Suggest new rules

[s4gobabygo 0]

in the NHL...

1. video review of high stick calls. it seems that they mess too many of these up, calling the wrong player, or even the wrong team, in cases of "friendly fire". especially now that they're calling this all the time and even giving out double-minors, they should at least be certain they're right.

(i know video replay of penalties is a slippery slope, but i like this one)

2. option to increase the penalty for instigation of a fight (3rd man in) to a double-minor if the instigator is wearing a shield and the "victim" is not.

for my own games, i'd like to see some method of reviewing/appealing a ref's performance (like if both teams had agreed that a ref was bad after the game). i understand you can never please everyone, but lots of times, it's obvious that they aren't even trying. we have many games where the refs show up for their pay, but never really "show up"... just gliding up and down the ice calling nothing but icing and offsides, and making goal/no-goal calls from the top of the circles. there should be a way for the players to communicate that if they're not gonna "play ref", they shouldn't bother showing up.

[hockeysc23 0]

I really like having the suspension be as long as the injury. You have a minimum number in case the injury isn't severe (Gauthier vs. Georges) but if it is then you are out as long as the injured player is out. I think that would really curb the blows to the head as well because if you hit the person in the head and he sustains a concussion there is no telling how long the player will be out.

One issue I see with this is if a marquee player on a rival team takes a run at a 4th liner on another team and the 4th liner drags out the injury to keep the marquee player out of the line up (ie Joe Thornton goes after Tomas Kopecky).

True it is an incorrect science but it would be nice to see some of these people that are out with severe injuries because of cheap shots have to serve the same punishment.

[interpathway 9]

What about making the suspension for as long as the player is injured? When the injured player returns the suspended player can.

What if there is a vicious hit but no injury comes of it? Should the suspension be less?

And on another note, on a delayed penalty, why not make the whistle blow when the team (who the penalty is on) plays the puck below the opponents' goal line? It wouldn't have to be icing (for example they could play it below the goal line from 10 feet away) but it would be a much more concrete definition of when the referee would blow the whistle. This would allow the soon to be Power Play team set up in the offensive zone and keep play going even if a pass is intercepted. Im in COMM454, but I was just wondering of any ideas on this.

[s4gobabygo 0]

I really like having the suspension be as long as the injury. You have a minimum number in case the injury isn't severe (Gauthier vs. Georges) but if it is then you are out as long as the injured player is out. I think that would really curb the blows to the head as well because if you hit the person in the head and he sustains a concussion there is no telling how long the player will be out.

One issue I see with this is if a marquee player on a rival team takes a run at a 4th liner on another team and the 4th liner drags out the injury to keep the marquee player out of the line up (ie Joe Thornton goes after Tomas Kopecky).

i like this idea, but you also run into problems in cases of bad calls, like questionable hits from behind/side that are becoming very common.

also, "fluke" injuries can cause people to be out for a really long time... think back to Stevens' hit on Lindros. what if that hit had been a "dirty" hit? if Lindros' brain wasn't already damaged goods, he would have been back in 2-4 weeks tops. because of his condition, that was a career-ending hit.

[fieldofdreams 0]

I really like having the suspension be as long as the injury. You have a minimum number in case the injury isn't severe (Gauthier vs. Georges) but if it is then you are out as long as the injured player is out. I think that would really curb the blows to the head as well because if you hit the person in the head and he sustains a concussion there is no telling how long the player will be out.

One issue I see with this is if a marquee player on a rival team takes a run at a 4th liner on another team and the 4th liner drags out the injury to keep the marquee player out of the line up (ie Joe Thornton goes after Tomas Kopecky).

i like this idea, but you also run into problems in cases of bad calls, like questionable hits from behind/side that are becoming very common.

also, "fluke" injuries can cause people to be out for a really long time... think back to Stevens' hit on Lindros. what if that hit had been a "dirty" hit? if Lindros' brain wasn't already damaged goods, he would have been back in 2-4 weeks tops. because of his condition, that was a career-ending hit.

Lindros played MUCH longer after that hit.

[shooter27 116]

i want to see that stupid trapezoid rule thrown out. its ridiculous. now this being said i know many forwards will say its a great rule well i say this then. Take away the trapezoid rule but allow goalies to be fair game behind the goal line and in the corners. technically they are fair game now but refs call anything when someone touches us (the tenders). so please bettman. get rid of that stupid shape behind the net. we worked really hard to get good at puck handling only to have you make it less important.

I agree with you on this and have been of the same mind for a number of years. Get rid of the trapezoid and make it a very simple call - If the goalie attempts to play the puck in the manner of a skater (stickhandling, passing, etc.) then he is fair game to give and receive hits, if he is attempting to make a save, you can't touch him. I've always felt this was the best way to handle the issue of goaltenders becoming better puckhandlers. It allows the ones that are truly elite puckhandlers to still be able to take advantage of their ability while creating a difficult risk/reward decision for those goaltenders that aren't as good with the puck.

