NHL Discussing "More Offense"-ive Rules

[agentrygraphics]

Hey Folks

I came across an article on CNNSI (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/hockey/nhl/07/22/bc.hkn.rulessummit.ap/index.html) and in it they talk about how the big wigs of the NHl want to change rules and equipment so that they can have "higher scoring" games (one such rule involves prohibiting the gaolie from going behind his net to field a puck).

Now, I know there will probably be a wide range of opinions on this topic, but I think that the whole idea of making the game of hockey higher scoring is rubbish. IMHO, the essence of hockey boils down to the fact that scoring is HARD to do. Just as in soccer, where low scoring games are common, hockey has the same "fight for the goal" mentality. Granted, there are some gross differences in the games of soccer and hockey, but the point of scoring remains the same. Maybe it's just me, but I don't go to hockey games to see or even EXPECT more than 8 goals scored (unless, that is, when I went to watch NJ beat up on the ATL thrashers here in Atlanta last season...brutal). Half the fun of hockey is witnessing a rough, hard fought defensive game.

Take for instance the NJ v Anaheim Stanley of year before last. Critics ripped that series apart because it "wasn't exciting enough". WTF? I honestly loved that series, because i knew that with all the low scoring games...that one point could make or break the entire game.

Now, some issues that are brought up, I agree on to a certain extent. Like, for instance, the issue of cutting down the size of goalies' pads. If you watch old footage of NHL games, the goalies look like guys with body pillows strapped to their legs...nowadays it looks like the guys have entire matresses on their legs for pads. Do I want to see them drastically reduced? No, but cutting down the size a little I think is a justified request.

That's just my side of it, just a vent. I'm interested to see how everyone's feels about this, now that it looks like the owners aren't just talking about it, but trying to initiate these changes (of course they will be tested in the AHL to see if it works before NHL implementation...so sez the article).

[jkrdevil]

I couldn't agree more with you. Hockey is not a game of skill, it is a game of will and the team that out will's the other team will win. I wouldn't mind them cutting the size of goalie pads, but don't enlarge the nets. That only punishes the goalies who don't where big pads. The goalie can't play the puck rule would be ridicules and the elimination of the 2 line pass who harm the game because there would be more icing and stoppages.

People have to be careful when looking at the olympics when detirmining rule changes, the Olympics are an All-Star tournament and the level of play will always be higher and more exciting than the NHL. On the Ice the NHL is fine the problem with the NHL is in the front office and PR.

[Discrim]

lax is fun to watch. hockey is fun to watch. turning hockey into lax with skates, i might as well just buy back my copy of Hitz and turn goalie ability way down. a 6-5 game every now and then is okay with me just as a 5-4 match in soccer would be okay now and then. like all games, hockey is about takin it, dishin it out and exploiting cracks in teh armor. that armor happens to be real hard to crack, so a goal is more special to ya, especially the amazing, DID HE F'IN JUST DO THAT!?! variety. nothing was wrong before they started fluffing with the rulebook.

[yh]

I don't understand why this is a topic of discussion. Don't we have Hockey Gods to take care of all these matters so we need not worry about them?

[Magus]

if the trap was eliminated then hockey would be exciting again.

the nj/anh series was a bore. i think i watched 1 game fully with out falling asleep.

granted all star like scoring would bore me however i don't want soccer scoring where you average 0.05 goals a game. which is why i refuse to watch soccer.

[NJTank]

They want to take hitting out of the NHL in favor of non stop offense, so they want to make it fast pace and exciting with lots of scoring sounds like the RHI. They should look up what those rules did for that league all they need now is to add ugly uniforms and teh Bettman plan to destroy tthe nHL will be complete.

[jkrdevil]

if the trap was eliminated then hockey would be exciting again.

the nj/anh series was a bore. i think i watched 1 game fully with out falling asleep.

granted all star like scoring would bore me however i don't want soccer scoring where you average 0.05 goals a game. which is why i refuse to watch soccer.

IT's not the trap, the trap has been in hockey for 50 years. The great Canadien teams that won all those cups won them by playing the trap. Thr problem is after the Devils won the cup the trap got popularized and now you have teams that don't know how to play the trap and playing it wrong with the clutching and grabbing. The trap is about positioning and clutching a grabbing. But I still say hockey is fina on ice.If the league had better pr it would be more successful. Look at the NBA those games are extremly boring yet the league is popular and that has to do with PR. Good Public Relations has everything to do with whether a league will be succesful or not.

[Brass]

Hockey is not a game of skill

It isn't?

I understand about the will....the team that wants it gets its. Thats the mentallity that I tell the kids that I help coach, but hockey does require skill and god-given talent.

[jkrdevil]

It does need skill, it's a saying that means you need the will. Skill is something that rymes with will and makes sense.

[mac]

hockey is a cult sport in america, only a small percentage of people in this country are big fans of the sport, the rest of america just doesnt understand it, people like high scoring, why do you think the arena football league is still up and running. Right now I think hockey is wonderful and should remain unchanged, but the fact is the league needs higher scoring to get a larger audience, plus making rules to emphasize offense is nothin new, i've read about the league office trying to do stuff like this in the 1940's.

