Jasper, the changes on the ice don't have to be radical unless the league and players are willing to try some of them.
Here is the rough draft 20 point plan....
1. Reduce the regular season schedule to 72 games - Though such a change will need to be agreed upon by the NHL and NHLPA during CBA negotiations, a reduction in games played will help cut travel costs, keep players fresh, and likely cut down on the dragging months of January and February.Starting the season October 1st and ending it in late March should also allow the league to offer the players a longer holiday break over Christmas and longer offseason to rest and relax with family and friends.
I don't mind this, even though it would mean less hockey for me to watch.
2. Reduce the team roster size to 20 active players and game roster to 16 skaters and 2 goalies - Another change needing approval in the CBA but what isn't there to like in this move for both sides. If teams have to spend a negotatied portion of the revenues on payroll and amount of jobs are reduced, then doesn't the average salary increase? In what seems like a weekly NHLPA press release, a player is quoted questioning the league's expansion into certain markets, so if the players seem to be in agreement that the talent level has decreased because of expansion, then shouldn't this move allow to help resolve such an issue.
The game roster change is the more important piece of the equation towards the style of play on the ice. No longer will coaches be able to throw together a fourth line comprised of muckers, grinders, goons, and slow defensive hookers and holders to clog the game, match lines and dummy down the skills of some players.
Instead, general managers and coaches will be forced to draft, develop and deploy skilled marksmen to compete in a fast action packed game of hockey.
Good luck getting the NHLPA to agree to this.
3. Ban Fighting - Yeah, I don't mind a clean fight but the sport gets a black eye with the non-traditional hockey fans and now more than ever, hockey needs to attact every single person showing the least bit of interest in the game. Far too often, fights are occuring because a player couldn't allow his manhood to be questioned because he just received a punishing legal bodycheck or a teammate is trying to stickup for an injured player off a hit, clean or dirty.
Those fans who say hogwash to the elimination won't stop watching hockey. They are hockey fans, not boxing or ultimate fighting fans.
Can't I be both?
If a player instigates, jointly agrees or causes an action that creates a fight or melee on the ice, at the descretion of the referee, will receive a 10-minute major for unsportsmanlike conduct, game ejection, and automatic league review by a NHL/NHLPA appointed panel. First time offenders will receive one game suspension without pay plus fine, second offense will result in ten game suspension without pay plus a fine and third time offenders will receive a 72-game ban, loss of pay, and a panel review for possibe lifetime ban. The panel review by a unaminous vote under a special circumstance clause would be allowed to suspend a player at a higher game level or immediately ban for an act deemed violent and unbecoming of a professional hockey player.
A possible lifetime ban for three instigators....and here I thought that most players fans alike thought the instigator rule was bad for the sport...
Special cases of past events would include Claude Lemieux's rearranging of Kris Draper's face along the board, Dale Hunter's cheapshot on Pierre Turgeon in the 1992-93 playoffs, Marty McSorley's stick to the head of Donald Brashear, and Todd Bertuzzi's mugging of Steve Moore.
4. Easy to Understand Rules for Use of a Hockey Stick & Obstruction - A player's stick is to be used to block a shot, control the puck to pass or shoot, to steal or poke-check the puck away, or to hook or lift the stick of a player. Any other contact with the stick will be deemed an illegal touching foul and whistled for obstruction. Players can no longer cross-check an opponent to create space on the ice or to injure or place physical action onto another player, this includes around the net and along the boards. The only things a player's stick should touch are his own gloves, the ice, the puck, or another players stick. And the only thing a player's gloves should touch are his stick and ice. If a player receives two or more obstruction penalties in one game, the second and beyond will include a 10-minute delay of game and unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that will not count down until the player has served the full two-minutes for his obstruction penalty.
Why don't we just go ahead and change the name to "basketball on ice" right now?
5. Diving Penalties will be Enforced - Any player found guilty of diving by a referee will receive a 2-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct and 10-minute game misconduct. If a player receives more than one diving penalty throughout the season, the panel review board must hold a hearing to review the player's performance and with a majority vote can issue a fine and/or suspension for conduct detrimental to the sport.
I don't mind this. Although sometimes it is difficult to spot a dive from ice level.
6. Automatic No-Touch Icing - Too many players, namely defensemen are getting crunched along the boards chasing down the puck and in some cases, a player could end his career breaking his leg, ankle or worst of all, a broken neck because of a cross-check The quick whistle will also save time on the clock for more entertaining action.
Even though I like the flow of the game better without no-touch, I agree it should be implemented.
7. Re-introduce Tag-Up Offsides - The NHL should not have changed the rule ten years ago and hopefully with the change, less faceoff whistles will result and more forecheck and play-making skills will result from the pressure of the quick pace.
Here here!
8. Two-Line Pass Legal - The traditionalists say the game will have too many icing calls because defensemen won't be able to make the accurate pass up the ice but that is why teams will be forced to draft and develop skilled defensemen who can skate and make that long-range pass.
