Fix the NHL

[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)

[dissentowner]

Get rid of the stupid delay of game penalty for the puck being cleared over the glass in the defensive end. At the very least make it a refs call. If the guy blasts it straight out ok but when a guy tries to bat the puck with his stick while the puck is in the air and it goes over the glass calling that delay of game is beyond ridiculous.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Get rid of the stupid delay of game penalty for the puck being cleared over the glass in the defensive end. At the very least make it a refs call. If the guy blasts it straight out ok but when a guy tries to bat the puck with his stick while the puck is in the air and it goes over the glass calling that delay of game is beyond ridiculous.

I wouldn't get rid of it, since NHL players can very clearly do it with ease to kill the play. I think you're on to something about making it discretionary when batted out of the air.

[GirlySports]

just make puck over the glass like an icing, no line changes.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

just make puck over the glass like an icing, no line changes.

Also not a bad solution since they waste about as much time.


No line change and delay of commercial break.

[Puppet Guy]

No more virtual ads on the boards!

[Mr.Coffee]

they must have some data that shows that the more game management, the more excitement and therefore more money- but I honestly ####ing hate it with the passion of a thousand suns.

It is ruining the sport, the integrity of the league, and makes me view the NHL as more like the WWF than a real sports league to be taken seriously.

Call the ####ing rules properly. Don't game manage, pick and choose winners and losers, and intentionally turn a blind eye to #### just because somebody is down by a goal or two in the final frame. It's such garbage, everybody knows it, and the biases and poor officiating are by far and away the biggest problem to actually enjoying the NHL. They have, legitimately, tarnished an otherwise incredible game- and I fear it will only get worse.

It's okay for teams to get pounded 6-0 if that's what the outcome is intended to be. We don't need your invisible arm bull#### to steer it in a different direction.

[Cycling76er]

No more betting ads. Period.

[Blaster86]

Here's one. With yet another person with relation to the Blackhawk cup winning teams showing zero ####ing remorse or contrition for what happened to Kyle Beach, actually punish the #### heel organization.

[DSIM420]

Draft Lottery

32nd overall gets 16 entries
31st overall gets 15 entries
.
.
.
17th overall gets 1 entry

Bonus Entry for every win in games 72-82.
No limit on moving up, so you could have the worst odds and pick 1st.
Lottery is for picks 1-5.
Each Ball has the logo of the team it represents.

Lottery is live 30 minutes before the NHL draft on the main stage.

[TheIronMaiden]

Reduce the number of preseason games. 4 preseason games is plenty.

[PugnaciousIntern]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

they must have some data that shows that the more game management, the more excitement and therefore more money- but I honestly ####ing hate it with the passion of a thousand suns.

It is ruining the sport, the integrity of the league, and makes me view the NHL as more like the WWF than a real sports league to be taken seriously.

Call the ####ing rules properly. Don't game manage, pick and choose winners and losers, and intentionally turn a blind eye to #### just because somebody is down by a goal or two in the final frame. It's such garbage, everybody knows it, and the biases and poor officiating are by far and away the biggest problem to actually enjoying the NHL. They have, legitimately, tarnished an otherwise incredible game- and I fear it will only get worse.

It's okay for teams to get pounded 6-0 if that's what the outcome is intended to be. We don't need your invisible arm bull#### to steer it in a different direction.

100%. I agree that the above issues are all valid and can use some work. But "Game Management" is by far the worst part of cheering for an NHL team.

Now this post doesn't come with a solution. Obvious solutions from a rabid fan such as myself are perspective are more transparent and prominent referee accountability. However, I suspect that the NHL is quite happy with the current status of game management.

I am not the NHL's target audience; a die-hard single-team fan who will follow through thick and thin. They want the games to be 'exciting' to draw in new and casual viewers. If that's truly the case, make efforts to even the rosters or encourage personality and drama into the game that has been previously frowned upon. But don't do it through inconsistent penalties.

[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.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Get rid of the stupid delay of game penalty for the puck being cleared over the glass in the defensive end. At the very least make it a refs call. If the guy blasts it straight out ok but when a guy tries to bat the puck with his stick while the puck is in the air and it goes over the glass calling that delay of game is beyond ridiculous.

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.

[PugnaciousIntern]

I think this may the first off-season thread that will drain me of all my thanks. Glad to know I am posting with all you like-minded people!

[FlamesAddiction]

Start calling embellishment and diving penalties.

Seeing ridiculous diving more and more, it is pathetic and embarassing. I am not talking about head snaps or players shaking their wrist after a slash. I get flinching or doing something so the ref at least knows something happened, because those things are sometimes hard to catch. I mean when there is actually no contact, or when a player does an over the top flopping on the ice with minimal to no contact. They need to start calling these as penalties, and issuing the supplementary discipline specified by the rules.

Also, if a player lays on the ice to ham it up, they should have to take a break on the bench for a few minutes. Seeing players act like they were killed (see Draisitl and Ekholm), only to pop up and be all smiles once the penalty is confirmed, shouldn't be acceptable.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by DSIM420

Draft Lottery

32nd overall gets 16 entries
31st overall gets 15 entries
.
.
.
17th overall gets 1 entry

Bonus Entry for every win in games 72-82.
No limit on moving up, so you could have the worst odds and pick 1st.
Lottery is for picks 1-5.
Each Ball has the logo of the team it represents.

Lottery is live 30 minutes before the NHL draft on the main stage.

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.

[TheIronMaiden]

They should allow the puck to be kicked or high sticked into the net.

[drewtastic]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Reduce the number of preseason games. 4 preseason games is plenty.

And also reduce the number of regular season games. 70 would be my ideal; but even 74 would be a start. That, or go back to first round best-of-fives.

I know it's a pipe dream (for financial reasons), but hockey should be over by May. Summer is for outside.


(Of course, they're considering INCREASING to an 84 game season...)

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by drewtastic

And also reduce the number of regular season games. 70 would be my ideal; but even 74 would be a start. That, or go back to first round best-of-fives.

I know it's a pipe dream (for financial reasons), but hockey should be over by May. Summer is for outside.


(Of course, they're considering INCREASING to an 84 game season...)

Summer is June 21-September 22.