If you could change anything in the NHL.....

[LamorielloAndSon]

Obviously the play-off format; the best two teams should play in the Stanley Cup final even if they are next door neighbours instead of the east-west showdown.

I would rotate playoff formats, some years it would be 1v16 other times it would be set up as 4 conferences, sometimes it would be 2 division champions and the 2 divisions In the same conference just have the top 8 teams combined

 

[LamorielloAndSon]

No trapezoid while on the power play

 

[Byron Bitz]

- Penalize players for starting a scrum after a clean hit.
- Allow players/coaches to criticize the officiating to the media.
- Get rid of the offside review

 

[Jetsfan87]

1 - No shootout, either ties or continuous overtime. The gimmick has worn off. Yes its fun to see the players get creative but it shouldnt be deciding games...

2 - I like the idea of puck over the glass is treated like icing, no penalty but no change.

3 - Get rid of offside challenge. If the linesman lets the play go then too bad, would hopefully make the league get better linesmen/refs. A friend and I were spitballing, if team 1 enters the offensive zone (on a play that is close/possible offside but wasnt called/play continues), cycles the puck for 30 seconds, then scores. Team 2 can just challenge the offside call and poof no goal....

 

[Curufinwe]

The Flyers coaching staff.

 

[Beauner]

Maybe its just me being a tin foil hat conspirator but Ive always thought the NHL was a tid bit biased to larger markets and big name players than to smaller or ave name players. Like a small tap on Crosby would lead to a penalty while the same play is done to another and isnt called. Or they give more PPs to the bigger market than small.

First of all, am I right about that or am I just crazy? I dont know if anybody has done any research to see if that is true.

Ask Brandon Dubinsky if this is true (hint: it's not)

 

[Dr Pepper]

- Either go back to 1 vs 8 in the playoff seeding, or 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3 in the first round of each divisional playoff. The latter is close to what it is now, but not quite.

- Finally do away with the loser point, or "overtime loss" which rewards teams with one point since they "tied" after 60 minutes. Ties are gone, stop rewarding teams for it. 2pts for a win, 0 for a loss. Simple.

- Power play goals do not result in the end of a penalty; player must serve the full 2 minutes. Should get the scoring up.

 

[ziggyjoe212]

Make the season 48 games.

In a short season all the games are meaningful. Current season just kind of drags on.

 

[ziggyjoe212]

Maybe its just me being a tin foil hat conspirator but Ive always thought the NHL was a tid bit biased to larger markets and big name players than to smaller or ave name players. Like a small tap on Crosby would lead to a penalty while the same play is done to another and isnt called. Or they give more PPs to the bigger market than small.

First of all, am I right about that or am I just crazy? I dont know if anybody has done any research to see if that is true.

If the NHL didn't care about small markets why would they let Edmonton have all those high draft picks, especially McDavid?
Why would they let Pittsburgh have Sid and Geno?

If you think the refs treat Sid like a god, you are wrong. You must not watch the playoffs.

 

[Sweetpotato]

Smaller goalie equipment

 

[13th Floor]

In the play-offs instead of 2-2-1-1-1 I would change it to 1-2-2-1-1 so that a much stronger team can finish off the series at home if they win 4-0.

Not very important but a suggestion nevertheless.

Nah. 2-2-1-1-1 is the only format that works. The only alternative is just 1-1-1-1-1-1-1, but there's no need for all that travel.

Two rules need to be followed:
1. The stronger team starts at home.
2. The stronger team has played the same or more home games than the weaker team at every point in the series.

Yours (and the 2-3-2) break rule number 2. Series leads are so important. If everybody holds serve, then at no point should the stronger team be trailing in the series. In your format, if both teams hold serve, the stronger team is coming home down 2 to 1 knowing they have to win both at home or else the weaker team is already on the hill.

