[News] How to Fix the NHL, a League That's Broken

[Cheese]

An article I ran across this morning from Vice Sports Dave Lozo...ya ya I know. Thought it would be good for a laugh and to lighten things up a bit.

https://sports.vice.com/en_ca/articl...e-thats-broken


1) Get rid of the salary cap. The salary cap unfairly depresses salaries and creates parity, the most boring thing in sports. I used to be a very big proponent of salary caps so everything would be "fair," but I was an idiot. If you own a team and want to spend $100 million on it, let's go. Can't keep up with the spending? Too bad, find a new way to win. I could do 10,000 words alone on this but a salary cap hinders a lot of fun things in sports, like trades, free agency, and the ability to earn so much money that I can eventually buy the Miami Marlins after I retire.

8) No more offside. This also means no more offside reviews. Everyone is happy. Why do we even have offside? If I could go back in time, I'm killing Hitler and kidnapping the guy in 1898 or whenever who was so passionate about an offside line. It's not like the offside line makes the game safer; it's there to give the defense an advantage against oncoming opponents. Why?
Removing offside is another way to get some whistles out of the game and help with flow.

23) Ban the shootout. Earlier, when I said one point for a shootout win or loss, I was lying, because the shootout has been abolished and we now play 3-on-3 until someone scores. Personally, I think 3-on-3 is as dumb or dumber than shootouts, but you people seem to like it so let's compromise and play 3-on-3 until someone scores to avoid shootouts.

24) Overtime goes until someone scores. Yeah, like it says. If you can play 5-on-5 in the playoffs until 1 AM, you can play beyond five minutes at 3-on-3 in the regular season.

32) Hand passes are legal everywhere. What percentage of hand pass whistles are for actual hand passes? Most of them are just accidental deflections and redirections with the glove that happen to go to a teammate in the neutral zone. These whistles are also flow killers. I understand we have to get to commercial breaks three times per period so if we adopt all my rules we can go to commercial after goals when necessary.

36) NBC can't broadcast games anymore. We gave it a try. Time to find someone else willing to air this sport in America. Doesn't matter who. Split the package between Lifetime and TruTV. Stream games on Pornhub. I do not give a ####.

[Poe969]

They could make some changes that would improve the game but they can't be this drastic. Instead of getting rid of the salary cap, change it. If a team wins the cup, they should be able to spend more. Get rid of guarantee contracts and make getting rid of players easier.

[jlh2640]

Every single idea is stupid. every one. Who is this plug

[gunnner]

I always wondered what would hockey look like with the redline removed for icing and offsides removed. Just a bunch of cherry picking? more or less hitting? Oilers even worse?

[RyZ]

All those ideas are awful and VICE is an empty husk of what it was when it started out. Put it out of its misery already.

[savardandjokinen]

No Salary Cap? That’s stupid
No Offside? That’s stupid
No Shootout? If they can find a different way to award a winner that doesn’t take long
Overtime till someone scores? Too long
Hand passes legal everywhere? That’s stupid
NBC can’t broadcast games anymore? I don’t care

[Resolute 14]

1) Get rid of the salary cap.

Stopped reading and caring right there.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by gunnner

I always wondered what would hockey look like with the redline removed for icing and offsides removed. Just a bunch of cherry picking? more or less hitting? Oilers even worse?

Teams would likely score a lot more on the powerplay without the blue line. I don't have a lot of issues with cherry picking because there are consequences for losing possession of the puck with a forward up ice so that evens out.

Removing the salary cap would pretty well be the end of the Jets, Senators, and even maybe Flames and things would go back to teams like the Rangers simply buying teams as they already have the advantage of a lot of players wanting to play in that market. I'm sure teams with infinite money resources like the Hawks and Kings who have recently circumvented the salary cap would love it to be abolished.

This is simply not a well thought out piece written by someone that likely has never played the game or been around it all his life.

[Oil Stain]

I'm OK with overtime until someone scores.

I enjoy it a lot more than shootouts.

How long could they possibly go in 3 on 3 without having a goal scored?

You would think about 99% of games would end within one extra 20 minute OT period. The shootout itself takes about 10 minutes so I think in most cases the game would actually end sooner if they just kept going in 3 on 3.

I would also be OK with with a challenge on highsticking, and/or other penalty calls.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Cheese

Thought it would be good for a laugh and to lighten things up a bit.

Apparently CP does not approve of this.

[foofighter15]

Back when I was playing summer Roller Hockey as a kid the league had a pretty unique offside rule.

You couldn't make a pass across the red line. You could cherry pick all you want, you just couldn't accept a pass from the other end. Not saying the NHL should try it but it's better than his idea to get rid of offside.

Anyone else playing in that league?

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Teams would likely score a lot more on the powerplay without the blue line. I don't have a lot of issues with cherry picking because there are consequences for losing possession of the puck with a forward up ice so that evens out.

