Why did they increase the roster limit?

[Felonious Python]

It was before my time, but NHL teams regularly had three lines, two defensive parings, and their goalies. What was the reason the NHL raised the roster limits to include the fourth line and third defensive pairing?

For everyone complaining about the league diluting the talent pool through expansion, (which I think is largely bunk) keeping a roster of 15 instead of 20 would have helped quite a bit.

6 teams at 15 = 90 players
6 teams at 20 = 120 players
30 player difference, or the equivalent of two 15 man teams.

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[pnep]

more games in reg season?

 

[Felonious Python]

more games in reg season?

...and?

Where's your incredibly intricate statistical analysis?

You regularly crush all doubt within minutes, and you end your post with a question mark? Am I a dragon slayer?

 

[krax]

It was before my time, but NHL teams regularly had three lines, two defensive parings, and their goalies. What was the reason the NHL raised the roster limits to include the fourth line and third defensive pairing?

For everyone complaining about the league diluting the talent pool through expansion, (which I think is largely bunk) keeping a roster of 15 instead of 20 would have helped quite a bit.

6 teams at 15 = 90 players
6 teams at 20 = 120 players
30 player difference, or the equivalent of two 15 man teams.

I asked myself this question a thousand times. I see no reason for this expansion. I'd prefer if they came back to 15 skaters per team.

 

[kaiser matias]

This is total speculation, but I would think that the increased games as a result of expansion, and the need to travel across the continent, led to the larger roster size. With these factors, players were not playing their best, so the roster was increased allowing playing time to decrease, and skills to stay in top shape. Again though, this is a complete guess with nothing backing it up.


Following on this question though, why are there only 3 defensive pairings, and not 4? Why wouldn't the defence pairings match the forward lines, be it 3 or 4 of each? Especially for the latter, wouldn't having 8 defencemen playing mean that the best pairs can play at their top form longer because they aren't on the ice as long?

 

[Crosbyfan]

This is total speculation, but I would think that the increased games as a result of expansion, and the need to travel across the continent, led to the larger roster size. With these factors, players were not playing their best, so the roster was increased allowing playing time to decrease, and skills to stay in top shape. Again though, this is a complete guess with nothing backing it up.


Following on this question though, why are there only 3 defensive pairings, and not 4? Why wouldn't the defence pairings match the forward lines, be it 3 or 4 of each? Especially for the latter, wouldn't having 8 defencemen playing mean that the best pairs can play at their top form longer because they aren't on the ice as long?

It's the nature of the game. Defencemen have to show more restraint than forwards who are expected to skate hard pretty much the whole time on the ice, so it is unlikely that a fourth pairing will outplay the first pairing given that extra icetime.

 

[Reds4Life]

Why? Because the game is much faster, harder and more demanding. There is no way 15 skaters could go through regular season. Not to mention playoffs. Sorry, but this is kinda stupid question imho.

 

[Mikkel]

Why? Because the game is much faster, harder and more demanding. There is no way 15 skaters could go through regular season. Not to mention playoffs. Sorry, but this is kinda stupid question imho.

Obviously, if any team (for some reason that is admittedly very difficult to contemplate) attempted to go with 15 players _now_, it would never work. However, it does not seem to farfetched that the game could just as well be played with 15 roster players on each team - it would just be a 'slower, less hard and less demanding' type of game. If each team was only allowed 15 players, this would most likely be the result within a rather short timeframe.

Whether that would be good for anything is another question, but to say that '15 players could not happen because the game is played differently today' is circular logic.

[I do think that playing with only 2 defensive pairings would lead to all sorts of undesirable situations - if one d-man goes down with injury, or just get a major penalty for that matter, his team would be in a very tough spot for example. I dont really see a logical explanation to why 3 forward lines instead of 4 should not work though (but no reason why it should be better either)]

 

[MadArcand]

It's the nature of the game. Defencemen have to show more restraint than forwards who are expected to skate hard pretty much the whole time on the ice, so it is unlikely that a fourth pairing will outplay the first pairing given that extra icetime.

Isn't it four complete units outside the NHL though? Well, at least in Europe it is.

 

[pappyline]

According to "Ultimate Hockey" teams have been able to dress 16 skaters since 1948. I know in the 50's teams used to dress 11 forwards and 5 Dmen. Most teams went with 3 lines & 2 defense pairings but certainly used the spare players. I know chicago used Glen Skov and Earl Balfour strictly as penalty killers. Imlach would use a guy like Eddie Shack on occasion to stir things up & put Billy Harris out there when he needed offense or on the power play. Montreal used a utility player like Donnie Marshall in a variety of roles. Bob Turner would take the odd turn on defense also.

