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SwaggySpungo

Registered User
Oct 18, 2018
768
969
What changes would you propose for the league?

Mine are as follows:

- Move the nets back to their original position on the ice - 10 feet from the boards (instead of the current 11 feet). Not all teams can’t do this due to structural issues with their arena. That’s fine. All teams that can do it, should do it.

- All new arenas must be built with 200 x 87.5 ice surface (up from 200 x 85). Zero need for all arenas to switch at once. Do it one at a time as they are built. If existing arenas want to upgrade, that’s fine.

- Reduce season back to 80 games (down from 82) and start the season 1 week later. Ending earlier is not an option due to TV.

- Top 3 teams in each division clinch a playoff berth. Teams 4 and 5 play a 1-game play-in the weekend before the playoffs start. Full divisional playoffs. Win your division (2nd round), win your conference (3rd round), with the Cup (4th round).

- Adopt NCAA rule regarding outlawing hand passes in the defensive zone (treat it like icing where offending team cannot make line change).

- Goalie leg pads go to a maximum of 10.5” across (down from current 11”). Modern knee protectors / pads make this change perfectly safe - maximum width of leg pads used to be 10”.
 

Llamamoto

Nice Bison. Kind Bison. Yep.
Sep 5, 2018
8,855
12,207
I wouldn't bother moving nets one foot back.

A few things off the top of my head:
- I would change the playoff format to the 1-8 conference format.
- Allow NHLers to go to the Olympics.
- Hold refs accountable - analyse the reffing after each game like the NBA does
 

PG Canuck

Registered User
Mar 29, 2010
62,739
23,887
You can’t just move nets and make the ice bigger as you go. This isn’t the MLB. We don’t need 10 teams playing with different rules to the other 21 teams.
 
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SwaggySpungo

Registered User
Oct 18, 2018
768
969
You can’t just move nets and make the ice bigger as you go. This isn’t the MLB. We don’t need 10 teams playing with different rules to the other 21 teams.

The NHL had different sized ice surfaces for decades, right up until the mid 1990s. Has literally nothing to do with different rules.

The Bruins played on a 191 x 83 ice surface until their new arena was built. Buffalo and Chicago was 196 x 85. The rest were 200 x 85.
 
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Didalee Hed

I’m trying to understand
Sep 14, 2019
1,963
2,005
@SwaggySpungo i do not agree one iota with the 4/5 one game playoff. Why delay the playoffs? 5 had 82(or 80 if another suggested change takes place) games to top 4.
 

SwaggySpungo

Registered User
Oct 18, 2018
768
969
@SwaggySpungo i do not agree one iota with the 4/5 one game playoff. Why delay the playoffs? 5 had 82(or 80 if another suggested change takes place) games to top 4.

Under this system, only top 3 matters. Team 4 had 80 games to finish top 3.

I like this format for a few reasons:

1 - Makes the regular season more important as only 6 teams per conference clinch a playoff berth instead of 8. It rewards the truly elite teams.

2 - Gives more teams a reason to compete late into the season. You’d likely have at least 6 or 7 teams per division in the hunt for either a playoff berth (1-3) or a wildcard (4-5). This creates a lot more fan interest in markets that would otherwise be out of contention.

3 - Finally gives division #1 a significant advantage, as each division #1 plays the winner of the wildcard from their division (who had to play an extra game).

4 - Creates intrigue right up until the last game of the season as follows:

A) teams in each division chasing top spot in division for reason mentioned above.

B) teams competing for #2 for home ice.

C) teams competing for #3 to guarantee playoff berth / avoid wildcard.

D) teams competing for #4 for home ice in wildcard game.

E) teams competing for #5 to get to wildcard and chance at playoffs.

F) teams #6 and #7 (possibly #8) still in the hunt, even late in the season.

Notice how it’s no longer about just making the playoffs. There are different layers of tangible advantages the higher you finish in your division, as it should be, imo. Reward the elite teams.

Plus, who the hell wouldn’t watch a “wildcard weekend” where #4 plays #5 in each division (double header on Saturday and Sunday)? Would be one of the highlights of the NHL year.
 
