10 Ways To Improve The NHL

[Jigga]

You guys are missing the point. At least a "national" voice in the US of A is actually talking about hockey. Listen, your sport is dying on the professional level...embrace the face that it's getting attention from someone.

Go ahead...sling all the arrows you want, but you've got a guy from Dallas freaking Texas talking hockey when only 9, NINE, US of A newspapers even covered the Stanley Cup Finals in the first place.

Whatever...you puckheads have it all figured out anyway.

So by your logic Greg, the Todd Betruzzi/Steve Moore incident was the best thing to happen to hockey in the past decade? Interesting.

Typical puckhead response. You're better than this, Loren. How about you argue what I actually wrote rather than reading something so asinine into my statement. Now, if you want to argue with yourself while half of the time playing the part of me, go for it, but I won't play along in real life.

[Fred T. Jane]

Typical puckhead response. You're better than this, Loren. How about you argue what I actually wrote rather than reading something so asinine into my statement. Now, if you want to argue with yourself while half of the time playing the part of me, go for it, but I won't play along in real life.

But I was arguing what you wrote, at least on the surface, as I told you earlier.

If I'm correct, the gist of your statement is that any attention is good attention for the NHL. So, despite it being a pretty heinous act, there was a pretty big spotlight cast on the league, for better or worse. That's what I was comparing it to.

As for Cowlishaw's column, it's not as big as you state it is in the grand scheme of things because Cowlishaw is still a local writer for the Stars, and his column was written with the Dallas market in mind. Of course, the Dallas Morning News has pretty high stature nationwide, but based on Cowlishaw's writing about the NHL, he's evidently keeping the local market in focus. Now, had it been written for another paper/website with a national audience in mind, I'd see your point.

Of course, my view of the state of the NHL is pretty different (Shocking I say!) than most folks here, because at least to me, there are certain factors that the league can't spin that show that there is room for me to have some cautious optimism (The biggest thing for me is the continued rise of the salary cap, which is based on raw numbers neither side can spin), and isn't in the dire straits as some would say.

But we've already had this discussion earlier, so there's no need for rehashing, at least I think.

[ProvidenceRI]

You "Fred T Jane" are living proof as to why these boards now suck. It's "Edited by Moderator" with "Edited by Moderator" responses.

Let's exhibit a little decorum, shall we? There's no need for the use of that type of language - and it's certainly not going to be tolerated in the context of a personal attack. - The Mods

It was fun two years ago. It is fun, no more. It used to be fun. People used to be polite, even to nice guys with different opinions, like Tank.

My silly comments were supposed to be taken in jest. I don't follow the sport unless it is Olympics. All that I know is if your city doesn't have ice, naturally, it shouldn't have a hockey team.

The NHL should follow MLS's footsteps. Don't try to be something you're not.

I happen to be in Rhode Island. For those of you who don't know, the San Jose Sharks are nicknamed the Rhode Island Sharks because a lot of the people who were responsible for landing the team were from RI. The problem is, RI cannot support a team in Boston's shadow. RI is also 10th or 11th in the USA as a hockey state. I know hockey. I do not have an uncle with a full set of teeth. I know it is meant to be played in a freezing barn with guys bleeding on their jerseys. I used to go to games and pay a quarter for the heat to come on. I have disposable income, and I go to P-Bruins games to see that old time hockey.

But, I would not spend one dime to watch the Boston Bruins play the Phoenix Coyotes in an arena that looks like a mall.

[Fred T. Jane]

You "Fred T Jane" are living proof as to why these boards now suck. It's full of dickheads with dickhead responses. It was fun two years ago. It is fun, no more. It used to be fun. People used to be polite, even to nice guys with different opinions, like Tank.

Well, I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress and try the veal--it's delicious!

My silly comments were supposed to be taken in jest. I don't follow the sport unless it is Olympics.

Sure fooled us!

All that I know is if your city doesn't have ice, naturally, it shouldn't have a hockey team.

Ah, so us untermensch who don't have ice naturally don't deserve ice hockey. Thanks for pointing that out.

The NHL should follow MLS's footsteps. Don't try to be something you're not.

Real Salt Lake thanks you for the vote of confidence.

I happen to be in Rhode Island. For those of you who don't know, the San Jose Sharks are nicknamed the Rhode Island Sharks because a lot of the people who were responsible for landing the team were from RI. The problem is, RI cannot support a team in Boston's shadow. RI is also 10th or 11th in the USA as a hockey state. I know hockey. I do not have an uncle with a full set of teeth. I know it is meant to be played in a freezing barn with guys bleeding on their jerseys. I used to go to games and pay a quarter for the heat to come on. I have disposable income, and I go to P-Bruins games to see that old time hockey.