[Chadd 916]

i want to see that stupid trapezoid rule thrown out. its ridiculous. now this being said i know many forwards will say its a great rule well i say this then. Take away the trapezoid rule but allow goalies to be fair game behind the goal line and in the corners. technically they are fair game now but refs call anything when someone touches us (the tenders). so please bettman. get rid of that stupid shape behind the net. we worked really hard to get good at puck handling only to have you make it less important.

I agree with you on this and have been of the same mind for a number of years. Get rid of the trapezoid and make it a very simple call - If the goalie attempts to play the puck in the manner of a skater (stickhandling, passing, etc.) then he is fair game to give and receive hits, if he is attempting to make a save, you can't touch him. I've always felt this was the best way to handle the issue of goaltenders becoming better puckhandlers. It allows the ones that are truly elite puckhandlers to still be able to take advantage of their ability while creating a difficult risk/reward decision for those goaltenders that aren't as good with the puck.

You can't make the goalie fair game. The helmets don't offer much, if any, protection to the back of the head.

[Nexxus6 0]

Get rid of the shootout. Get rid of the 5 minute 4 on 4 overtime. If the game ends in a tie then both teams get 1 point.

Playoffs - best out of 7, 2 home, 1 away, 2 home, 1 away, 1 home. Best team gets home ice advantage with the chance to win the series at home ice in 4 or 5 games.

Announcers cannot say that "the NHL needs to review a hit for a possible suspension" because they think it was a bad hit. If the league thinks it was a bad hit they will be reviewing the video tape.

Announcers cannot make anymore obvious remarks on the weakness of the OPC sticks that break from a simple wrist shot. Yes, we all know that these sticks are a bit fragile, especially when we see one break from a simple wrist shot!!!

Announcers that had played in the NHL over 10 years ago cannot relive their memories of how it was back in the day while announcing a game.

[Neal 41]

You can't make the goalie fair game. The helmets don't offer much, if any, protection to the back of the head.

Couldn't that be changed? Hasek's or Osgood's helmets seem to me to be just as protective as the CCM 652 with thin pro-style padding you see on so many players.

[Hockeyman11385 1]

There's no way you can let the goalies be fair game. Arguably they've never played contact hockey in their lives because they decided to be a goalie by the PeeWee level so they've never learned how to take a hit. Throw them into the NHL, they will get killed. Also, the equipment is specialized for stopping pucks, not taking hits. Goalie masks are also highly specialized and personal. There's no way that you could make all of the goalies switch to the Osgood/Hasek style. There would be a revolt. The masks the majority of the goalies wear now fall off if you look at them the wrong way so if they took a hit they would come flying off. Finally, if you thought there were too many fights now, wait until goalies are allowed to be hit. There wouldn't be anybody left on the ice.

[adam14 182]

need to get rid of touch icing. way to dangerous in my opinion, if its icing, they cleared the puck for a reason. blow it down and have the faceoff in their zone. I hate watching two guys chase for a puck, knowing that it could be the end of their career

[EBondo 233]

Get rid of the delay of game penalty for shooting the puck out of the zone.

I don't know how smart/stupid this sounds, but maybe designate a time period where fighting is allowed to occur. Anything outside of the time period (say five-seven minutes in the middle of a period), results in an automatic ejection and/or fine.

Also I want to relay this to here. Someone wrote to Bucci's ESPN column about this and I liked it a lot.

Bucci,

If the NHL wants to continue to grow in the U.S., it needs to take advantage of a glaring gap in the sports schedule in the States. The MLB's spring training is off until late February. The NFL's Super Bowl is done by early February. March Madness doesn't begin until, well, March. The NHL could use this lull in February to augment its fan base and create added excitement for the existing base with the NBA being the only real competitor.

This would involve the following -- setting a cutoff date and taking the top four teams from each division at that time and have them play each other in a mini-tournament with games worth more than the regular two points. The games would give every team more incentive to play hard and a new opportunity to move up in the standings.

Steve Chernoski

[BMcDonald19 0]

no touch icing...

[dsjunior1388 81]

Get rid of the delay of game penalty for shooting the puck out of the zone.

I don't know how smart/stupid this sounds, but maybe designate a time period where fighting is allowed to occur. Anything outside of the time period (say five-seven minutes in the middle of a period), results in an automatic ejection and/or fine.

Also I want to relay this to here. Someone wrote to Bucci's ESPN column about this and I liked it a lot.

Bucci,

If the NHL wants to continue to grow in the U.S., it needs to take advantage of a glaring gap in the sports schedule in the States. The MLB's spring training is off until late February. The NFL's Super Bowl is done by early February. March Madness doesn't begin until, well, March. The NHL could use this lull in February to augment its fan base and create added excitement for the existing base with the NBA being the only real competitor.

This would involve the following -- setting a cutoff date and taking the top four teams from each division at that time and have them play each other in a mini-tournament with games worth more than the regular two points. The games would give every team more incentive to play hard and a new opportunity to move up in the standings.

Steve Chernoski

Sounds like a minor league gimmick, which is exactly the reputation the NHL is trying to shed.