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SotasicA

Registered User
Aug 25, 2014
8,489
6,402
My to-do list (and reasoning)

REMOVE THE INSTIGATOR PENALTY!
-give the fans what they want

Remove mandatory visors.
- zero tolerance for high sticking

Remove offside review.
- let the linesmen do their jobs

Increase the size of the nets by the width of a post/crossbar in each direction.
- so every shot that currently hits the post, is a goal

Bring back ties.
- remove dumb extra point for winning a gimmick

Tell the IOC to go f*** themselves.
- say no to corruption and politics

Take some money for myself.
- make sure nobody notices.

Intra-divisional playoffs.
- no more wild card nonsense

Rig the lottery balls so the Blackhawks get 1st overall pick this summer.
- rig future lotteries too, if possible

Should I just stop now? Is one day enough to do all that?
 
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NORiculous

Registered User
Jan 13, 2006
5,309
2,290
Montreal
What changes would you propose for the league?

Mine are as follows:

- Move the nets back to their original position on the ice - 10 feet from the boards (instead of the current 11 feet). Not all teams can’t do this due to structural issues with their arena. That’s fine. All teams that can do it, should do it.

- All new arenas must be built with 200 x 87.5 ice surface (up from 200 x 85). Zero need for all arenas to switch at once. Do it one at a time as they are built. If existing arenas want to upgrade, that’s fine.

- Reduce season back to 80 games (down from 82) and start the season 1 week later. Ending earlier is not an option due to TV.

- Top 3 teams in each division clinch a playoff berth. Teams 4 and 5 play a 1-game play-in the weekend before the playoffs start. Full divisional playoffs. Win your division (2nd round), win your conference (3rd round), with the Cup (4th round).

- Adopt NCAA rule regarding outlawing hand passes in the defensive zone (treat it like icing where offending team cannot make line change).

- Goalie leg pads go to a maximum of 10.5” across (down from current 11”). Modern knee protectors / pads make this change perfectly safe - maximum width of leg pads used to be 10”.
I like the last 3 but I don’t see the point of your first 3.
 

TanguaySauce

Better Than BBQ
Jan 3, 2018
2,141
4,812
Shaolin Island
Eliminate all outdoor games save for the Winter Classic (solely 2 US teams) and the Heritage Classic (solely 2 Canadian teams).

The stadium series needs to go.
 

IcedCapp

Registered User
Aug 7, 2009
35,854
11,225
Tell the IOC to go **** themselves.
- say no to corruption and politics

Take some money for myself.
- make sure nobody notices.

Rig the lottery balls so the Blackhawks get 1st overall pick this summer.
- rig future lotteries too, if possible

indeed
 

DarthProbert

Registered User
Feb 3, 2015
1,912
1,499
No ads on the boards or ice. No more 90 dB generic pop music at every whistle. Just an organist who plays to the dynamics of the game, if at all. Goalies can play the puck anywhere(and fight anywhere). Delay of game penalties or fines to the stick makers for broken sticks...that's right. Make stick manufacturers give a damn about quality. You want your logo seen in the hands of an NHL player, gst there by quality not by $,and give parents the ability to afford sticks for their kids.
 

wetcoast

Registered User
Nov 20, 2018
22,246
10,125
- Adopt NCAA rule regarding outlawing hand passes in the defensive zone (treat it like icing where offending team cannot make line change).

- Goalie leg pads go to a maximum of 10.5” across (down from current 11”). Modern knee protectors / pads make this change perfectly safe - maximum width of leg pads used to be 10”.


Didn't know about the rule in the NCAA but I like it or even allow a hand pass in the offensive zone but makes it the same rule regardless of where it happens on the ice.

As to your last point I agree with that as well as making the ents 1 inch higher and 2 inches wider as anyone looking at Ken dryden and Ryan Miller in equipment would think that Miller is monster huge.

I also want NHLers in the Olympics, but part of that isn't the fault of the NHL right now.

I also would like to see a floating blue line like they have in ball hockey where the defensive team needs to clear the puck past center ice instead of just the blue line as it would create more time and space for creative offensive players.

Also in the playoffs (and this will never happen due to costs and current advantages Eastern teams have) I want to see 1-16, 2-15 ect so that fans are more likely to see the 2 best teams and different matchups for the SC finals.

I think only the NCAA rule is possible though, too many people defending turfs with the other rule changes.
 

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