Fix the NHL

[Ferarri]

I know this would never happen as the players use this as a bargaining chip but get rid of no trade contracts. It's a privilege to play in the NHL and it shouldn't matter if that's in New York or Winnipeg. Really kills the sport for small market teams who are constantly on these lists. Don't like the night life in Calgary or Ottawa then feel free to find a profession where you can live where you want to. Getting paid millions shouldn't make you "too good" for certain cities.

[drewtastic]

Originally Posted by butterfly

Summer is June 21-September 22.

In Canada, Summer is as soon as the sun takes more daytime than the snow. Short season, need to max it all out!

[GioforPM]

CBA:

6 year max contracts
tax adjustment for the cap
limited number of NTCs per team
QO should be based on more than last year of contract
bring back bonuses in standard contracts (but have to figure out a way to make it work with a cap)

officiating:

1 ref on ice, 1 in stands connected to the one on the ice
time limit on goal reviews
potentially more reviewable penalties to get calls right
increase in maximum fine
fighting = game misconduct

puck playable off the mesh

[Jason14h]

Completely remove the NHL draft , make everyone coming into the league a FA

Allow teams to resign their own players to go over the cap at a luxury threshold that is distributed to the non cap teams to allow everyone to spend to the cap

Once at the cap you can’t sign FAs (or at least ovet league minimum / what you can bury in minors) or trade for players (potentially a salary in/out rule could be applied to keep trades flowing)

From a rules perspective I actually think it’s pretty good - The one I like are calling dives more / without offsetting penalties (and suspensions for multiple offenders)

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I remember one where it was late in a period and I think it was Regehr that had a ton of time and space and he tried to crush one down the ice on net to the other goalie...and he skyed it and it went out of play so they called it delay of game.

Remember being so mad about it.

Monahan got one for over the glass that ended up clearing in the O-zone,

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Ferarri

I know this would never happen as the players use this as a bargaining chip but get rid of no trade contracts. It's a privilege to play in the NHL and it shouldn't matter if that's in New York or Winnipeg. Really kills the sport for small market teams who are constantly on these lists. Don't like the night life in Calgary or Ottawa then feel free to find a profession where you can live where you want to. Getting paid millions shouldn't make you "too good" for certain cities.

Heh, I was going to start on that again, but figured I kicked the dead horse enough in another recent thread. Totally agree though.

It should be like the NBA or MLB where clauses are rewarded for loyalty and can't be handed out willy nilly to practically any player in the league. The NHL claims to want parity, but then allows something like this where probably a quarter of the teams in the league are on most NTCs and about a quarter of the players in the league, and most of the best players have NTCs. It just doesn't make sense to me that they allow it when other leagues don't.

[Jason14h]

Oh and goal reviews should by 60 seconds and count down on the TV and Stadium big screen

Anything over a minute is inconclusive

[nfotiu]

Ditch the OTL. The worst rule in sports that encourages playing for a tie. It ironically makes more games go to OT and puts more emphasis on OT/SO records since more games go to OT.

If they are so concerned with giving fans the mirage of close standings, then add a couple play in games, then you make the top 2 or 3 spots worth playing for, and gives the 10/11 teams reasons to keep playing.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by drewtastic

In Canada, Summer is as soon as the sun takes more daytime than the snow. Short season, need to max it all out!

Hah, nothing wrong with that. I have no problem with the season going into June. If people feel like there's something better to do, they'll do it instead.

[trackercowe]

Please go back to TSN for coverage. Get away from Rogers/Sportsnet.

[Manhattanboy]

I like the idea of a franchise tag for a player you draft. You can pay that player (Chucky) anything you like even if you exceed the cap. But if he bolts or is traded he loses the exemption.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Completely remove the NHL draft , make everyone coming into the league a FA

Allow teams to resign their own players to go over the cap at a luxury threshold that is distributed to the non cap teams to allow everyone to spend to the cap

Once at the cap you can’t sign FAs (or at least ovet league minimum / what you can bury in minors) or trade for players (potentially a salary in/out rule could be applied to keep trades flowing)

So teams with the biggest bankrolls and best locations would just steam roll the league every year?

