International hockey competitions may move to NHL-sized ice: IIHF president

[jkrdevil]

International hockey competitions may move to NHL-sized ice: IIHF president

Fasel says IIHF is looking to move to the NHL size rinks for the next Olympics and future IIHF tournament.

A change long needed. Smaller ice surface means a more north-south action filled game.

Click to read more...

 

[blindpass]

International hockey competitions may move to NHL-sized ice: IIHF president

Fasel says IIHF is looking to move to the NHL size rinks for the next Olympics and future IIHF tournament.

A change long needed. Smaller ice surface means a more north-south action filled game.

I suspect there might not be universal approval for this idea, but I'm for it.

 

[Pouchkine]

International hockey competitions may move to NHL-sized ice: IIHF president

Fasel says IIHF is looking to move to the NHL size rinks for the next Olympics and future IIHF tournament.

A change long needed. Smaller ice surface means a more north-south action filled game.

Didn't you watch this crap tournament? It means more trap.

 

[Urbanskog]

He's really doing his best to ingratiate himself with the NHL.

 

[kabidjan18]

Small ice is great when you have two big, fast teams with big, fast defensemen and wingers because it makes it significantly more difficult for teams to escape their own zone, resulting in longer possessions in the offensive zone against tired units and thereby more offense.

Big ice is more fun with kids, particularly when a few kids are significantly faster than the others, because they have more room to skate around and skate circles around their opponents.

 

[Stoat]

I'd like it, but "never" gonna happen.

Actually, I think that some arenas in europe have way too big rinks. And NA rink is a little too small. Players are bigger and there's more speed than before. So, I'd like to see a rink size somewhere in between.

 

[hockey20000]

aww I don't approve I enjoy the bigger ice once every 3 years or so..its nice for a change.. keep it the way it is...

 

[Pouchkine]

Small ice= Much Easier to play the trap.
Small ice= lots of ugly hockey with cycling along the boards.

I actually enjoy the variety and would be all in for a penalty being called everytime a team plays the trap, then no one would care if it was big or small ice.

 

[Past Considerations]

So Fasel mentions the next Men's Worlds in Finland and Beijing 2022 Olympics. It doesn't sound like this would necessarily a new standard or mandatory...

...which wouldn't make much sensse in practice because not all arenas can be temporarily modified, altough most modern ones probably can be (see for example NHL games played in Europe, the rinks were shrinked). If they start demanding small ices then that would restrict the available areanas/places or even host countries.

ps. It is not April 1st yet?

 

[Past Considerations]

I'd like it, but "never" gonna happen.

Actually, I think that some arenas in europe have way too big rinks. And NA rink is a little too small. Players are bigger and there's more speed than before. So, I'd like to see a rink size somewhere in between.

The size of players might be even trending downwards (did not google) but what is more important that actual physical space taken by each player is still bigger than decades ago due increased and larger equipment. Even if the average player size had remained the same, there's still less space on the ice now. I think this is often overlooked.

 

[Machinehead]

The big ice gives me the willies.

I feel like I'm falling or something just watching it.

 

[Jussi]

I'd rather go with a hybrid rink at the Olympics and Worlds.

 

[ijuka]

I don't think small ice is good for international tournaments, it just enables trap.

 

[cg98]

If theyre gonna change the ice size, might as well move to hybrid ice size.

 

[Past Considerations]

A video from a press conference. The quotes in the news link in the OP seem to be from this. This makes Fasel actually sound more determined/serious about this idea, not just some 'why not' chit chat, even saying that it is a goal for Beijing if it is OK with the organizers and that "we will play (on small ice)" in Helsinki 2022.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Heh, I remember that time, when Soviet team played it whole life on the big ice and then came to Canada and beat NHLers on small rinks. And then NHLers came to USSR and beat Soviet team on the big ice. It looks like, it was all about players' skill back to then. And now it's all about the ice size.

 

[gwh]

Fasel trying to appease the NHL woes of getting dumpstered.

How about not building the team according to allstars, but choosing mobile well skating D?

 

[Gold Standard]

going to small ice or the Finnish hybrid would be the best move.

Nobody wants to see a repeat of the bore that was the Sochi Olympics. The only redeeming thing about that tournament was at least Canada took home the hardware.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

I'd be for hybrid.

 

[QnebO]

I think Pelicans had 27m rink some time ago. And Hifk mightve also had one. "Pelicans sized" rink would be nice, or the 28m Hybrid rink. Leave little difference to NHL just for sake of leaving it.

 

[Hntz]

Don't like this idea. I think the current system is fine where the rink sizes vary. Makes for different type of hockey between tournaments.

 

[stastny12]

I hope this will happen very soon. Good step by IIHF.

 

[Albatros]

Horrible idea, like others pointed out it just enables trap and makes the tournaments more boring without any real upside.

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

Whatever the standard is it needs to be the same on every rink on the globe so there's no problem of being accustomed to different ice sizes.

I'm all for a change that makes that happen, Liiga can change its ice too since they use IIHF rules with little modifications.

 

[chauron]

International hockey competitions may move to NHL-sized ice: IIHF president

Fasel says IIHF is looking to move to the NHL size rinks for the next Olympics and future IIHF tournament.

A change long needed. Smaller ice surface means a more north-south action filled game.

It’s not evident that THAT is the result ... in nhl that happened because you have the cream of the crop, best of the best but it might be that in a beer league the game stagnates, becomes a slugfest and full of hooking.