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.
- uvgt2bkdnme

If he's made "legal" to hit, then probably a lot. You don't think there is some goon out there that would be looking for that (even for a clean hit)??

I'm not talking about a hit worthy of a penalty. The one guy mentioned making goalies "fair game", and if they did that then there would be no doubt guys looking to do just that!!

If he's made "legal" to hit, then probably a lot. You don't think there is some goon out there that would be looking for that (even for a clean hit)??

I'm not talking about a hit worthy of a penalty. The one guy mentioned making goalies "fair game", and if they did that then there would be no doubt guys looking to do just that!!
- burn

Not unless you're Marty Turco . . .

Seriously, though, if goalies are aware that they're fair game, then the non-Marty Turcos are definitely gonna hear it from the GMs and coaches to protect themselves or (more likely) NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT playing the puck outside the crease (might POSSIBLY, not surely, even increase scoring for those people who see that as a problem). I know there are goons out there who would be looking for the first instant the goalie leaves the crease. But again, how many players are there like that? And when goalies do get hit, aren't they padded well enough (given the constant complaints about the size of goalie equipment) to protect themselves? And, again going back to "awareness of the new rule," don't you think goalies themselves are smart enough to protect themselves, especially along the boards?

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.
- uvgt2bkdnme

Have you ever worn goalie equipment on the ice? There is very little padding on the back, the helmet comes off pretty easily, a goalie can't maneuver as well because of the skate design and some of the bulky equipment. Making the goalies fair game is a dumb rule, and as previously mentioned there would be many goalies on IR. Sure, a check or two every few games may not take a goalie out, but as soon as every goalie can be potentially checked multiple times a game the odds of injury are very high.

Do you really think any goalie in the league could take a hit from a player like Boogaard and not suffer?

Not unless you're Marty Turco . . .

Seriously, though, if goalies are aware that they're fair game, then the non-Marty Turcos are definitely gonna hear it from the GMs and coaches to protect themselves or (more likely) NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT playing the puck outside the crease (might POSSIBLY, not surely, even increase scoring for those people who see that as a problem). I know there are goons out there who would be looking for the first instant the goalie leaves the crease. But again, how many players are there like that? And when goalies do get hit, aren't they padded well enough (given the constant complaints about the size of goalie equipment) to protect themselves? And, again going back to "awareness of the new rule," don't you think goalies themselves are smart enough to protect themselves, especially along the boards?
- uvgt2bkdnme

I just don't like to take away a skill that they have developed (playing the puck) because they have to say in the crease or get killed.

As for the goalies being padded, well they are protected from pucks in strategic spots but not for the impact of a 200+LBS guy going full speed at them. Taking and giving hits are skills that need to be learned and no goalies know them, which could pose a problem.

1) Good-bye to Bettman and Daly
2) No more trapezoid
3) Call the diving penalty without calling a tripping penalty at the same time. It's one or the other, not both
4) NO star treatment. period. If Crosby hits someone from behind, give him the same suspension you'd give Avery. BS star treatment (ie. Pronger) only makes the league look like more of a joke than it already is
5) Lose the enforcers. If someone's only job is to fight, they don't have a place in hockey
6) Cut the dead-weight teams out of the league. This doesn't necessarily mean contraction, but at least move them to markets where they will make money. If they still don't make money, contract them. There's no point keeping a team for 10 years when it does nothing but bleed money....
7) Admit that the league, under the control of Bettman's circus, has made many mistakes and work towards fixing them
8) Abolish the old boys club of crooks in the BoG
9) Implement touch icing
10) Like was mentioned earlier, get rid of all the hard plastic shoulder pads, elbow pads, etc. There's plenty of softer and better equipment on the market
11) No more loser point. You either win or you lose, and losers shouldn't be rewarded
- Nipps_4

YES esp. #1

I like the idea of set suspension times to guarentee that stars are suspended, but I would do it more like the legal system, i.e. have a minimum number a games a player MUST be suspended, but allow for a player to be suspended for more games than the minimum. This would ensure for everyone to be suspended, but if there is an especially vicious play then the NHL would have the capacity to suspend a player for even longer. And I think there should be more willingness to dish out lifetime bans. Todd Bertuzzi and Chris Simon come to mind here...

I'm against the goalies being fair game idea. Like someone said, they are never trained to recieve a hit. Thus, they cannot be hit safely. So even a clean, moderate force hit could turn into a career ending one for a goalie.

