Proposal: How to Fix the NHL

[Winger for Hire]

The media thread was getting bogged down with ideas to fix the NHL. I figured it needed it's own thread since it seems to be attracting some discussion.

Ideas so far include:

-Bigger nets (2x2 or 2x1 bigger)
-Stricter regulations on goalie equipment
-Crackdown (again) on obstruction
-Bigger rink size
-De-weponize player's equipment (elbow/shoulder pads)

Click to read more...

 

[Frederick Stanley]

Better supervision of referees.

 

[Jacob]

Enlarge the ice by 10 feet in all directions. Or at least allow some leeway in dimensions for teams building new rinks to go bigger if they want to, not unlike baseball fields.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Call obstruction more often. Not only would it allow the skill players to shine, but during the higher scoring eras there were more power plays, about one more a game so not that much.

People love scoring, in every sport. It is what is killing the NHL right now, one of the lowest scoring eras in NHL history.

The only reasonable argument that I have heard at all is that the higher speeds mean more injuries, and not only care for players safety on a human level, but a legal level with huge settlements for the NFL play into this. But the NHL addressed this already with harsh penalties for head hunting. Make them even stronger if you have to. I do not see where speed alone would be that big a risk.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Personally I feel that calling the game the same from 1st to 3rd period, regular season to playoffs would greatly benefit the game. Along with calling the rulebook. No more whistles in pockets. Tripping, holding, cross checking, etc is the same in the 1st period as it is in OT.

Don't be afraid to crackdown on the refs that are inconsistent and don't call the rulebook, as Fredrick said. Grade the refs and use those grades to cut the bad refs after the season and give the higher graded refs the playoff games.

 

[cheesedanish87]

It would never ever happen, but 4 on 4 hockey would produce more goals and make the game much more entertaining to watch.

 

[Til the End of Time]

i would just be more diligently follow the current rulebook. call the games like they did coming out of the lockout.

in any case, pens need to start playing the game on how it is currently played, rather than assembling a team based on how management/ownership thinks it ought to be played.

that kind of mindset screwed the pens in the 90s and is currently screwing them again.

i also think its interesting that many/most current nhl fans league-wide dont see a problem with how the game is played. seems like pens fans are particularly sensitive to this issue, perhaps because the penguins refuse to adapt. perhaps the league isnt the problem, but instead the organization.

 

[The Old Master]

I'm all for bigger ice...........bigger net? maybe. the defense man needs to be able to stay with the forward and not get called for interference though.

 

[kodoshin]

Everything would be fine if they actually enforced the already on the book rules with consistency.

 

[Pens1566]

1) Enforce the rules as they exist in rule book
2) Expand ice surface in some dimension
3) Increase size of net or reduce goalie equipment accordingly
4) Expansion. We've added more markets in terms of contributing talent to the league, yet the last expansion was in ...???

 

[Shady Machine]

I would try changing the angles of the posts before I'd increase net size. Basically make the post angle inward so more pucks off the post would either drop in front or bank in off the post rather than go all over the place. This subtle change could increase goals.

Outside of that, they definitely need to call more obstruction, holding, hooking, etc.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Bigger ice will slow the game down, not speed it up.

 

[Shady Machine]

Bigger ice will slow the game down, not speed it up.

It will allow for more puck movement and control. Less obstruction and an emphasis on skating. It would be a different game, but I'd like it.

It won't happen though because you would lose seating capacity at every rink.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Less net to shoot at is the biggest problem. It is a fact that their is less net available to shooters today. Fix it.

 

[Eli Cash]

I'm sick of shot blocking. No idea how to fix that.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Less net to shoot at is the biggest problem. It is a fact that their is less net available to shooters today. Fix it.

I think the bigger problem is the obstruction of the players. Entering the zone you're getting hooked and grabbed and slowed down, giving the defense a chance to catch up and take away scoring opportunities.

More obstruction = less time and less shooting opportunities.

More net to shoot at would be a boon to scoring, but wouldn't help the flow of the game which, IMO, is a bigger problem.

 

[stayinalive]

Bigger ice will slow the game down, not speed it up.

I do not really think it is about speed of the game. The player have simply outgrown the size of the rink. Average human height has drastically increased in the last 50-100 years and it will only continue to do so.

 

[Shady Machine]

Less net to shoot at is the biggest problem. It is a fact that their is less net available to shooters today. Fix it.

