalies outside the crease are fair game. This change really shouldn't create line brawls every game because 1) the players and the goalies would be aware of the rule and the consequences if the goalie does decide to try to play the puck and 2) if the goalie were treated like a regular skater, he would be subject to the same rules as the other five players. So if an attacking forward lays him out but the goalie hasn't touched the puck yet, it's still interference. You could also implement an automatic double-minor for intentionally/solely going after the goalie, not the puck.

Goals allowed/disallowed with the argument being goalie interference are added to the list of video-reviewable plays. If the player is standing on white ice in front of the goalie's crease, it's NOT goalie interference especially if the player was there first, the goalie creates the contact, or both players run into each other (Jokinen and Brodeur, Game 4 of the Conference Quarterfinals this past year). (This change is assuming "goalies are fair game outside the crease" doesn't exist.)
- uvgt2bkdnme

Yes it would. What would happen if one of my guys lays out your goalie and he can't continue?? Are you going to play the rest of the game clean and forget about it?? Not likely. The other team will target the other goalie. It would create a long line of goalies on IR. It's exactly like the "beanball" in baseball. If your pitcher hits my guys, our pitcher is going to hit one of your guys.

Yes it would. What would happen if one of my guys lays out your goalie and he can't continue?? Are you going to play the rest of the game clean and forget about it?? Not likely. The other team will target the other goalie. It would create a long line of goalies on IR. It's exactly like the "beanball" in baseball. If your pitcher hits my guys, our pitcher is going to hit one of your guys.
- burn

Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of the trapezoid either, but I certainly understand why it's there.

If you remove it, you have to make goalies fair game if they leave the crease - and you know full well someone would take advantage of that and crush a goalie - and then you have a whole other set of problems.

I think the "no play zone" is the lesser of two evils, though I know it's not fair to the few goalies who actually handle the puck well.

Yes it would. What would happen if one of my guys lays out your goalie and he can't continue?? Are you going to play the rest of the game clean and forget about it?? Not likely. The other team will target the other goalie. It would create a long line of goalies on IR. It's exactly like the "beanball" in baseball. If your pitcher hits my guys, our pitcher is going to hit one of your guys.
- burn

How often is a goalie going to get hit to the point where he can't continue the game?

If a goalie does get injured on a match-penalty-worthy hit, then we run back into the issue of the league doing a piss-poor job policing its players because it can't hand out effective suspensions. By "effective," I mean punishing the player(s) involved and acting as a deterrent for the rest of the league.