Luongo will be forced to retire if...

[Fury of One 6]

Bettman, Inc. should make all goalies were the gear they used to in the 80's as well as make rinks international size. Of course that'll never happen, you'll lose like a couple rows of seating and that'll kill revenue, but the game would be a hell more wide open.

[crazykeeper3317 0]

If the NHL didnt mess around with the rules in the first place then fans wouldnt get put off and this move wouldnt be needed. You shouldn't mess with the fundamentals of the game. If they want more goals why not play with 20 pucks at a time? same principle behind it ruining the game of hockey.

[sjsharks11 0]

Why the hell does he care if the nets bigger when he's making millions a year to stand in front of it? Its not like its only bigger for him. What a dipshit.

The nhl needs to stop messing around with the rules its good that someones trying to do something about it. bigger nets are ridiculous

[LegoDoom 0]

The NHL reminds me of that triple A ball club in a small town grasping at straws and trying every assinine gimmick they can to increase attendance. But what really happens is the true fan gets tired of seeing his sport become a circus and stops watching.

Minor league baseball has been using gimmicks and promotions to increase attendance for many years. It certainly isn't a reason a true fan would shy away from the sport.

Now, changing the rules around is something a little different.

IMO, the league needs to get more kids playing the game in order to widen its fanbase. That and get more people that are unfamiliar with the game into the arena. The game translates much better when you watch it live.

[TBLfan 25]

The NHL should adopt a steroid policy that involves forcing every player to take steroids. Look at it has helped baseball!

[GoHabsGo24 1]

The NHL should adopt a steroid policy that involves forcing every player to take steroids. Look at it has helped baseball!

HAHAHAHAHAHA

[LkptTiger 1]

The NHL should adopt a steroid policy that involves forcing every player to take steroids. Look at it has helped baseball!

Just because people are talking about baseball doesn't necessarily mean it's a good thing. Hell - people talk about the NHL all the time; it's a pretty popular punchline.

[Super Star 0]

The NHL should adopt a steroid policy that involves forcing every player to take steroids. Look at it has helped baseball!

That would make nhl more popular then boxing imagine Brashier and Orr on steroids. LETS GET REDDDDYYYY TO RUMBLEEEEEE!!!

[crazykeeper3317 0]

some one pop this in an email to gary bettman im sure hed agree with you...

[willc7786 0]

forget the nets, go to international sized rinks. That'll create a ton more room, make the game faster/more exciting, and get rid of clutching and grabbing. Oh wait, thats right, you don't want to lose those rows of seats in the front, so you'll change something like the net. Idiots

[Chadd 916]

forget the nets, go to international sized rinks. That'll create a ton more room, make the game faster/more exciting, and get rid of clutching and grabbing. Oh wait, thats right, you don't want to lose those rows of seats in the front, so you'll change something like the net. Idiots

Actually, the game tends to slow down more with the wider ice surface.

[mrusse01 0]

Good for Luongo, at least he has the balls to stand up and say something about it. Who cares if he wants to retire? He's already made millions of dollars, he can do whatever the hell he wants for the rest of his life, if standing in front of a retarded new size of hockey net isn't his cup of tea good on him for packing up and quitting.

If the NHL wants a better game there is one guaranteed way to make it happen: Buy out 4-6 unsuccessful franchises, close their doors, disperse the players via draft to the remaining franchises. Done, I just made NHL hockey at least 20% more exciting to watch.

[DarkStar50 679]

forget the nets, go to international sized rinks. That'll create a ton more room, make the game faster/more exciting, and get rid of clutching and grabbing. Oh wait, thats right, you don't want to lose those rows of seats in the front, so you'll change something like the net. Idiots

Actually, the game tends to slow down more with the wider ice surface.

I thought the Olympic hockey in Torino on the big ice was some of the best I have seen in a long time. The teams now have the speed to take advantage of the big rink. The game slowed down in the old days on the big sheet, not any more.

[Chadd 916]

forget the nets, go to international sized rinks. That'll create a ton more room, make the game faster/more exciting, and get rid of clutching and grabbing. Oh wait, thats right, you don't want to lose those rows of seats in the front, so you'll change something like the net. Idiots

Actually, the game tends to slow down more with the wider ice surface.

I thought the Olympic hockey in Torino on the big ice was some of the best I have seen in a long time. The teams now have the speed to take advantage of the big rink. The game slowed down in the old days on the big sheet, not any more.

NHL coaches would pack it in down low and the game would slow. Look at how much coaches have adapted to the new standards and halted the gains by offenses.

[mattzilla 0]

why all this talk about making the nets bigger? why not just make the puck smaller. why dump all the lack of scoring on the goalies. obv im joking, but it makes about as much sense as making the nets bigger.

[chippa13 1844]

forget the nets, go to international sized rinks. That'll create a ton more room, make the game faster/more exciting, and get rid of clutching and grabbing. Oh wait, thats right, you don't want to lose those rows of seats in the front, so you'll change something like the net. Idiots

Actually, the game tends to slow down more with the wider ice surface.

I thought the Olympic hockey in Torino on the big ice was some of the best I have seen in a long time. The teams now have the speed to take advantage of the big rink. The game slowed down in the old days on the big sheet, not any more.

There is a big difference between representing your country in the Olympics and playing 82. The Olympics were good because there was the pride factor and the talent factor. Each team was the best of the best, you aren't going to get that in the NHL.

