Fix the NHL

[butterfly]

W-L-T, please. So .500 is actually a decent, borderline playoff team and we can intuitively interpret team records.

[dino7c]

Playoffs should be 1 vs 16 (not just saying it because this year)

lets not give average teams easy walks to the finals, this isn't a shot at anyone because it always changes. Some of those 2/3 matchups are brutal and almost no jockeying for positions often times in those slots.

Would also be nice to see all kinds of crazy matchups


Calgary/Florida round one
Edmonton/NYR

whatever

[sch19lks]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

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

This is hockey, the point is to score with your stick. Never mind the safety issues of guys trying to kick pucks in or high stick them out of the air

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

- Draft Lottery:

If it were up to me, there wouldn't be a draft lottery at all. Pick order wouldn't be based on the current year's standings but would instead be based on things like in the past 10 years how many cups have you won, how many playoff series have you won, etc. There would also be additional safeguards such as you can't pick top 3 in back to back years, and if you get 1st overall, you can't pick 1st again for 5 years.

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Playoffs should be 1 vs 16 (not just saying it because this year)

lets not give average teams easy walks to the finals, this isn't a shot at anyone because it always changes. Some of those 2/3 matchups are brutal and almost no jockeying for positions often times in those slots.

Would also be nice to see all kinds of crazy matchups


Calgary/Florida round one
Edmonton/NYR

whatever

It was 1 vs 16 I know Flames were higher, but boohoo play the cards your dealt. Panthers had to play the better teams from the East more often.

[calgarywinning]

I think you gotta get some ref's and linesman off the ice.

[Jbo]

Refs should be subject to much harsher reviews and removed from future games when obvious penalties were missed or calls were incorrect. In cases where there is chronic issues, make them ineligible for playoff games.

Current players in NHL should not be able to endorse or support gambling (mcdavid)

Gambling ads should be restricted to evening games and come with disclaimers everywhere indicating how bad gambling is.

Force McLean to retire

[CroFlames]

Invent a new trophy and competition to generate interest and revenue.

The Stanley Cup Champion should play the President's Trophy winner at the start of each season. It should generate some buzz about the start of each new season. Give it a fancy new name like the NHL Champions Cup or something. Players get paid a bonus to play the extra game.

Potentially rotate hosts (like Superbowl/Grey Cup) or the SC Champion just hosts it each year as an additional reward for winning the SC.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by Jbo

Refs should be subject to much harsher reviews and removed from future games when obvious penalties were missed or calls were incorrect. In cases where there is chronic issues, make them ineligible for playoff games.

Current players in NHL should not be able to endorse or support gambling (mcdavid)

Gambling ads should be restricted to evening games and come with disclaimers everywhere indicating how bad gambling is.

Force McLean to retire

Not only evening games, only weekdays evening games so kids would have lesser chance of exposing to it.

[getbak]

I'm honestly surprised active players are allowed to endorse gambling sites. The league is usually pretty strict on those sorts of things like alcohol endorsements.

[dissentowner]

Also, I wish the NHL would give us an option to watch NHL games with enhanced sounds on the ice and no play by play or colour guy yapping away. I don't want to hear Kelly Hrudy babbling on about Connor McDavid, I want to hear Nazim Kadri call him something derogatory on the ice.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by getbak

I'm honestly surprised active players are allowed to endorse gambling sites. The league is usually pretty strict on those sorts of things like alcohol endorsements.

The league has sold it's soul to the gambling devil, alcohol industry isn't big enough devil.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Invent a new trophy and competition to generate interest and revenue.

The Stanley Cup Champion should play the President's Trophy winner at the start of each season. It should generate some buzz about the start of each new season. Give it a fancy new name like the NHL Champions Cup or something. Players get paid a bonus to play the extra game.

Potentially rotate hosts (like Superbowl/Grey Cup) or the SC Champion just hosts it each year as an additional reward for winning the SC.

It could be season long championship-belt style. Pres vs SCC in game 1, and then they hold it until they lose to someone.

I don't know what the end-game would be...Stone Cold Steve Austin comes to your year-end party wearing your team's jersey?

[robertsfanatic]

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.

this has been a rule in ball hockey forever and is fairly easy to referee but in the NHL it would lead to super long possessions in the o-zone and a ton of goals....the powerplays would be outrageous.

[WCW Nitro]

Make the non-playoff teams have an equal chance at all non-playoff draft positions.

Once a series is 3-0 it is over, no need to extend it and teams will be fresher for other playoff games

Playoff format is 1 vs 16 , 2 vs 15 and so on to get more diverse matchups and potentially have rivals play in the finals.

[WCW Nitro]

Make the non-playoff teams have an equal chance at all non-playoff draft positions.

Once a series is 3-0 it is over, no need to extend it and teams will be fresher for other playoff games

Playoff format is 1 vs 16 , 2 vs 15 and so on to get more diverse matchups and potentially have rivals play in the finals.

The President's trophy winner and Stanley Cup winner get an extra million in cap space for the following year

[FlamesAddiction]

It's never going to happen, but getting rid of fully guaranteed contracts would be nice. The NHL should have base salaries that are guaranteed, with the rest of the contract being in performance bonuses. For example, the maximum possible guaranteed base salary could be set 10% of the cap, so like $8.4 million, then teams can negotiate benchmarks on top of that, like for every goal or point they get over 80, they get $50K.

It would definitely make bidding on free agents more interesting, because there would be more negotiable parts in contracts.

[Coach]

Ref in the press box that can call a delayed/missed penalty. OR call back a bad call.

Referee's have mandatory 10 minutes of media availability after each game.

No fines for mouthing off about reffing unless said mouthing off contains cursing/slurs.

No accountability for referees is making the NHL unwatchable for me.



Ability to turn off commentary. Most of them are idiots and I don't need them to follow the play.

[VilleN]

Normalize the salary cap so that there isn’t an advantage to being in different tax markets.

Double minor if there is blood drawn from a high stick. Such a stupid rule - either make all high sticks double minors or just a minor.

If you enter the draft and are drafted, you must be eligible to play that season. No electing to finish college. Enter the draft when you’re ready to play.