[uncle_wiggily]

Bloody a-holes messing with the sport! Scoring does not instantly make it more enjoyable to watch. In fact I have enjoyed many low scoring games, the flip side is low scoring does not, and I repeat, does not mean defensive hockey! Just because some Joe Schmo in Arizona, I am not making fun of Arizonians, does not like the sport is no reason to change rule after rule after rule so he will like it! I am sure you could go ask almost all Minnesotans if they are content with hockey as it is now and they like most Canadian hockey fans would say sure there are some rules that could be altered, but in general the game is fine as it is. I think the tag up rule is amazing and they should never, ever have eliminated that; I have no idea what they were thinking there! .... Alright I think I have ranted enough for now...

[mac]

ya, if any rule gets changed it should be the tag up offsides, that makes it so much better.

[sportsfan331]

They want to take hitting out of the NHL in favor of non stop offense, so they want to make it fast pace and exciting with lots of scoring sounds like the RHI. They should look up what those rules did for that league all they need now is to add ugly uniforms and teh Bettman plan to destroy tthe nHL will be complete.

you bettman

bettman

sounds like a gambiling fix btw: i've seen nll they score a lot and it is exciting

[WJMorris3]

Only two rules should be changed.

One, legalize tag-up offsides.

Two, I'd institute no-touch icing, just to cut down on injuries.

[-kj]

Reinstituting touch-up offsides should bring a lot of flow back to the game. It was introduced to force players to skate the puck out, but it really brought on more stoppages in play and a better chance for a team to send the puck in and set up a neutral zone D while waiting for the other team to skate the puck out.

[chriscj83]

i hate when people call the sport boring cuz its a 1-0 game.

HOW IS THAT BORING!!?!?!?! if im watching the wild vs. canucks and we're down 1-0, that makes me wanna watch more...the fact that its tough to score a goal, and it might be the next shot on net that could go in, and tie up the game is awesome!

if the score is ever 15-11 in a hockey game, id probably still watch, just to see what kinda goalies they have in...cuz i like seeing midgets, and im sure thats what kinda folk would be playin that position, if the score was that high (no offence to any midget/small persons, but...the height challenged do not make the best goaltenders, IMO)

but if that 15-11 score is common...i would only turn it on during the 3rd period, to tell you the truth...and if it was that score, i probably wouldnt watch anyway cuz, we'd either be down by 4 or up by 4. and from hockey watching experience, that kind of game is already in the books.

keep hockey the way it is. get a new CBA. do something so i can watch it next year. i need it. badly. im an addict.

[Puckguy14]

Bettman plan to destroy tthe nHL will be complete.

No need for the RHI uniforms. Bettman's implosion of the NHL will be complete come September 15th.

Back onto topic...

Internationally, there is no 2-line pass correct? Why not here. If these guys are cherry picking, it should leave a defenseman for the opposing team with a wide open spot to slap the puck home.

Automatic Icing. As much as it seems cheesy to do so, but the Sharks postseason could've been different if it weren't for Marco Sturm dislocating his ankle and break his leg on an icing call.

Goalie playing the puck makes no sense to me. Why would you not allow the goalie to play the puck behind the net? He leaves it for the defensemen to start a breakout play. What's so wrong with that?

Touch up on offsides. Too much time is taken away when the defensemen pass back to each other while the opposing team is out of the zone at the blue line so they can wait for the opposing to dump it into the zone and start all over again.

[jkrdevil]

Internationally, there is no 2-line pass correct? Why not here. If these guys are cherry picking, it should leave a defenseman for the opposing team with a wide open spot to slap the puck home.

Automatic Icing. As much as it seems cheesy to do so, but the Sharks postseason could've been different if it weren't for Marco Sturm dislocating his ankle and break his leg on an icing call.

No 2 line pass would hurt the game because you will have more icings and more stoppages. This is an example of why not to look at the olympics for rule changes, it looks good at the olympics because you have the best players in the world. Bring to the NHL it wouls be horrible.

[uncle_wiggily]

Eliminating the two line pass would be horrendous, horrendou I say! If anyone thinks we live in a defensive age now, just wait! Coaches would not allow their defenseman to even leave their end! I could even see some coaches telling a forward to make sure they stay in the neutral zone whenever the puck is in the offensive zone.

[See Red]

HOW IS THAT BORING!!?!?!?! if im watching the wild vs. canucks and we're down 1-0, that makes me wanna watch more...the fact that its tough to score a goal, and it might be the next shot on net that could go in, and tie up the game is awesome!

Yes, but let's say the wild are down 3 goals in the 3rd period? Are you still gonna wanna watch?

Having a high scoring game opens up the opportunity for comebacks more often -- and more dramatic comebacks. Like coming back from a 3 goal deficit late in the game to win it. Everybody loves comebacks. Sure, a 1-0 game is interesting -- but right now, a 4-1 game isn't if you're the losing team.