Poll: Would You Prefer Olympic Sized rinks in NHL?

[CalgaryLeaf*]

No way. The tempo and action would be nothing like it is today. The only reason the Olympics is so great is because there is 3-5 teams consisting of skilled all stars putting on a show. I hope we shrink the rinks over here and make them NHL sized.

By the same token you are watching vastly inferior hockey players in the SHL...You really have no idea how it would look with the best players in the world,outside of the Olympics.I also think the smaller,more skilled players are not making the NHL because they are overmatched physically in the smaller confines of NHL rinks.Give them space and the big guys couldn't impose their will on them as much.

The bigger rinks would have more flow...You wouldn't see as many teams clogging the neutral zone by using some form of a trap system...You'd have more passes completed without getting it tipped by players with long sticks/long wing spans.I think the powerplays would be more exciting to watch.

If you want to watch an exciting free flowing game the big ice suface is the direction you'd want to go...The players today are bigger and faster and could use the extra room to operate...The NHL today stinks if you like offensive hockey.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

I dont know how the KHL is today but the SHL has always been a rather defensive league and KHL used to be one as well. The Swiz league is famous for its offense. They all play on big rinks. You can easily play defensive hockey on big ice.

I do get what you are saying however about the talent level and it affects on the level of hockey in terms of tempo and action.

 

[Swervin81]

Lol does nobody remember the winter olympics in Sochi? It was horrible hockey. Just every team trapping.

 

[ACC1224]

By the same token you are watching vastly inferior hockey players in the SHL...You really have no idea how it would look with the best players in the world,outside of the Olympics.I also think the smaller,more skilled players are not making the NHL because they are overmatched physically in the smaller confines of NHL rinks.Give them space and the big guys couldn't impose their will on them as much.

The bigger rinks would have more flow...You wouldn't see as many teams clogging the neutral zone by using some form of a trap system...You'd have more passes completed without getting it tipped by players with long sticks/long wing spans.I think the powerplays would be more exciting to watch.

If you want to watch an exciting free flowing game the big ice suface is the direction you'd want to go...The players today are bigger and faster and could use the extra room to operate...The NHL today stinks if you like offensive hockey.

All wider rinks do is keep the play further away from the net which is why for the most part Olympic and International Hockey is so boring.

 

[JackJ]

Adding five feet is enough. That will compensate for the extra referee and average player sizes.

 

[CalgaryLeaf*]

All wider rinks do is keep the play further away from the net which is why for the most part Olympic and International Hockey is so boring.

As opposed to the NHL today where everything is along the boards...More room on the outside means more room to pass to the inside.

 

[TLeafsFan]

No.

Keep our North American ice. We invented the game and that's how its supposed to be played. I even hate what they did to the hash marks this season.

 

[ACC1224]

As opposed to the NHL today where everything is along the boards...More room on the outside means more room to pass to the inside.

NHL is more about finding the seam. Wider rink puts the seam further from the net.

IMO, the game is as fast and exciting as it's ever been. I don't understand the thought to try and slow it down.

You're not Latvian are you?

 

[91Stammer*]

The only benefit to this I see is less injuries and nothing else. So I am just gonna say keep however it is, but if the game gets intense at some point with having more concussion issues and stuff like that then sure I would be okay with it.

 

[CalgaryLeaf*]

NHL is more about finding the seam. Wider rink puts the seam further from the net.

IMO, the game is as fast and exciting as it's ever been. I don't understand the thought to try and slow it down.

You're not Latvian are you?

It wouldn't slow down the game...That's ludicrous. You'd give the skilled players more time to make better decisions and that would produce outstanding hockey...Like I said the quality of NHL 'offensive' hockey stinks today.

Is that you Don Cherry?

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

Absolutely not. The fighting, clutching, and grabbing has been phased out the game, would hate to see the grittiness be phased out with larger ice surface as well.

 

[Guy Boucher]

Adding five feet is enough. That will compensate for the extra referee and average player sizes.

I was watching some games from the 80s recently on NHL vault. The puck gets wrapped around the boards and the winger has time to gather the puck, stick-handle, look around for 2-3 seconds and then make a play.

Today, the winger might get to the puck first and then get nailed right away or pinned on the boards. There's no chance he'll have a couple of seconds to make a play.

Players are so much bigger and faster now it's incredible.

A couple of extra feet would really increase the offense, and limit the injuries.

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

It wouldn't slow down the game...That's ludicrous. You'd give the skilled players more time to make better decisions and that would produce outstanding hockey...Like I said the quality of NHL 'offensive' hockey stinks today.

Is that you Don Cherry?

I think that has to do more with the dilution of talent. The speed, skill, and grittiness that Teams like Chicago play with is great to watch. Lots of chances and lots of physical play. Problem is there are too many Teams in the NHL to have more than just a couple talented players on a roster like Chicago has. Most Teams have one or two star forwards, then everyone else is a notch below in terms of skill.

 

[CalgaryLeaf*]

I think that has to do more with the dilution of talent. The speed, skill, and grittiness that Teams like Chicago play with is great to watch. Lots of chances and lots of physical play. Problem is there are too many Teams in the NHL to have more than just a couple talented players on a roster like Chicago has. Most Teams have one or two star forwards, then everyone else is a notch below in terms of skill.

I agree that there are too many AHL types in the NHL these days...That said Chicago would look even better on a bigger surface.

Defensive hockey has improved so much with the bigger faster players that the skilled players could use more room to operate. Give them that split second longer to make a play and it will produce better hockey all around.

 

[CalgaryLeaf*]

What's more fun to watch? Five on five hockey or four on four?

I rest my case.

 

[ACC1224]

It wouldn't slow down the game...That's ludicrous. You'd give the skilled players more time to make better decisions and that would produce outstanding hockey...Like I said the quality of NHL 'offensive' hockey stinks today.

Is that you Don Cherry?

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/big-ice-a-big-failure-when-it-comes-to-creating-offense/

I get that some like things at a slower pace but you won't find many others.

 

[CalgaryLeaf*]

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/big-ice-a-big-failure-when-it-comes-to-creating-offense/

I get that some like things at a slower pace but you won't find many others.

I wasn't talking about scoring...That wasn't my point at all...The bigger ice will be a more exciting game to watch...I'm sick of the dump and chase hockey that is played in the NHL.

Kutya in the comment section said it very well:

"I find that the big ice surface requires more speed from the players and allows teams to control the puck in the offensive zone, and to more often carry the puck in. at its best nhl hockey is more exciting, but at its worst nhl hockey is boring dump and chase where a team shoots it in, loses puck control, and then the other team does the same."

4 on 4 hockey is so much fun to watch because they have more puck possession and more open ice to operate.

 

[Territory]

Big ice sucks. I dunno why people always think it means a faster more skilled game. It's actually the complete opposite. It encourages trapping.

 

[Warden of the North]

No. it would be boring.