Removing the salary cap would pretty well be the end of the Jets, Senators, and even maybe Flames and things would go back to teams like the Rangers simply buying teams as they already have the advantage of a lot of players wanting to play in that market. I'm sure teams with infinite money resources like the Hawks and Kings who have recently circumvented the salary cap would love it to be abolished.

This is simply not a well thought out piece written by someone that likely has never played the game or been around it all his life.

The NHL business model is kind of terrible. Almost a third of the teams are losing money with no hope of every making money. Business wise, the salary cap has been a windfall for the Rangers, Leafs, etc, but has made it very hard for the bottom third revenue teams to make ends meet. Add in the fact that players hate it, and they are headed towards even more labor stoppages, I don't get how anyone can see it as anything but broken.

[rhino]

If they really want scoring to increase then the nets need to get bigger. The average NHL goalie is almost 20% bigger (not taking into account the size of equipment) then in the early 80’s when GAA were higher. The players are bigger,faster and stronger then ever and going to Olympic ice is not an option. So taking out the red line..... limiting where goalies can play the puck, offensive zone faceoffs after a penalty etc have not increased scoring. Increase net size by 20% and then you see a difference. I personally like the game as it is though.

[Oling_Roachinen]

6) Bigger nets - I agree with.

5) Leaving your feet to block a shot is a penalty - I actually wouldn't mind giving it some consideration but I don't see it really working out as intended. Wouldn't want to see some diving plays to break up a 2 on 1 be penalized for example.

17) One interconference game between teams per season - Couldn't disagree more. I don't need to see the Sharks 64737161 times a year. I'd rather have the ability to see Crosby, Ovechkin, Tavares, at the Dome once a year. If anything, they need to go further to balance the schedules and give us the chance to see out of division stars.

[Red_Baron]

This is not serious as a way to fix the NHL but it would be fun to watch:

Instead of a set period of time, try first team to score 5 goals wins. This would eliminate the stifling defensive systems of modern hockey and would really showcase offensive talent.
This might make a good format for an all-star game or something like that.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

The NHL business model is kind of terrible. Almost a third of the teams are losing money with no hope of every making money. Business wise, the salary cap has been a windfall for the Rangers, Leafs, etc, but has made it very hard for the bottom third revenue teams to make ends meet. Add in the fact that players hate it, and they are headed towards even more labor stoppages, I don't get how anyone can see it as anything but broken.

I don't agree with your opinion at all here. The league has issues with teams making ends meet but it's more due to half empty buildings than it is the salary cap. I fail to see how having the 90's return where half the league are icing terrible products (the young guns for example) because they can't afford to keep or sign high end players is a solution. You want to see bad hockey? Have a massive disparity between team spending and watch a team full of Clarke Wilms and Jeff Shantz playing the trap to keep the games close against big market all star teams. I assume you simply didn't watch hockey in the 90's as it was the worst era of hockey ever.

[Mitt31]

Go back to 80's NHL with all kinds of fights, and hits with excitement and I would be thrilled

[Matty81]

It's kind of a ridiculous argument and article but I agree with the salary cap comment. I think the cap and overcoaching are the two main root problems with the game having gotten so bland and boring. Making pro sports "fair" is pandering to morons and casual fans and it is not how the league gained its popularity to begin with

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

The NHL business model is kind of terrible. Almost a third of the teams are losing money with no hope of every making money. Business wise, the salary cap has been a windfall for the Rangers, Leafs, etc, but has made it very hard for the bottom third revenue teams to make ends meet. Add in the fact that players hate it, and they are headed towards even more labor stoppages, I don't get how anyone can see it as anything but broken.

Not to mention, the writer is correct that salary caps make for a more boring league/story

Leagues need superteams and villians. In the NFL, even with a cap, it works because 1 player (QB) can so dramatically influence a game, and Tom Brady takes below market to win.

The NBA is the only sport with increasesing rating. They have Cleveland and GS. It forced other teams to try and also become 'super'

MLB has the Yankees and Boston (Soon to be Dodgers and Cubs as well) Now baseball may have an issue now that big market teams have smartened their operations.

A strict cap with no overages and luxury taxes makes the league more competitive, but it does make it more boring to an extent.

A salary cap with luxury tax for overages, similar to basketball setup, would work better IMO

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Not to mention, the writer is correct that salary caps make for a more boring league/story

Leagues need superteams and villians. In the NFL, even with a cap, it works because 1 player (QB) can so dramatically influence a game, and Tom Brady takes below market to win.

The NBA is the only sport with increasesing rating. They have Cleveland and GS. It forced other teams to try and also become 'super'

MLB has the Yankees and Boston (Soon to be Dodgers and Cubs as well) Now baseball may have an issue now that big market teams have smartened their operations.

A strict cap with no overages and luxury taxes makes the league more competitive, but it does make it more boring to an extent.

A salary cap with luxury tax for overages, similar to basketball setup, would work better IMO

The issue at hand is none of the other leagues you mention has a large contingent of Canadian teams. Toronto is a big market regardless of the country and that market can handle the dollar disparity and doesn't have a population disparity.