Everyone seems to agree that the NHL needs more: more speed, more excitement, more goals. But there is no consensus on how to get there. Bigger nets? Smaller goalies? No more blue lines? What's your pleasure?
The brainstorming of reporters, players, coaches, hockey execs and people who don't know anything has produced a huge catalogue of suggested NHL rule changes - all of them guaranteed to turn your team into the 1984 Edmonton Oilers.
Here's an assessment of the ideas currently in circulation. Settle in. It's a long list.
Expand The Net
Of all the ideas floated by the National Hockey League, none is more contentious. Three different prototypes are in circulation, the most radical being proposed by the Buffalo Sabres.
Once considered sacrilege, the bigger net is now taken seriously, and has been debated by general managers. It even has the endorsement of a few players, including a 19-year NHL defenseman.
“I would have no problem with taking the regulation-sized net and going one goalpost further out - so you'd basically make the net four inches wider and two inches higher,” James Patrick told the Toronto Globe and Mail. “Those nets haven't changed in size since the 1900s when the goalies hardly wore any equipment... Purists would scream about scoring records and the history of the game, but I truly believe not enough is done to showcase the highly skilled players.”
But for too many of the game’s power brokers, it remains too radical a solution. “That would be like making bigger golf holes," Scotty Bowman told the New York Times.
Streamline The Goalie Equipment (adopted by NHL for 2005-06)
The premise: Equipment is meant for protection, not puck-stopping. Must leg pads be so wide? Hiw big will blockers and catching gloves get? Why can't chest protectors, shoulder pads and pants more form-fitting? If the goalie needs more protection he can go for thicker pads, but there is no reason for the gear to take up so much space.
Just about everyone is on board with this one, including the goalies, who probably figure its best to give on this issue and mount their stand against the horror of the larger net. There will undoubtedly be tighter limits on goalie equipment when the league resumes. But will the restrictions be meaningful? Are they enforceable?
Restrict Goaltender Movement and Puck Handling (adopted by NHL for 2005-06)
The American Hockey League imposed a modest restriction on goalies in 2004-05 - no playing the puck behind the goal line, except in an area marked out behind the net. It was considered successful, but hardly ground-breaking.
This one is still open for debate. Some want to forbid the goaltender from playing the puck anywhere behind the goal line, others say no touching the puck at all unless he's in his crease. Another idea is to let goalies play the puck, but outlaw forward passing.
Some version of this proposal will likely be in place for 2005-06. But it won't have much effect on the game unless they go for a fairly radical option.
End Tie Games With A Shootout (adopted by NHL for 2005-06)
This would apply only to regular season games that are tied after five minutes of overtime.
The shootout is used in international hockey, the AHL and the NCAA, and is supported by one irrefutable argument: the fans love it. Opponents dismiss it as a gimmick, the equivalent of deciding a baseball game with a home run derby. Those who want more scoring should focus their efforts the 65 minutes preceding the shootout.
Last year the shootout has recently gained the support of, though the proposal was left in limbo by the lockout. It's sure to be part of the new NHL, as the league tries to win back fans disillusioned by the labor war.
A closer look at the shootout debate
Eliminate The Center Ice Red Line (adopted by NHL for 2005-06)
In fact, the red line would remain, used only for icing calls. The two-line pass - from the defensive zone to the opposing blue line – would be legal. This is already the rule in the NCAA, international hockey and most European leagues.
No other idea generates such conflicting response. A recent poll in the Hockey News suggested many players are in favor. TSN analyst Pierre McGuire is convinced it will open up the game. Fellow analyst and former NHL GM Brian Burke calls it "stupid" and "ignorant." Defenseman Dan Boyle, who used to favour the two-line pass, changed his mind after a season in Sweden. Dave King, who has coached in the NHL and Europe, doesn’t like it either.
The detractors say defensive teams adjust to the long pass by spreading players throughout the neutral zone, leading to an even more cautious, conservative game. This idea is not the magic bullet some folks seem to think it is. But it’s worth a try. There is no indication that the NHL plans to introduce it soon.
See Also:
Page 2: Change the ice? Change the players?
Page 3: Penalty killers, point counters and goal scorers.