 

[Pay Carl]

- they should give out points if your pass leads to a penalty shot

- let teams wear colors on the road sometimes if they aren't going to clash

- one outdoor game, Winter Classic, that's it

- even out the balance in the league, 16 teams on each side. its embarrassing that one conference has more than the other

- don't let teams put their goalie back in if they ice the puck with an empty net

- if you score on a delayed penalty you should still get the power play

- this is a stretch, but let teams customize their ice more (size of the ice mostly) like the MLB does

 

[PuckItUp27]

Only the diving player would receive the penalty. It makes no sense that both are penalized if you are saying one embellished then there shouldn't have been a call in the first place without the dive.

 

[kicksavedave]

make OT 10 continuous minutes long.

get rid of like 10 teams, still play 82 games because I like NHL hockey.

have the puck drop from the roof of the arena for faceoffs out of a tube, no more refs, way more tubes.

have the ice curve up the boards like quarter pipe, would be something to behold.

Only suggestion in the whole thread worth implementing.

 

[ZZamboni]

It’s funny to read some people think that the NHL grew in spite of Bettman instead of (in part) because of Bettman. Probably the same immature people who boo him when he shows up at an event.

The thing I would change about the NHL, is harsher longer suspensions. Harsher financial penalties. And in some extreme cases expulsion from the league for life.

 

[CupsOverCash]

If the NHL didn't care about small markets why would they let Edmonton have all those high draft picks, especially McDavid?
Why would they let Pittsburgh have Sid and Geno?

If you think the refs treat Sid like a god, you are wrong. You must not watch the playoffs.

I dont think its in the vein of fixing draft picks or the lottery, just play in general. I think the playoffs can be a little better but only because they tend to put the whistles away.

Again Im probably completely off lol!

 

[McRpro]

Only the diving player would receive the penalty. It makes no sense that both are penalized if you are saying one embellished then there shouldn't have been a call in the first place without the dive.

It's still possible to trip someone but have them fly around like they got shot. Hence the two penalties.

 

[Sniper99]

Make the season 48 games.

In a short season all the games are meaningful. Current season just kind of drags on.

No owner would ever agree to this.

 

[Meatwad]

I would officially rename the officials as zebras and make them wear zebra masks.

 

[Devil Dancer]

- Penalize players for starting a scrum after a clean hit.
- Allow players/coaches to criticize the officiating to the media.
- Get rid of the offside review

Big yes to 1 and 3. I don't really care about 2.

Also, scrap the shootout. Go to continuous sudden death 3v3 in the regular season.

 

[OilCanada92]

Make the season 48 games.

In a short season all the games are meaningful. Current season just kind of drags on.

I'd watch a 200 game season if it were possible.

 

[542365]

If a player is fined/suspended for an illegal hit 3 times in their career or twice in the same season they are banned from the league for life.

4 on 4 at all times. 5 forward pairs and 4 defense pairs and we still have the 18 skaters per side. It also would allow for more 3 on 3 when teams both take a penalty on the same play.

 

[Elitersson]

I agree with this as well. It's very often not on purpose and needn't be a penalty.

Since they made the rule, I don't think it's ever been on purpose. Nobody would intentionally take a 2 min penalty just to get a whistle, no matter how much pressure the other team is generating

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

Random question out of curiosity. For me it would be to let there be more physicality. Within reason of course but I find penalty’s are so inconsistent and harsh. Pretty much completely agree with what Torts had to say

Hitting removed, or at least board play removed. Do anything along the boards and get a delay of game.
Open ice hits punished with charging or roughing.
That would be it for me, it would make for a game focused on skating and moving the puck instead of these dead zones where we have to watch contact.

 

[Nizdizzle]

For the rules to be way harsher for interference. No setting picks, no race to the puck or to beat out the icing where you skate at a weird angle to make to make the forechecker have to go around, and definitely none of having the 2nd d-man skate backwards directly in front of the forechecker where ever they are headed. Make those instant penalties, and the game gets much faster and scoring will go up.