But NHL rinks aren't built to be able widen the dimensions except for the old Saddledome anre d maybe one or two others. Back in the Olden days the NHA, had 6 skaters aside when the NHL was formed(1917) out of the NHA they did away with the rover position or 6th skater and played with 5 skaters aside. The players then wore little equipment and were on average 150-165 lbs and not much more until later when the behemoths took over. And we have pretty much behemoths in goal on every(NHL) team. And it kills excitement these goaltenders that don't even have to "move" to make a save. Where the players have to score into an area barely 1 inch by 3 inches. Scorers need to be sharpshooters, marksman, while the tender needs to be lumbering,giant ogre. Well hockey needs to go 4 on 4 to show the World,its the Greatest game on Earth bar none! Fastest by far,Most difficult to play and master by far. Takes the most talent and skill but more than that you have to have a hockey IQ and be able to think the game and platitudes go on and on
Now that the game is over I've been able to google it and so far this season the average goals per game in the nhl is 3.16 per game which is also the highest it's been in atleast 20 years. The most watched league in the most watched sport in the world (English Premier League) is currently at 2.87 per game (the highest it's ever been).
If you want more goals then obviously making the game 4v4 would facilitate that. However by increasing the number of goals per game you reduce the value of the goals themselves.
Basketball is the perfect example of this. A single basket on its own is almost worthless. You don't cheer every basket that goes in, in fact most of the time you cheer for the times it doesn't go in (and this is why I'm not a fan of the sport).
I agree with you that Ice hockey is one of the most difficult to play and master sports there is. And I don't think anyone would disagree. But there is more to being popular than that.
Many criticisms I hear in the UK is that Ice hockey is too stop, start and the lack of flowing play puts people off. Another criticism as mentioned earlier is the cost. And the fact that you have to be able to skate so well is also off putting. The need for an ice rink makes it extremely unlikely to be available to regular people of some of the most populated countries in the world (India and Brazil spring to mind). Combine all this with the fact that most people only watch the sports they themselves play or played as a child and you have a very limited audience.
I'm afraid I don't know what the answer is to get ice hockey more popular around the world,I wish I did, I wish my local team (Nottingham Panthers) were half as good as most AHL teams let alone NHL. But changing the size of the rink or number of players isn't going to be the solution (IMO)
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