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

[golfortennis]

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.

How much of that though, was because you had NHL coaches involved? Guys who think losing 2-1 is better than losing 5-4. Or winning by that score for that matter. I'm not sure the answer, but the talent to make the big ice fun to watch was there. It was just completely stifled. Coaching was the problem there, not the ice.

 

[Past Considerations]

How much of that though, was because you had NHL coaches involved? Guys who think losing 2-1 is better than losing 5-4. Or winning by that score for that matter. I'm not sure the answer, but the talent to make the big ice fun to watch was there. It was just completely stifled. Coaching was the problem there, not the ice.

Um... huh? So two head coches and two coaching staffs? What about the other teams and why wasn't this an issue in the previous big ice Olympics...

 

[golfortennis]

Um... huh? So two head coches and two coaching staffs? What about the other teams and why wasn't this an issue in the previous big ice Olympics...

Not sure what you are trying to say? I'm a fan of the big ice, and the boring hockey from Socchi was not due to the ice. It was due to the game plan, which was quite predictable given who was coaching.

 

[Burke the Legend]

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

Big ice results in more endless perimeter play. They both have their upsides and downsides but small ice overall seems to encourage a faster pace which is better for presentation to the audience.

 

[snipes]

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

It’s the reverse.

Big ice is easier to trap and clog the middle. The game on smaller ice is much faster.

 

[Hanji]

Keep the big ice. I like how it provides for variety in IIHF events; especially at the WJC where both sizes are used.
Implementing both sizes can show how diverse hockey can be with various skill-sets and tactics needed for each.

The last thing our game needs is more boring uniformity.

 

[Past Considerations]

Not sure what you are trying to say? I'm a fan of the big ice, and the boring hockey from Socchi was not due to the ice. It was due to the game plan, which was quite predictable given who was coaching.

You mentioned/blamed coaches from NHL? I don't understand since most of the coaches weren't from NHL and even if they were, I still don't get your point. Show me one successful pro coach who normally and by default prefers high-scoring games...

 

[bambamcam4ever]

An aggressive forecheck is more effective on a smaller ice rink. More turnovers -> more goals.

Big ice just adds more areas where you can't score from and slows the pace of the game.

 

[Past Considerations]

It appears this move (or at least in terms of two 2022 men's tournaments) is going to be an official proposal. It will be presented to the next IIHF congress this spring.

IIHF vice-chairman Kalervo Kummola mentioned it here (in Finnish).

 

[Jussi]

According to IIHF vice secretary Kalervo Kummola, IIHF are moving toward 28 meter wide hybrid rinks, not the NHL sizes. He mentioned it in the Total Hockey Forever podcast: Radio Rock - Asenne on Rock Around the 5 minute mark. Said he talked to Fasel and mentioned how European countries are favoring the 28 meter size and they're going refer it to the competition committee.

 

[Ducks76]

This are good news for Favorits with their skilled players. Bad news for underdogs.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

It felt like airfield on big ice and NHL rink might be too small for IIHF tournaments. Hybrid sounds good.

 

[JackSlater]

I'm not for it or against it. Small ice makes for a better product, but I can see as many NHL games as I want no small ice so the diversity of large ice is nice sometimes. The claim that small ice leads to the trap ignores that large ice leads to teams going into a defensive shell due to the extra dead ice, which is a bigger problem. I would like to see the hybrid ice size given a chance again.

 

[Jussi]

This are good news for Favorits with their skilled players. Bad news for underdogs.

Most European leagues already have more or less hybrid size rinks so going to 28 meters isn't that big of an issue.

 

[Atas2000]

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.

More north-south dumb game. Grrrreat! Fasel is an idiot. But he always was.

 

[Jussi]

More north-south dumb game. Grrrreat! Fasel is an idiot. But he always was.

Read post #35.

 

[Yakushev72]

The smaller rink eliminates skill and combinational play, the great stickhandling and passing games, by forcing a dump-and-chase offense. Robotically get rid of the puck as soon as it touches your stick in the direction of the goal, and then forecheck in a frenzy. Its hockey in a closet. The NHL committed to it in the 1940's in order to attract fans in the USA, which was a non-hockey playing country, because it fosters a fight culture that could appeal to fans who had no clue what it was like to put on a pair of skates. If Fasel favors it, it must somehow put money in his pocket for his 53rd luxury yacht on the Mediterranean.

 

[Jussi]

The smaller rink eliminates skill and combinational play, the great stickhandling and passing games, by forcing a dump-and-chase offense. Robotically get rid of the puck as soon as it touches your stick in the direction of the goal, and then forecheck in a frenzy. Its hockey in a closet. The NHL committed to it in the 1940's in order to attract fans in the USA, which was a non-hockey playing country, because it fosters a fight culture that could appeal to fans who had no clue what it was like to put on a pair of skates. If Fasel favors it, it must somehow put money in his pocket for his 53rd luxury yacht on the Mediterranean.

Same to you, read post #35.

 

[Peiskos]

Hybrid should be used like others have said, I believe hybrid size ice was used in Salt Lake 2002.

 

[member 305909]

Hockey just looks so much better in the smaller-sized rink.

 

[Jussi]

Hockey just looks so much better in the smaller-sized rink.

Not always. Same applies to the big rink.

 

[Jahara]

They really should standardize this and make it similiar in every league. 28x60 is a reasonable fit that would still make the game entertaining. Metres should be the right measurement

This thing is one of those that fascinates me about hockey. I truly doubt many other major sports would continue having this kind of weird differences. Fascinating to that it seems to be accepted to among fans and that they aren't complaining more about it.

 

[bobby183]

NHL size is 61m x 26m.
Olympic size is 60m x 30m.

Personally, I agree with the hybrid size of 61m x 28m.
However, this will never happen. NHL and NA side will never widen their current sheet size by 2m. Because this means that each franchise will have to sacrifice the existing first 2 rows of premium seats and the revenue from them. That's a lot of seats around the rink....huge revenue loss.

That's why bringing the international rink size smaller to that of NA rink size may possibly happen, if they are to standardize them. But never the other way around nor increasing the NA size to the hybrid size.

Just my thoughts...but I think very realistic and valid point...it's about the commercial implication...

 

[ES]

The seats to be removed would rather be the back row of lower bowl - with the rink widened the new first row(s) would be premium seats.

 

[OKOptimistic]

NHL should switch to hybrid small ice seems so cramped and chaotic