Any new rules you'd like to see?

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

Remove icing as an option on the PK. Skate it out or pass it out, Delay of Game if you just ice it.

Allow some measure of obstruction back so D can slow down speeding forwards. Something like a small bearhug where you could angle off someone.

 

[Back in Black]

You lose in O/T or Shootout you get "0" points. You win, you get "1" point.

 

[Back in Black]

Also if your over 70, they should retire you in the NHL!

 

[Cosmix]

Also if your over 70, they should retire you in the NHL!

Geez, I still have a chance then!

 

[Back in Black]

Ha-ha, I was expecting a reply from this one!

 

[Cosmix]

Of all these interesting ideas, the one I would most like to see implemented is the one where the entire all-teams Players portion of hockey related revenues is split equally by all the teams. That would create virtual parity as all teams would have the same player payroll.

 

[kilroy]

A puck is 3 inches diameter, so 4 pucks is 3x4 = 12 inches, or 1 foot.

Cool, a foot. 6 inch increase on either side. Not a huge amount, but I think would make a difference.

It isn't possible right now, but some form of goal design that would allow relative net size based on the keeper. Set height and width to a percentage of the goalie. Don't know HOW that would work, but it would be cool.

 

[Lenny the Lynx]

No slap shots

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Cool, a foot. 6 inch increase on either side. Not a huge amount, but I think would make a difference.

It isn't possible right now, but some form of goal design that would allow relative net size based on the keeper. Set height and width to a percentage of the goalie. Don't know HOW that would work, but it would be cool.

I really like that. 12 inches wider will force these goalies to move a bit. I wouldn't want to make the net any taller, though. A lot of those high slapshots have caused too many problems both for goalies and the players standing in front of the net (although with full cages the risk of serious injury would be cut down a lot).

Love ditching the trapeziod.

Love making all penalties the full duration and not letting penalized teams get freebie icings (as in, icings are always called, no matter if a team is shorthanded or even).

I really wish the league would've been proactive in making the wave of new arenas built over the last 20 able to accommodate international sized ice...or at the very least go halfway between traditional North American size and European size. There just isn't enough room out there 5 on 5 anymore, not with all those giants out there.

A little worried about allowing kicking in any form around the crease. Of course (again) if everyone wore full cages and had a bit more protection around the neck area (kevlar 'turtleneck' added to regular undershirts, perhaps?) I'd be more at ease with it. Seeing both Malarchuk and Zednik get sliced in real time is more than enough in my lifetime. That was some scary stuff....especially Malarchuk, the way he went down.

 

[operasen]

Either 3 points for the regulation win; 2 OT win; 1 OT loss OR bring back the tie with 1 extra point for/if OT win. No shootout.

Fighters are tossed from the game with fines; after 3 fights there are games to be missed

Penalties are served in full (not finished after a goal is scored)

Icing still called during penalties

No Trapezoid and let the goalies skate if they dare to.

Goalie equipment measured and enforced each pre-game

Get rid of the rigid pads (such as elbow pads) that are injuring other players when tall guys hit them

Roster to 24

I like the idea of capping the Salary Cap at say 60M. Max salary say 7M and 1M Minimum salary with the rest (if any) pooled and divided at end of season. Owners get a 50% of totals. Balance goes to Salary Cap and overage then pooled league wide for players and equally divided but with a higher portion to pension.

 

[thinkwild]

There does seem to be many calls to undo many of the last changes made to improve the game, even linkage.

Was there an explanation given for changing the size of the trapezoid? I always thought that was one of the more interesting rule changes. Teams like the Devils with Brodeur had their defence standing players up at the blue line and Brodeur would grab the dump ins and shoot them out. There was no way to establish a forecheck or get through their neutral zone and into the o-zone.

Although one of my pet peeves has long been when goalies try to handle the puck. They have no strength on their passes which are usually easily telegraphed and picked off. So a tough trade-off.

So sure get rid of the trapezoid, but dont let goalies leave their crease unless skating to the bench. And let refs go back to managing the games.

The last time we had no instigator penalty, didnt we also have bench clearing brawls? Its hard to imagine the end result of this would be less fights and incidents. It perhaps pre-supposes an honour amongst fighters to only beat up people who deserve it, and certainly there always many situations where someone deserves it, but without the instigator i'd think there would just be too much pressure to also use it as a tactic when losing. But the leagues new emphasis on skill and the insurance company emphasis on concussions id say will ensure that rule stays for now.

 

[arglebargle]

1. I would increase roster size by one player from a 23 man roster to a 24 man roster.
2. I would increase the number of players allowed to dress from 20 to 22. This way teams could have two extra defencemen dressed & rotate a pair of defencemen with each line. It might cut down on injuries to defencemen but also have extra defencemen, if one or two get injured during a game. Injuries seem to be on the increase these days.
3. Eliminate the instigator rule

Here's what would happen with these rule changes: 90% of the league would dress 2 goons for every game. Many coaches already dress a goon and play him 3-5 minutes a night with a game roster of 20. No instigator penalty means goons will just skate around obnoxiously trying to get star players to fight.