[Manhattanboy]

Lots of great ideas in only 2 pages!

[CaptainYooh]

My biggest criticism of the NHL is in its bizarre handling of the first three draft picks. Chicago with three Cups and getting Bedard. Tampa - Cup and then Hedman next year. Oilers - no comment. Every team must be entitled to draft 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall at least once in 32 years for their fans’ sake. It would be very easy to manage: draw for 1,2 and 3 overall picks and the lucky teams go to the end of the queues until all 32 teams eventually get their respective 1,2 and 3 picks. There would be 3 independent queues - one for each top pick. The original goal of helping losing teams rebuild next season is no longer working and can be tampered with/circumvented with little effort. It must be changed.

[Locke]

Can we just expel the Edmonton Oilers?

Just...fold 'em up and disperse their players.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

There's plenty of things that could be better and officiating is probably #1 but there's a lot of others.

Here's three I would like to see.

- Draft Lottery:

The lottery should be an entertaining TV event bingo style with all 16 teams that miss having a chance at #1. bingo balls with team logos.

16th place - 16x3 = 48 balls (flames this year)
15th place -15x3 = 45 balls
-
- so on
3rd place - 3x3 = 9 balls
2nd place - 2x3 = 6 balls
1st place - 1x3 = 3 balls

big drum rolls and the first team with 2 balls gets 16th overall, all the way down to the team that only has 1 ball come up for #1 overall.

Offside challenge rule:

Irks me when a linesman misses an offside by inches and the play goes on and on for eternity but gets called back.

Fix, if the play goes 10 seconds or 4 touches of the puck there is no challenge.

NCAA loophole:

Yes, it's a loophole because teams can't sign these players while in school.

Fix, if player doesn't sign with drafted team they must return to the draft (if offered a contract)

I never understood why it's important to call back a goal if it is off-side, but no worry about erroneously calling off-side that may have well led to a goal. It seems competitively unbalanced in that it can only take away goals. It also gives the defending team a free play to counter attack if they notice a blatant off-side miss and no a goal won't count against.

Get rid of the challenge aspect, and make it auto-reviewed if it is scored on the rush, and no review once a save has been made or other team touches the puck.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Bonded

So teams with the biggest bankrolls and best locations would just steam roll the league every year?

Huh ? You can’t go over the cap except to sign your own players

When over cap you can’t sign FAs except to minimum deals (so not top few round draft choices as they are all FAs)

It allows a team to keep their team intact when a champion type contender but pay a luxury tax if going over the cap resigning their guys va trading them for picks.

It allows the luxury tax to go to below cap teams to sign more draft picks and turn team around faster

Sure some destinations would have an upper hand on attracting FAs but that already happens .

It also eliminates tanking (to an extent ) because overachieving with a lower salary doesn’t impact your ability to get draft eligible players

Imagine if the Flames could have just kept their cap space when JG and MT left with the strategy to bid on a top draft eligible player this year , but still attempt to compete with the rest of the team

[DSIM420]

Originally Posted by butterfly

There are so many potential pitfalls to having the actual ping pong balls coming out of the machine on live TV. KPMG or whoever they use would never recommend that.

It would make for great live TV and you would be able to see if the lottery was rigged or not live. It would be great to see the drama live on the draft floor and teams have little time to adjust based on their new draft positions.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by DSIM420

It would make for great live TV and you would be able to see if the lottery was rigged or not live. It would be great to see the drama live on the draft floor and teams have little time to adjust based on their new draft positions.

If there is an actual malfunction, some low information viewers will claim that it's rigged.

[Jason14h]

I can’t believe so many people care about the offside rule when so few goals are called back, and it is breaking a clear , no interpretation rule - no different then any other against the rule foul or out of arena issue (puck hitting net , etc)

Why do you all want a goal to occur where an against the rules action (that is missed by a ref) occurred