Fix the NHL

[MegaErtz]

Raise the draft age two years. What do we get, one or two guys each year making the NHL as eighteen year olds? Make it more like the NFL, where teams are drafting guys that can play the following season, not four or five years down the road.

Make the maximum contract length five year. We're looking at a lost decade with the Kadri and Huberdeau contracts. There's simply no chance of success when so much of your cap is tied up in guys that are grossly overpaid.

[Owen15]

In overtime stop the exiting out of the O zone.

Face off in your d zone if you exit the O when under pressure.

I think this will create more pressure by the defending team and more chances for both teams.

Frankly I’m sick of watching 3-3 1/2 minutes of skating around in circles instead of attacking.

[Owen15]

I like the idea of a 10 second clock on offsides. So ridiculous when a goal is disallowed when a missed call had little impact at that point.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Cycling76er

No more betting ads. Period.

Bring on the liquor and cannabis ads! Or tobacco!

[Skaloper]

Originally Posted by Owen15

I like the idea of a 10 second clock on offsides. So ridiculous when a goal is disallowed when a missed call had little impact at that point.

Tell a player who gets stuck on a long shift because of the missed call that it had little impact. That being said they just need to leave it obvious blown calls that can easily been seen without slowing/pausing the play.

[FlamesAddiction]

For something completely different, abandon the draft system and move to an academy system. Each NHL team has it's own youth branches, junior and farm teams to develop their own talent right from junior to the professional ranks.

I know it would have challenges in southern states where there isn't a large pool to draw from, but you could make it possible to recruit junior players from anywhere. University players would also be free to sign with any team, or you could have a special draft for players that go that route.

I know such a systematic change would never actually happen, but I often wonder if it would be a better way of doing it.

[Robbob]

I think they should get rid of challenges and take a play out of the NFLs page in that all scoring plays are reviewed by the war room.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Locke

Can we just expel the Edmonton Oilers?

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

Seems like a good idea at first but what if their fans come looking for a nearby team to root for and we get stuck with them infiltrating.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Lots of great ideas in only 2 pages!

Or 1 page if you set your post count per page to 60.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

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)

It's not a loophole.
Simply put, every drafted north american player can become a free agent 4 years after being drafted if they choose not to sign.

[SutterBrother]

Stop asking me to have cable to watch NHL hockey. I haven't had cable in 15 years, and I'm never going to. I'll pay you to watch, but you won't let me and force me to pirate.

Let me pay extra for a commerical free experience.

Let me pay extra for a single camera and no commentary stream without commercials.

Let me pay extra for all active microphones rather than play by play or color commentary. I'll sign a waiver to not sue or re-broadcast.

Let me select from AI voices for play by play - I'll take Ed Whalen please.

Make the rink ads full banners that anamate across the ice surface, but only have any of it active during stoppages in play. Figure that's a compromise that could actually work?

No gambling ads. Again... I'll pay for it.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Owen15

In overtime stop the exiting out of the O zone.

Face off in your d zone if you exit the O when under pressure.

I think this will create more pressure by the defending team and more chances for both teams.

Frankly I’m sick of watching 3-3 1/2 minutes of skating around in circles instead of attacking.

Getting rid of 3 on 3 is the solution here.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by SutterBrother

Stop asking me to have cable to watch NHL hockey. I haven't had cable in 15 years, and I'm never going to. I'll pay you to watch, but you won't let me and force me to pirate.

Let me pay extra for a commerical free experience.

Let me pay extra for a single camera and no commentary stream without commercials.

Let me pay extra for all active microphones rather than play by play or color commentary. I'll sign a waiver to not sue or re-broadcast.

Let me select from AI voices for play by play - I'll take Ed Whalen please.

Make the rink ads full banners that anamate across the ice surface, but only have any of it active during stoppages in play. Figure that's a compromise that could actually work?

No gambling ads. Again... I'll pay for it.

I'm on board with the first few for sure! Have been arguing for the "arena experience at home"....just the sights and sounds please. I can figure out what's going on.

[Bubba17]

Originally Posted by Macho0978

Get rid of the dirty plays in hockey. Some guys go careers without doing something stupid. Guys who are repeat offenders should get 5 times what they get in suspensions

Clean that up and turn clean up the I’m allowed to cross check guys in front of net or along the boards stuff. Then we don’t have teams targeting guys like mark stone or AP situation happening

Clean these 2 things up and get rid of fights. Just not worth it.

The AP thing would never have happened if they had called the slashing on Draisatl to begin with, but that hack gets away with slashing and spearing every game. Make the first call count and the second incident doesn't happen.

[CF84]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

It's not a loophole.
Simply put, every drafted north american player can become a free agent 4 years after being drafted if they choose not to sign.

Easy fix: make it 5 years. I'd like to hear a good argument against this if there's something I'm unaware of.

[Cube Inmate]

I remember an idea from many years ago... but can't remember if it was ever tried. After gaining the zone onside (at blue line), the offensive zone expanded to the red line, meaning defense had to clear beyond the red before offense had to tag up.

It sounds more complicated to call but ignoring that, what would it do to the actual play? At the very least, those plays in OT where the offensive team clears the zone and regroups would be less common.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Cube Inmate

I remember an idea from many years ago... but can't remember if it was ever tried. After gaining the zone onside (at blue line), the offensive zone expanded to the red line, meaning defense had to clear beyond the red before offense had to tag up.

It sounds more complicated to call but ignoring that, what would it do to the actual play? At the very least, those plays in OT where the offensive team clears the zone and regroups would be less common.

I think it’s an interesting idea and it wouldn’t be too complicated. I wonder if it would result in too much scoring though, like regular double digits. I would love to see it tried just to see.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

It's not a loophole.
Simply put, every drafted north american player can become a free agent 4 years after being drafted if they choose not to sign.

I can’t believe people don’t see the difference, a junior player has no where to play after his overage year, if he goes to Europe his draft status slides and if he doesn’t sign an offered contract he goes back to the draft.

Simply put, it IS a loophole

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Getting rid of 3 on 3 is the solution here.

3v3 is awesome - all you have to do is force them to attack - ie no passing back to your own zone - once you’ve advanced the puck past the blue line, you cant reverse it back to your own goalie. That’s delay of game.

Other improvements for 3v3:

-1-minute penalties, goes to 3v2

-10 minutes of 3v3, then it’s a tie. If nobody scores after 10 minutes of pond hockey, nobody deserved to win. Nothing ruins a good hockey game like a shootout.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

I can’t believe people don’t see the difference, a junior player has no where to play after his overage year, if he goes to Europe his draft status slides and if he doesn’t sign an offered contract he goes back to the draft.

Simply put, it IS a loophole

It’s one of those things that the league will never find a consensus on because I am sure a few of the big American markets like it. Same thing with NTCs sadly. There are about 10 teams that are negatively affected, about 12 that probably don’t care, and about 10 who love it.

As long as these things benefit the biggest US markets, the league will let them