Have you ever worn goalie equipment on the ice? There is very little padding on the back, the helmet comes off pretty easily, a goalie can't maneuver as well because of the skate design and some of the bulky equipment. Making the goalies fair game is a dumb rule, and as previously mentioned there would be many goalies on IR. Sure, a check or two every few games may not take a goalie out, but as soon as every goalie can be potentially checked multiple times a game the odds of injury are very high.

Do you really think any goalie in the league could take a hit from a player like Boogaard and not suffer?
- deslni01

I'm against the goalies being fair game idea. Like someone said, they are never trained to recieve a hit. Thus, they cannot be hit safely. So even a clean, moderate force hit could turn into a career ending one for a goalie.
- JJimmyCarterC

Points taken.

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

yes they will so stay in your effing crease or pay the price.........its like swimming w/out a lifegaurd on duty.......its at your own risk.........whoever wants to play the puck can........but they'll have to move their a$$ when someone is bearing down, just like a dman....and as far as saying its taking away a skill........well maybe it is but when MacInnis would wind up did everyone say hey give him some time to get that thing off, thats one of his skills? NO

yes they will so stay in your effing crease or pay the price.........its like swimming w/out a lifegaurd on duty.......its at your own risk.........whoever wants to play the puck can........but they'll have to move their a$$ when someone is bearing down, just like a dman....and as far as saying its taking away a skill........well maybe it is but when MacInnis would wind up did everyone say hey give him some time to get that thing off, thats one of his skills? NO
- phonybuzz

Not the same thing though. These goalies have grown up with playing the puck and have gotten good at it (some more than others). You can't just say you can't do it anymore. No one said to Macinnis that he could unleash his shot anymore. The skill of playing the puck is about moving it quickly up to their teammates while the opposition is bearing down on them. They still have to right to stick check them and get in their way to pressure them, but it makes zero sense to all of a sudden make them fair game.

Not the same thing though. These goalies have grown up with playing the puck and have gotten good at it (some more than others). You can't just say you can't do it anymore. No one said to Macinnis that he could unleash his shot anymore. The skill of playing the puck is about moving it quickly up to their teammates while the opposition is bearing down on them. They still have to right to stick check them and get in their way to pressure them, but it makes zero sense to all of a sudden make them fair game.
- burn

Yeah, you simply can't allow the goalies to handle the puck wherever they want and NOT make them fair game to hit.

Before they changed they rules, I remember Roy taking the puck and skating to center ice with it (he was having one of his moments). The opposing players didn't know what to do at all...because they knew they couldn't touch him. It was a ridiculous situation.

If a goalie leaves the crease to play the puck, he should be hittable. This obviously increases his injury risk. And as soon as you hit a goalie, legally or not, there will be fights. Let's face it. And then things just get out of hand. So "fair game" goalies without the trapazoid has a whole other set of problems.

I know the trapazoid isn't fair to the few goalies who can play the puck well, but it's the lesser of two evils. It's for their own protection and to keep things under control by limiting contact with the goalies.

I'm surprised about the opinions against the trapezoid. I like the rule and if my goalie ever gets out of the emergency ward would be someone who would really benefit from it.

I'd like to see the 10 game suspension for jumping the bench reworded to say "up to 10 games". I think a lot of the bad hits in the game is because they know they are relatively safe from retribution. Look on Youtube for NHL Brawls (especially some of the Ranger ones). They started because someone took a cheap shot on one of their guys and the bench came to their aid. Now, I don't want to bring back the Broad Street Bully days but there is something to be said for sticking up for your teammate. Hell, the Redsox/Tigers had a brawl on Tuesday night and no one is saying Baseball should thrown out.

Shorten the schedule. No reason why hockey should be played in June. If the players are worried about injuries and such, increase the roster to 22-23 players and have more lines/shifts/guys ready to play. Teams can go on
North East road trips and play 5 games in 8 nights and never get on a plane.

Re-seed the final 4 in the playoffs. This way, you can still have the 2 best teams play for the Cup even if they are both from the same conference. Imagine if the NHL could get an Ovechkin/Crosby Cup final? That would be huge...

I'm surprised about the opinions against the trapezoid. I like the rule and if my goalie ever gets out of the emergency ward would be someone who would really benefit from it.

I'd like to see the 10 game suspension for jumping the bench reworded to say "up to 10 games". I think a lot of the bad hits in the game is because they know they are relatively safe from retribution. Look on Youtube for NHL Brawls (especially some of the Ranger ones). They started because someone took a cheap shot on one of their guys and the bench came to their aid. Now, I don't want to bring back the Broad Street Bully days but there is something to be said for sticking up for your teammate. Hell, the Redsox/Tigers had a brawl on Tuesday night and no one is saying Baseball should thrown out.