[DCott 0]

Get rid of the trapezoid. It doesn't create goals, and only slows down the breakout and offense going the other way. Plus it is an eyesore.

[interpathway 9]

Bucci,

taking the top four teams from each division at that time and have them play each other in a mini-tournament with games worth more than the regular two points. The games would give every team more incentive to play hard and a new opportunity to move up in the standings.

Steve Chernoski

Stupid.

Top four teams in each division? There are only five in each division. Why exclude the bottom six teams who would be the ones fighting the hardest. They're the ones who need the opportunity to move up the standings the most. All this would do is likely create a bigger gap between the "top" 24 and bottom 6. I can imagine those 6 (who are now so far off pace since not being in the tournament) all just gunning for the #1 pick of the next year.

[Hockeyman11385 1]

I hate the trapezoid rule as well. Either two (exciting) things happen:

1. The goalie makes a great pass and there is a quick transition play.

2. The goalie blows it and there is a great scoring opportunity for the attacking team.

One last thing is that on rare occasions the goalie actually scores on an empty net. I don't think a goalie has scored since the rule has been added.

[Chadd 916]

I hate the trapezoid rule as well. Either two (exciting) things happen:

1. The goalie makes a great pass and there is a quick transition play.

2. The goalie blows it and there is a great scoring opportunity for the attacking team.

One last thing is that on rare occasions the goalie actually scores on an empty net. I don't think a goalie has scored since the rule has been added.

You left out the most common situation;

Goalie gets the puck, little or no forecheck as the players know they can't beat the goalie to the puck, short pass, puck moves out of the zone into a trap. The trapezoid allows for a forecheck to develop much more often.

[Hockeyman11385 1]

That is true Chadd. I forgot about that.

One I would like to see go is hand passes in the defensive zone.

[chippa13 1844]

You can't make the goalie fair game. The helmets don't offer much, if any, protection to the back of the head.

Couldn't that be changed? Hasek's or Osgood's helmets seem to me to be just as protective as the CCM 652 with thin pro-style padding you see on so many players.

Don't forget there is no back protection on a goalie's chest protector. Also, if you make goalies fair game then the other side of that is goalies can hit players. Think of the number of problems that will come about when goalies get their blockers up on opposing forwards with regularity.

As for suspensions being as long as the injury. What happens when an often scratched extra forward happens to get injured by an opposing team's star? How do you go about evidencing the severity of the injury without cries of foulplay? If Nokelainen gets hurt by Parise, who is to say that the B's don't overextend the injury to keep a conference rival's top scorer out of more games?

[dsjunior1388 81]

You can't make the goalie fair game. The helmets don't offer much, if any, protection to the back of the head.

Couldn't that be changed? Hasek's or Osgood's helmets seem to me to be just as protective as the CCM 652 with thin pro-style padding you see on so many players.

Don't forget there is no back protection on a goalie's chest protector. Also, if you make goalies fair game then the other side of that is goalies can hit players. Think of the number of problems that will come about when goalies get their blockers up on opposing forwards with regularity.

As for suspensions being as long as the injury. What happens when an often scratched extra forward happens to get injured by an opposing team's star? How do you go about evidencing the severity of the injury without cries of foulplay? If Nokelainen gets hurt by Parise, who is to say that the B's don't overextend the injury to keep a conference rival's top scorer out of more games?

It's not about the injury. Certain things need to be cracked down on, regardless of who does it. Especially boarding. Boarding should carry an automatic 10 game suspension. 20 games if it creates a minor injury or lesser concussion, 40 games in the case of Jones on Bergeron. That would nip it in the bud. It's extreme but it needs to be.

[kosydar 0]

An automatic ten game suspension would be ridiculous Often times a two minute minor is sufficient. Suspensions need to be dealt with on an incident by incident basis. Blanket rules only serve to punish people unfairly because of one or two bad cases.

[MLSman 22]

My new rules suggestion:

1. Minumum 2 years between rule changes

2. Minimum fine and suspension for every idiot that says organ"eye"zation

3. 2 game suspension for every announcer that talks about how great it was to play with a wooden brick in his hand

...and the real one: automatic 5 minute attempt to injure penalty to any instigator wearing a visor. That means you Clutterbiatch.

[Chadd 916]

An automatic ten game suspension would be ridiculous Often times a two minute minor is sufficient. Suspensions need to be dealt with on an incident by incident basis. Blanket rules only serve to punish people unfairly because of one or two bad cases.

Stiff, automatic suspensions also mean that refs won't call the penalty in the first place. The league just needs someone actually handing out suspensions, not making excuses for the players that are actively trying to injure their opponents.

[Neal 41]

An automatic ten game suspension would be ridiculous Often times a two minute minor is sufficient. Suspensions need to be dealt with on an incident by incident basis. Blanket rules only serve to punish people unfairly because of one or two bad cases.

Stiff, automatic suspensions also mean that refs won't call the penalty in the first place. The league just needs someone actually handing out suspensions, not making excuses for the players that are actively trying to injure their opponents.

That and someone who actually adds to the suspended time when the player is a repeat offender.