The bigger problem is how teams defend. It is now commonplace for teams to collapse in the middle and block everything they can. It's tough to get shots through to the goalie. I don't really know how you can fix that.

 

[vikingGoalie]

The bigger problem is how teams defend. It is now commonplace for teams to collapse in the middle and block everything they can. It's tough to get shots through to the goalie. I don't really know how you can fix that.

true, but I'm a big advocate for calling the rules consistently and stop the obstruction (like the rules are actually written).

If the game sped up and you were not allowed to obstruct defense might not have so much time to setup to collapse like that.


Put me down on the stop the obstruction and consistency in enforcement of the rules. How would regular people like a super bowl game where the receiver gets tackled before the ball gets there in the end zone, and there is no call because the refs are letting the boys play?

If player safety is a concern (the reason why obstruction crept back into the league supposedly). Then the shoulder pads and elbows need to be constructed so that they have a little bit of cushion on the outside, instead of a rock hard plastic shell.

 

[Coastal Kev]

The bigger problem is how teams defend. It is now commonplace for teams to collapse in the middle and block everything they can. It's tough to get shots through to the goalie. I don't really know how you can fix that.

I'm not arguing net increase would fix all of the ills of the game, but it's a good start.

 

[Winger for Hire]

I'm not arguing net increase would fix all of the ills of the game, but it's a good start.

You're cutting off the foot before tending to the bullet hole in the thigh.

First cut down on the obstruction and call the rulebook, then tinker with the goalie pads to allow some extra shooting room and skater pads to cut down on rock hard elbows and shoulders.

The rulebook is already in place waiting to help fix the game. And the equipment is changing every 6 months, so another change isn't going to be noticed much by players.

Just changing the goal size won't do much when you can maul the players as they get into shooting positions.

The problem isn't goals per game, it's that the game is sloppy, bogged down, and isn't rewarding skill.

 

[UnrealMachine]

Less net to shoot at is the biggest problem. It is a fact that their is less net available to shooters today. Fix it.

If this was the biggest problem then it would show up in the PP conversion rate. The PP conversion rate for this season is 18.71%, which is the 2nd highest it has been since the 92-93 season (2008-2009 was 18.95%). The biggest problem, as other have stated, is the lack of enforcement on obstruction calls. Not only does it reduce 5on5 socring, it reduces PP scoring as well since less penalties are called. The PP opportunity rate is 3.18/game, and that's literally the lowest it has ever been, ever.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/stats.html

 

[cassius]

In 2006-07... 45 goalies had a SV% above 90%

This season? 60 goalies have a SV% above 90%

It's a goalie league, whether folks want to admit or or not.. the game in it's current form dis proportionally benefits goalies/defensive players.. and the inverse is true for offensive/skilled players.

My solutions:

(1) start actually calling penalties like obstruction / holding..
(2) reduce goalie equipment size
(3) increase net size

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

1. Shrink down goalie equipment a bit. A goalies glove is just ridiculous right now. Shrink everything down to the size it was in the mid 80's when scoring was at an all time high. With the materials that are used nowadays, they will be smaller, lighter, and still provide more protection than they did back then.

2. Dont change net sizes. There is something to be said for tradition, imo.

3. Enforce the existing rules, particularly obstruction and hooking.

4. Further to that, a penalty in period 1 of game 1 is the same as a penalty in OT of game 7 of the playoffs. Changing the rules to an arbitrary decision of what game is more important than another cheapens the credibility.

I honestly think that if you combine these things, scoring will go up significantly.

 

[Coastal Kev]

If this was the biggest problem then it would show up in the PP conversion rate. The PP conversion rate for this season is 18.71%, which is the 2nd highest it has been since the 92-93 season (2008-2009 was 18.95%). The biggest problem, as other have stated, is the lack of enforcement on obstruction calls. Not only does it reduce 5on5 socring, it reduces PP scoring as well since less penalties are called. The PP opportunity rate is 3.18/game, and that's literally the lowest it has ever been, ever.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/stats.html

Not to be confrontational but what in the hell are you talking about??? Explain why it would show up in the PP conversion rate moreso than anywhere else?

I would make the argument that it hasn't effected the PP rate because PP goals are scored by a majority of deflected & and high traffic shots.

Your point is completely invalid. Nice try though.