I wouldn't mind this.
9. Increase the Width of Blue-Line - Even though, I believe the tag-up and two-line pass changes will improve the flow of the game and cut down on the whistles, increasing the width of the bluelines to three feet will help a little on any close tag-up plays or a defensemen trying to keep the puck in the zone on the power play.
I like the concept, but I hate the way it looks on the ice.
10. Icing - If a player ices the puck during even strength play, his team can not make a line change or call timeout. If a player on the penalty-killing team ices the puck, his team can not make a line change, call timeout and the power-play team will receive a "free play" inside the offensive zone. The penalty-killing unit must set up below the faceoff dot and can not move until the power-play team shoots or passes the puck at the blueline, also the power-play team is allowed to setup their other players anywhere inside the offensive zone but outside of the goalie's crease.
No offence, but this is ridiculous.
11. Move Goal Line Back Two Feet - Increasing the size of the offensive attacking zone is the smart thing to do to allow the players to generate enough time and space to create scoring chances. There are only one Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, so expecting a league full of players to be able to have the vision, timing and accuracy to setup or score goals from behind the net is outrageous.
I like it.
12. Puck Shot Out of Play in Defensive Zone - Any skater or goalie in the defensive zone who shoots the puck over the glass will receive a 2-minute delay of game penalty. Why anyone would just penalize a goalie for this infraction does make you wonder about the traditional rulebook.
I don't like the rule for the goaltender as it is. If the puck is shot out with obvious intention, maybe a call is warranted, but that is way too difficult to gauge.
13. Reduce Goalie Equipment - Goalie equipment is meant to protect the player, not build a fortress to keep the pucks out of the net. If a goalie needs pads wider than 10 inches to protect his legs, he's got problems. The shoulder pads are not supposed to look like an outline of the Rocky Mountains. The catching glove looks big enough now to catch a football, not a 3 inch hockey puck and blockers should be about half the size they are now. A goalie found to be using illegal equipment will receive a ten game suspension without pay and any further violations will result in a longer suspension at the judgement of the panel review board.
Then ban composites. If players need help shooting any harder than 90+ miles an hour, they've got problems.
14. All Sticks Must Pass Strength Standards - Too many good scoring chances are blown or defensive breakdowns occur because a player's stick just exploded with the simple pressure of putting your weight into the stick before even shooting or passing the puck.The one-piece composites or aluminums needs to be designed to meet the strength standards of the NHL. Any player found to be using the illegal stick will receive a ten game suspension without pay and any further violations will result in a longer suspension at the judgement of the panel review board.
See above. The ten game suspension is a tad harsh in my opinion...
15. All Minor Penalties Must be Served for Two-Minutes - A player should serve the full time of his penalty allowing the power-play to score as many goals as possible like a major penalty.The main goal of this would be for teams to cut players who refuse to conform to the new rules and cost them wins because of the goals against.
I like it.
16.Shootout & Overtime Changes - In over-time, a minor penalty will be 1-minute and major penalty will result in a penalty-shot plus 2-minute power-play if needed and game ejection. After the 4-on-4 five minute overtime, a tie will be ended with a five player per team shootout. After three rounds, it goes to a sudden death shootout.
I dislike the concept of a shootout. Play as a team, win as a team.
17. Goalie can only Freeze Puck in Crease - Goaltender can play the puck anywhere inside the blueline but can not freeze the puck outside the crease, doing so will be delay of game penalty. This also means, any puck outside the crease can not be purposely brought in by the defending team or goaltender and then frozen, even if the goaltender can reach the puck from within the crease.Making any attempt with your glove or blocker to cover the puck outside the crease will also result in a delay of game penalty for defensive team. A defensive skater can push the puck with his glove but not cover it.
There is already a rule in place for goaltenders freezing the puck, but I'm not sure of its parameters exactly, and it is very rarely enforced. I don't agree with your proposal, but if it were to be put in place, the crease would have to be extended by a fairly large area.
18. Hurry-Up Faceoff Play Clock - Much like the NFL has a play-clock, an off-ice official must set the faceoff clock for 14 seconds once the whistle is blown and if a team is not set, a free-play is awarded to the set team. A refereee can ask to reset the clock for special circumstances to restore order on the ice or after a penalty call.
What is a free play exactly? Is it similar to what's in place now, where the ref drops the puck regardless of whether or not the centerman is set?
19. Penalty-Shot Plus Power Play - No longer will a penalty-shot eliminate the power-play.
If the shooter scores on the penalty shot, I don't think the team should get a pp as well. If he doesn't score, then I agree with still awarding the man advantage.
20. Back to 1-Referee System - Go back to one referee and allow both linesmen to call penalties. Set up officiating crews allowing the on-ice offficials to work together to improve their skills as a team.
I like the 1 ref system, but if it were the case, don't expect one ref to be able to catch half of what you have proposed.