Also, check out the stats for guys in the Euro leagues that play on the big sheet. Scoring is down compared to where it is in the NHL. The emphasis is on puck position and defensive positioning. You rarely see big hits because there is so much room, well, that and the Euros don't seem to care for it.

[mack 44]

Thread needs to be renamed "Luongo will be forced to grow a pair." Greaser.

[santiclaws 0]

I will be a devil's advocate and defend the idea. While I don't necessarily think it will help very much, I don't think the idea itself is all that ridiculous. The rules of the game have undergone pretty dramatic changes in its history already, so the "it is not traditional" argument doesn't wash - half the rules in today's game weren't there "in the good old days." If you really want to go for tradition, let's dump the icing and offsides rules, for starters.

The fact is that shooters today have far less net to shoot at than even 20 -25 years ago, to say nothing of the "original six" days, both due to the dramatic increase in the size of the goalie equipment and the size of the goalies themselves. I think it was SI that a few years ago printed side-by-side pictures of a goalie in front of the net today and a goalie from the'70's or '80's, and you could see a good 30% more net behind the old-school goalie. And while I hate to penalize them for it, the average NHL goaltender today is significantly better than the average NHL goaltender 30 years ago.

The NHL could add three inches to the nets both height- and width-wise, and unless they told you, none of the people complaining would be the wiser watching games on TV or in person. But it would add significant shooting area. If they add a few inches to the nets, the old nets will be forgotten within two seasons.

[Jason Harris 31]

I was going to say the same thing, santiclaws. I doubt there were many 6' 3" 205 pounders playing goalie 30-40 years ago. And those that were, were using pads that were a good 2" to 3" smaller.

Also, those of you who are suggesting the NHL is making a joke of itself, by constantly changing, have to realize the NHL made a joke of itself for years by NOT changing. The NFL, NBA and MLB have always had Competition Committees meet annually to tinker with their rules to improve their product. The problem with the NHL is one of perception. The purists fought change for years, then had to cave after the lockout, so these changes are coming in bunches, rather than being spread over many years.

I don't know whether the NHL needs to expand its nets, but I don't have any problem if they do.

[Super Star 0]

If they add a few inches to the nets, the old nets will be forgotten within two seasons.

my problem with bigger nets is that it takes away from the records set by the future guys. For example a guy scores more then 92 goals in a season with bigger nets and a question arises is this record better then Gretzky's or because of bigger nets we always say sure that guy did it but he couldn't do it with the same net as they old guys. What do you think?

[Jason Harris 31]

I'm not saying you're wrong, but I think that line of thinking is what has backed the purists into a corner for years. They don't want to change the game because it will dilute records. All the while, the product begins to wither.

[DarkStar50 679]

There is a big difference between representing your country in the Olympics and playing 82. The Olympics were good because there was the pride factor and the talent factor. Each team was the best of the best, you aren't going to get that in the NHL.

That is a good point that the 82 games wouldn't be world class hockey. However, I would love to see the Stanley Cup Playoffs on the big sheet for two months straight when guys amp up their game. "That would be awesome, baby!!"

[santiclaws 0]

If they add a few inches to the nets, the old nets will be forgotten within two seasons.

my problem with bigger nets is that it takes away from the records set by the future guys. For example a guy scores more then 92 goals in a season with bigger nets and a question arises is this record better then Gretzky's or because of bigger nets we always say sure that guy did it but he couldn't do it with the same net as they old guys. What do you think?

Well, I see the problem, but as I said before - Gretzky had a lot more net to shoot at than today's players by virtue of both the goaltender and the equipment being smaller - and don't get me started on the fact that half the defensemen in the league at the time were pylons and could not carry the jock of an average #5 - #6 NHL D-man today. That said, I do not believe that you can decide whether to change rules or not on the basis of how past or future records may be affected in comparison with one another.

How many more goals would Gretzky have potted if the rule that a minor penalty expires when a goal is scored had not been implemented? How many fewer would Rocket Richard have scored if the rule was in effect when he played? And that's just one rule.

[hunterphfr 12]

forget the nets, go to international sized rinks. That'll create a ton more room, make the game faster/more exciting, and get rid of clutching and grabbing. Oh wait, thats right, you don't want to lose those rows of seats in the front, so you'll change something like the net. Idiots

Actually, the game tends to slow down more with the wider ice surface.

I thought the Olympic hockey in Torino on the big ice was some of the best I have seen in a long time. The teams now have the speed to take advantage of the big rink. The game slowed down in the old days on the big sheet, not any more.

There is a big difference between representing your country in the Olympics and playing 82. The Olympics were good because there was the pride factor and the talent factor. Each team was the best of the best, you aren't going to get that in the NHL.

Also, check out the stats for guys in the Euro leagues that play on the big sheet. Scoring is down compared to where it is in the NHL. The emphasis is on puck position and defensive positioning. You rarely see big hits because there is so much room, well, that and the Euros don't seem to care for it.

Sports all seem to be slower on larger playing surfaces with larger nets as they become spread out and become bogged down in a game of positioning and become chess like.

Soccer vs indoor soccer

field lacrosse vs box lacrosse

[Trooper 8]

Who cares? The NHL has changed in fundamental ways throughout its history. They used to have no forward passes between zones at all, then it was no two-line passes, now there are no restrictions. Those all changed the way the game was played and flowed. A larger percentage of the net is covered by a goalie now than before, so they should adjust.