[News] NHL GM Meetings

[sureLoss]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=436433

General managers discussed fighting, hybrid icing and the NHL's new playoff format among a host of other topics at their annual post-Hall of Fame meeting. No formal rule changes came about, though the purpose of this get-together is more to set up March's meeting.


Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland's idea to extend overtime to 10 minutes got serious discussion. He wants four-on-four for five minutes and then three-on-three for another five, while Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues and others want simply 10 minutes of four-on-four.


The GMs got clarification on the playoff format, which could include wild-card teams crossing over because of total points even if four make it from each division in one conference.


Fighting was discussed in general terms and in regards to goalies. A rule was brought up to punish goaltenders who crossed the centre red-line to fight.


Steve Yzerman of the Tampa Bay Lightning said there wasn't a major push to make changes to rules on skaters dropping the gloves.

[flames_fan_down_under]

I think 10 minutes of 4 on 4 is perfect. Going from 4 on 4 to 3 on 3 then to a shootout, that's just too many breaks, whistle's, line up changes, etc.

[SuperMatt18]

Yeah just 10 minutes of 4 vs 4 is fine.

Also think the 3-2-1 points system is needed. Every game needs to be worth the same amount of points, historical values be damned.

[Jebus]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

I think 10 minutes of 4 on 4 is perfect. Going from 4 on 4 to 3 on 3 then to a shootout, that's just too many breaks, whistle's, line up changes, etc.

Doesn't need to be a stop at 5min. Simply make the change at the first whistle following the 5min mark. I can't see any teams/GMs/fans complaining if a 4-on-4 OT goes the full 10min because it was so free-flowing that no stoppage occured.


EDIT: Agree with SuperMatt above on the 3-2-1 point system. Dissapointed to not hear that was discussed again for next year.

[lazypucker]

If they are retaining the shootout, it must be changed to 5 shots each. The current 3-shot format just sucks.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Jebus

Doesn't need to be a stop at 5min. Simply make the change at the first whistle following the 5min mark. I can't see any teams/GMs/fans complaining if a 4-on-4 OT goes the full 10min because it was so free-flowing that no stoppage occured.


EDIT: Agree with SuperMatt above on the 3-2-1 point system. Dissapointed to not hear that was discussed again for next year.

First whistle after the 5 min mark doesn't seem thought through.
A team getting out played or a team that thinks it will have a better chance in a shoot out will just flip the puck in the stands, knock their own net off... etc.

[You Need a Thneed]

3 on 3 overtime would need to have a rule saying that teams can only have one defenseman on the ice.

I'd go 5 minutes (perhaps 10) 4 on 4, than 3 on 3 until someone scores.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

If they are retaining the shootout, it must be changed to 5 shots each. The current 3-shot format just sucks.

Please no. I'd rather it just be one shot so we can leave sooner. It's not like it makes it any less random.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Anyone spotted Feaster talking to another GM yet?

That should get this thread really going.

In all seriousness though, goalie fights are so rare as it is that I don't think there should be any reason to dish out extra punishment for them.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

First whistle after the 5 min mark doesn't seem thought through.
A team getting out played or a team that thinks it will have a better chance in a shoot out will just flip the puck in the stands, knock their own net off... etc.

Deliberately knocking the net off in overtime is a penalty shot.

As for other penalties, the current OT rules would naturally apply. If you have only three players when you take a call, the other team adds a player instead.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Deliberately knocking the net off in overtime is a penalty shot.

Wow, I did not know that little factoid.

[troutman]

4 on 4 is not true hockey IMO, and 3 on 3 is even worse. Hockey is a team game, and many players will never see the ice in these situations. Not sure that is an improvement on shoot-outs.

I'd rather see 5 on 5 sudden death for 10 minutes, followed by ties.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Deliberately knocking the net off in overtime is a penalty shot.

As for other penalties, the current OT rules would naturally apply. If you have only three players when you take a call, the other team adds a player instead.

That has nothing to do with my point...

All I am saying is playing till a whistle instead of a predefined time limit is a badly thought out idea when you consider players can force whistles in a lot of ways

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by troutman

I'd rather see 5 on 5 sudden death for 10 minutes, followed by ties.

That would be my preference as well... but the NHL would never go for it. Everything they do after regulation is geared towards ensuring that there is a winner. They don't want ties.

[pylon]

3 on 3 would be amazing.

Imagine this matchup:

Ovechkin/Backstrom/Green

vs

Crosby/Malkin/Letang

[getbak]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

That has nothing to do with my point...

All I am saying is playing till a whistle instead of a predefined time limit is a badly thought out idea when you consider players can force whistles in a lot of ways

I'm not sure why that's worse than having the clock always stop at 5:00. Sure a team could force a stoppage once the 5 minute mark had passed, but they'd still need to get control of the puck to do it.

Take a scenario where one team is going in on a 2-on-1 at the 4:55 mark of OT and they get the shot away at 5:02. I'd rather have it be that the shot is legal and either the team scores or the goalie freezes it and they go to 3-on-3 for the remainder of the OT, instead of having the horn go at the 5:00 mark and playing a second 5 minute OT at 3-on-3.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Yeah just 10 minutes of 4 vs 4 is fine.

Also think the 3-2-1 points system is needed. Every game needs to be worth the same amount of points, historical values be damned.

I honestly think it will never come to fruition, because the GMs/league believe it gives the illusion of parity. A crappy team can pad their stats with OTLs and still somehow move up in the standings. With a 3 point system, I think you would see a more accurate separation of teams in the standings. But the league thinks it's good to have everyone clumped together so that it appears that you are never truly out of the race.

After the '04 lockout, I really like that idea. It did make it seem like the playoff race lasted the entire season rather then having teams knocked out a couple months in. Now I'm not so much a fan.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Wow, I did not know that little factoid.

Yup. Last two minutes of regulation time, or at any point in OT.

Originally Posted by sureLoss

That has nothing to do with my point...

All I am saying is playing till a whistle instead of a predefined time limit is a badly thought out idea when you consider players can force whistles in a lot of ways

Ahh, gotcha. I didn't read back far enough in the conversation. Mea culpa.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by pylon

3 on 3 would be like lacrosse

fyp

[Bandwagon Surfer]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

I honestly think it will never come to fruition, because the GMs/league believe it gives the illusion of parity. A crappy team can pad their stats with OTLs and still somehow move up in the standings. With a 3 point system, I think you would see a more accurate separation of teams in the standings. But the league thinks it's good to have everyone clumped together so that it appears that you are never truly out of the race.

After the '04 lockout, I really like that idea. It did make it seem like the playoff race lasted the entire season rather then having teams knocked out a couple months in. Now I'm not so much a fan.

That is exactly it. And the trouble is it works. Every year you see terrible teams which have enough points to look close to the playoffs, and deluded fans the truly believe that their team was just a few wins off the mark. "If you look at our record at the end of the year when the pressure was off and we were facing backups, exclude a few games I do not like and rig the sample size, assume wins happen in a vacuum, we are totally going to make it next year!"

Personally I would like to get rid of points and just count wins. No differentiation between not winning and losing, no shootout to force every game to have a winner. I want both teams fighting for the win as hard as they can and taking risks near the end of the game.