Shorten the schedule. No reason why hockey should be played in June. If the players are worried about injuries and such, increase the roster to 22-23 players and have more lines/shifts/guys ready to play. Teams can go on
North East road trips and play 5 games in 8 nights and never get on a plane.

Re-seed the final 4 in the playoffs. This way, you can still have the 2 best teams play for the Cup even if they are both from the same conference. Imagine if the NHL could get an Ovechkin/Crosby Cup final? That would be huge...
- clebo99

why not?

Yeah, you simply can't allow the goalies to handle the puck wherever they want and NOT make them fair game to hit.

Before they changed they rules, I remember Roy taking the puck and skating to center ice with it (he was having one of his moments). The opposing players didn't know what to do at all...because they knew they couldn't touch him. It was a ridiculous situation.

If a goalie leaves the crease to play the puck, he should be hittable. This obviously increases his injury risk. And as soon as you hit a goalie, legally or not, there will be fights. Let's face it. And then things just get out of hand. So "fair game" goalies without the trapazoid has a whole other set of problems.

I know the trapazoid isn't fair to the few goalies who can play the puck well, but it's the lesser of two evils. It's for their own protection and to keep things under control by limiting contact with the goalies.
- RinkLighter

good idea......keep the trapezoid as a safe zone but if he goes to the corner.....keep your head up

Yeah, you simply can't allow the goalies to handle the puck wherever they want and NOT make them fair game to hit.

Before they changed they rules, I remember Roy taking the puck and skating to center ice with it (he was having one of his moments). The opposing players didn't know what to do at all...because they knew they couldn't touch him. It was a ridiculous situation.

If a goalie leaves the crease to play the puck, he should be hittable. This obviously increases his injury risk. And as soon as you hit a goalie, legally or not, there will be fights. Let's face it. And then things just get out of hand. So "fair game" goalies without the trapazoid has a whole other set of problems.

I know the trapazoid isn't fair to the few goalies who can play the puck well, but it's the lesser of two evils. It's for their own protection and to keep things under control by limiting contact with the goalies.
- RinkLighter

Fair enough..

Dont know if these have already been said but to improve on ice product you need to cut players from the league.

So either 1 contract by 4 teams. you're down minimum 80 players.

OR

Limit teams to 15 players on the bench at a time. (3 forward lines, 2 defense pair, 2 extra) Down 150 players. the 2 extra shuld be 2 way players, who can play forward adn defense depending on what is needed at that point in the game.

I'm surprised about the opinions against the trapezoid. I like the rule and if my goalie ever gets out of the emergency ward would be someone who would really benefit from it.

I'd like to see the 10 game suspension for jumping the bench reworded to say "up to 10 games". I think a lot of the bad hits in the game is because they know they are relatively safe from retribution. Look on Youtube for NHL Brawls (especially some of the Ranger ones). They started because someone took a cheap shot on one of their guys and the bench came to their aid. Now, I don't want to bring back the Broad Street Bully days but there is something to be said for sticking up for your teammate. Hell, the Redsox/Tigers had a brawl on Tuesday night and no one is saying Baseball should thrown out.

Shorten the schedule. No reason why hockey should be played in June. If the players are worried about injuries and such, increase the roster to 22-23 players and have more lines/shifts/guys ready to play. Teams can go on
North East road trips and play 5 games in 8 nights and never get on a plane.

Re-seed the final 4 in the playoffs. This way, you can still have the 2 best teams play for the Cup even if they are both from the same conference. Imagine if the NHL could get an Ovechkin/Crosby Cup final? That would be huge...
- clebo99

Not just Ovechkin v. Crosby. NYR v. NYI. LA v. ANA. CGY v. EDM. PIT v. PHI. TOR v. OTT. If the teams stick around, TB v. FLA. Not just superstars, but also the possible number of proximity rivals should be a great ratings boost and incredible hockey. Also, you can have ALL the original six match-up possibilities in the Final again: MTL v. BOS, TOR v. MTL, NYR v. BOS, DET v. CHI.

Less rules restricting physical play. I want more fights and more big hits. hockey in the 90's was perfect, it was an even mix of skill and physical play. Now it's all skill play and thats just as boring to me as all physical play. You have to have a mix.