 

[Buck Aki Berg]

Was there an explanation given for changing the size of the trapezoid?

The biggest problem I saw with the former size of the trapezoid was that there wasn't quite enough room for the goalie to bring the puck from the trapezoid to the front of the net without crossing into the no-fly zone, so penalties would be assessed for something that the league wasn't attempting to get rid of. The larger trapezoid gives the goalies enough space to bring the puck in front of the net legally.

 

[MainDotC]

The biggest rule change I would like to see is respect for the crease. It has no purpose at this point. If a player enters the crease they should be fair game, just like Tim Thomas hit Sedin in game 6 of the finals. Also, if a player is in the crease and makes contact with the goalie causing interference then a goal should be disallowed. If a goalie plays the puck outside of the crease they should be subject to interference without penalty. If not then just get rid of the crease as it serves as nothing more than a memorial to the past.

 

[Big Papi]

When a player gets suspended for an offence against a player on the other team (team b), I'd like team B to hold the option to either force that player to serve the suspension immediately, or against future games that that player will play against team B.

I find it unfair that a team may lose a player to injury due to a suspendable action by a player on the other team, and they don't really come out on top in any way.

anyone else think this is a good/dumb idea?

 

[Rand0m]

The biggest rule change I would like to see is respect for the crease. It has no purpose at this point. If a player enters the crease they should be fair game, just like Tim Thomas hit Sedin in game 6 of the finals. Also, if a player is in the crease and makes contact with the goalie causing interference then a goal should be disallowed. If a goalie plays the puck outside of the crease they should be subject to interference without penalty. If not then just get rid of the crease as it serves as nothing more than a memorial to the past.

Yeah, I like this. Maybe increase the crease slightly first. Then if a player is inside the crease, he's pretty much fair game for the goalie. Any contact by a player while the goalie is inside the crease should lead to a disallowed goal (upon video review to confirm).

Any contact with the goalie outside the crease shouldn't lead to a disallowed goal. However, I think the goalie should still be protected from excessive contact when outside the crease.

 

[Larionov]

I would love to see the game rosters reduced to 19 - 17 and 2. Take that one spot away and you dramatically reduce the incentive to dress a goon. It'll never fly, though - coaches would hate losing that roster flexibility, and the NHLPA would never agree to it...

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

The biggest rule change I would like to see is respect for the crease. It has no purpose at this point. If a player enters the crease they should be fair game, just like Tim Thomas hit Sedin in game 6 of the finals. Also, if a player is in the crease and makes contact with the goalie causing interference then a goal should be disallowed. If a goalie plays the puck outside of the crease they should be subject to interference without penalty. If not then just get rid of the crease as it serves as nothing more than a memorial to the past.

Goalies need to learn how to act like this:



We need more psycho in the crease.

 

[DrakeAndJosh]

Get rid of the trapezoid and make it so if the goalie leaves his crease he is considered a player.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Get rid of the trapezoid and make it so if the goalie leaves his crease he is considered a player.

The goalie is too important to risk getting injured in legal collision. The league would never go for it.

I miss watching the goalies venture out to play pucks. Hasek trying to do it was always good for some comedy, or spectacular desperation saves.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

The goalie is too important to risk getting injured in legal collision. The league would never go for it.

I miss watching the goalies venture out to play pucks. Hasek trying to do it was always good for some comedy, or spectacular desperation saves.

Definitely.

And who cares if a couple of guys are great puck handlers? The odds of another team combining the air-tight defense and goaltending of New Jersey is small. And even if it does happen, that's a great challenge for the smart coaches out there to find a way to break that system and generate a variety of game plans. It's better for the league to have teams that play various styles and systems anyways. Having everyone play the same system is boring.

 

[Senator Blutarsky]

1 - Get rid of the trapezoid.
2 - Soften-up the elbow and shoulder pads.
3 - Just get rid of fighting already (with progressive suspensions). I'll admit, it was fun, but I'm over it.
4 - No more shootouts. 3 points for a regulation win, 2 points for an OT win, 1 point each for a tie after that. No loser points.
5 - All teams that don't make the playoffs play in a shorter (1 game per series) consolation playoff to determine the top draft picking order (would mean no more trading first round picks until the end of the playoffs though).

 

[Cosmix]

The goalie is too important to risk getting injured in legal collision. The league would never go for it.

I miss watching the goalies venture out to play pucks. Hasek trying to do it was always good for some comedy, or spectacular desperation saves.

I agree that the goalies need to be protected from other players hitting them; however i don't think it is fair to allow the goalie free reign outside the crease area and penalize the oponent if a hit occurs.