In 71 the rules were changed to allow 17 skaters & in 82 it was upped to 18. So the number of skaters hasn't changed very much in the last 60 years. The only change is that teams use their 4th line forwards & 3rd Dpairing a little more today.

 

[greatgazoo]

According to "Ultimate Hockey" teams have been able to dress 16 skaters since 1948. I know in the 50's teams used to dress 11 forwards and 5 Dmen. Most teams went with 3 lines & 2 defense pairings but certainly used the spare players. I know chicago used Glen Skov and Earl Balfour strictly as penalty killers. Imlach would use a guy like Eddie Shack on occasion to stir things up & put Billy Harris out there when he needed offense or on the power play. Montreal used a utility player like Donnie Marshall in a variety of roles. Bob Turner would take the odd turn on defense also.

In 71 the rules were changed to allow 17 skaters & in 82 it was upped to 18. So the number of skaters hasn't changed very much in the last 60 years. The only change is that teams use their 4th line forwards & 3rd Dpairing a little more today.

It's no coincidence that it wasn't too long after going to 17 skaters that the NHL saw a player break the 300 pims barrier in a single season.

The change in roster size always allowed teams to dress more goons. Not more skill.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Roster Size Changes

The size of rosters increased as the speed of the game increased. Initially the game was played with two spares, so the starters played virtually the whole game.

As the game became faster, especially with the advent of unlimited forward passing more players were required on the roster to sustain the speed.

Injuries also played a role. The back-up goalie became a necessity due to the delays caused by injuries to the starting goalie. Likewise at the other positions. When you had the 5 d / 11 f split you had injury replacements and specialists as Pappyline pointed out previously.

The 18 man roster. Extended travel made it difficult to call-up injury replacements on short notice. Teams would travel with extra players who would not dress for the games. These players had to be paid an NHL salary so eventually it was decided that they might as well be dressed for the games and play.

 

[Weztex]

Does somebody know the number of players allowed to be dressed yearly since 1918-19?

1981-82 to 2009-10 : 18
1970-71 to 1980-81 : 17
1948-49 to 1969-70 : 16 (15 on the road until 52-53)
Pre 48 :?

 

[finchster]

I know during world war two the roster sizes were shrunk from 16 to 15 players. So before 1941-42ish they had 16

 

[pappyline]

I know during world war two the roster sizes were shrunk from 16 to 15 players. So before 1941-42ish they had 16

I think it went this way

48-49 went back to 16 skaters
71-72 went to 17 skaters
82-83 went to 18 skaters

 

[finchster]

I think it went this way

48-49 went back to 16 skaters
71-72 went to 17 skaters
82-83 went to 18 skaters

Yeah I think that’s correct.

Anyway during the war the official reason for lowering the roster size from 16 to 15 was to free up an extra man for the war effort.

I think the real reason was they knew they were going to lose talented players so they wanted to cut the worst guy on the team to keep the product better.

 

[Dark Shadows]

Why? Because the game is much faster, harder and more demanding. There is no way 15 skaters could go through regular season. Not to mention playoffs. Sorry, but this is kinda stupid question imho.

The game being faster, harder, and more demanding is a product of the larger rosters, not the reason.

You were not able to roll 4 lines playing full tilt for 30 second shifts back then the way they do today, Players played longer shifts and had to conserve energy.

Product, not reason.

 

[Weztex]

I decided to use this thread to complete the historical roster limits. Here's what I gathered from various sources.

Seasons - Maximum # of players in uniform

1917-1925 : no info
1925-1929 : 12 (with or without goaltenders ?)
1923-1930 : 15 (with or without goaltenders ?)
1930-1940 : no info
1940-1941 : 16
1941-1948 : 15
1948-1951 : 16
1951-1952 : 15
1951-1953 : 16 at home, 15 on the road
1953-1954 : 16
1954-1960 : 18 up to Dec. 1, 16 thereafter
1960-1971 : 16
1971-1982 : 17
1982-2010 : 18

If anybody has more info or corrections, that could save me some time.

 

[ES]

Isn't it four complete units outside the NHL though? Well, at least in Europe it is.

In international games, yes. But in national leagues they can decide.

In Finland they decreased the amount from 20 to 18 for this season and many coaches have been very unhappy for that move.