sting101
Registered User
- Feb 8, 2012
- 15,938
- 14,847
I understand your point, but I think what you suggest to fix it isn't feasible. The trap is a feature of the offside rule and in the current hockey culture is the main way to even the playing ground between two unevenly skilled teams. If we go down the road of making certain defensive ideas illegal, at the very end it becomes a shootout competition. Isn't that the ultimate culmination of a hockey skill contest? Only problem is, it's not that interesting to watch compared to normal hockey.
Another way would be to change the offside rule somehow to allow more room for the attacking players. Just removing offsides altogether, or switching it to the 2-line pass rule are some options. The thing is, making defending more difficult just makes the team with the best defensive systems win more, which is sort of the opposite of what you wanted. Without any offside rule the wingers would speed up through the sides while the center or one of the defenders brings the puck up. It's likely there will only be very light forechecking sniffing around for big mistakes or odd bounces since the defending front line can't afford to open the passing lanes. If the middle trap is sound and a good lane can't be found, they'll zip the puck deep into the offensive zone and try to gain control like you can see in normal hockey. The game will really start to look like miniature soccer. Having the offside rule in place allows the puckless forwards to stay higher than they would otherwise, which enables more dangerous counterattacks than it would if everyone was keeping a tight guard around their own zone. Without offsides at the blue line the game would become a possession battle and have chess-like elements, which can be observed in soccer. I guess the offside rule wouldn't be completely removed but changed to be like it's in soccer just to keep the game from becoming a crapshoot of long, lobbed passes.
Compared to these types of drastic game-changers, increasing the rink size is a more delicate shift in the game flow. As to how make some defensive formations illegal, I have no idea where to even begin something like that. Actively forbidding players from occupying some empty space on the ice sounds like a really complicated rule.
Edit: Okay, so the attacking players are forbidden from staying in the area marked with blue paint.It'll be more difficult to have such areas in the middle of the ice where it'll either be illegal or not illegal to stay in that area depending on which side holds the puck.
Yes an illegal defense would just make it that much more of a subjective referee decision festival.
Just a few ideas.
I'm not a huge proponent of Olympic rinks but it would be cool to allow teams building a new arena the option of increasing the dimensions anywhere between 85-100 ft wide.
Or a possible better proposal is to go to a floating blue line rule which would increase the offensive zone size, allow for better puck possession and spread out the players which would help wingers go forward without such a tremendous amount of back pressure. Less regrouping and dumping as well.
Goalie equipment needs to be tightened up. I'm talking mostly about pants and shoulder/chest protectors. Jeesh we can stop bullets with barely distinguishable Kevlar vests. Let's put the athleticism back into the position.
The loser point system needs to be abolished. Way too many teams content with playing safe in a tie game in the 3rd to get a point.
I hope this doesn't come off as someone who doesn't appreciate the game. I'm probably as hard core as it gets and have played, coached and watched religiously for close to 40 years. I've played both 3 on 3 and ball hockey with the floating blue line and it's a genius way to create room and spread out players. If nothing changes i will still watch and follow religiously, But (like Kurri ) get the sense that we need some impactful changes to the game to the get to the next level of entertainment.
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