Aww, that warms the cockles of my already warm heart (It's hard to keep cool because we don't have ice down here, after all). Perhaps it would be best if you would cast aside your idyllic rural Kent county view of the game and realize that some of us uncultured barbarians are also fans of the game. In fact, read this harrowing account of how us barbarians are banging at the gates of your pseudo-utopia as we speak.

[STL_Ian]

I am American. Hockey is my favorite sport. I am rare.

That said, I certainly agree with the consensus that there doesn't need to be any sweeping changes as suggested in the article. I do definitely agree, however, that the scheduling MUST change. Opposite conference teams should meet twice a year, if for no other reason than to get those Eastern Conference teams out of that timezone more than twice a month, lol! Seriously though, the schedule making is beyond ludicrous. The Blues, for instance, had a stretch of 6 days without a game in October. I cannot understand how that can be. Not to mention they had 3 other instances of 4 days without a game & that doesn't include the All-Star break. Games should begin October 1 & the regular season should end no later than March 31. That's approximately 180 days to fit 82 games, the all-star break & rest days...that shouldn't be challenging. Most of the NHL teams don't even share an arena with an NBA team either, so that argument doesn't fly. The playoffs shouldn't extend past Memorial Day.

Side note: I do have to agree about icing on the penalty kill. I've always found it ignorant that a shorthanded team gets free icing. I'd like to know who wrote that rule & thought, "hey that makes sense!"

[DDR]

Cowlishaw, as usual, makes some interesting points, and then makes some dumb ones. He misses on the contraction issue, but fix the scheduling? Absolutely. There is no reason that as a Blackhawks fan living in Atlanta, I can't see my team come into town once a year. And, I don't go to Thrashers games very often, but if Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, etc. were coming in town for a night, I'd make sure I went and saw the game. In an 82 game schedule, there's room to play every team home and away, and still play more games against your division.

[Frenchie]

Don't need 10 things - Just ONE:

STOP trying to fix something that isn't broken.

We've had the best Stanley Cup Series in a very long time, following up an amazing season filled with landmarks, great performances by both young guys and older fellas...

As far as I'm concerned, now that the NHL found a way to secure the Owners' cost, the status quo is not so bad.

Stop trying to force unwilling parties to join our dance...

Do we always need to go bigger?

And really, do we need Tim Gleason's fans to throw their bottles of Bud at the ice every time Ruslan Salei or R.J. Umberger score a goal?

The future IS bright, just don't need my shades yet...

[illwauk]

I am not a hockey fan, but I do love the sport. Things that should happen to make me respect it:

1) Remove teams from:

Florida

Atlanta

Nashville

Anaheim

North Carolina

San Jose

2) Put teams in:

Quebec City (Nordiques)

Winnipeg (Jets)

Hamilton (Tigers)

Montreal (second team as Redbands)

Anchorage (Moose)

I'm sorry, but you think a team in Alaska would work better than Kansas City, Milwaukee, Hartford and Baltimore? I know the latter two (and arguably the latter three) have arena issues, but I'm sure they'd be willing to build a new one with the promise of an NHL team.

[OMMF]

Most of the NHL teams don't even share an arena with an NBA team either, so that argument doesn't fly.

Chicago

Toronto

LA (w/2 NBA teams)

New York Rangers

New Jersey Devils

Colorado

Dallas

Boston

Atlanta

Washington

While 1/3 is not a majority, it's still a rather fair percentage.

[jkrdevil]

Most of the NHL teams don't even share an arena with an NBA team either, so that argument doesn't fly.

Chicago

Toronto

LA (w/2 NBA teams)

New York Rangers

New Jersey Devils

Colorado

Dallas

Boston

Atlanta

Washington

While 1/3 is not a majority, it's still a rather fair percentage.

New Jersey no longer shares an arena with an NBA team. But still it is a fair percentage.

[HedleyLamarr]

Cowlishaw, as usual, makes some interesting points, and then makes some dumb ones. He misses on the contraction issue, but fix the scheduling? Absolutely. There is no reason that as a Blackhawks fan living in Atlanta, I can't see my team come into town once a year. And, I don't go to Thrashers games very often, but if Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, etc. were coming in town for a night, I'd make sure I went and saw the game. In an 82 game schedule, there's room to play every team home and away, and still play more games against your division.

Speaking of Atlanta (and for that matter, the rest of the Southeast Division) and their schedule for next season, they will play a grand total of three games outside the Eastern time zone, and just one game on the Western side of the Mississippi River (and that location is mere feet from the river).

[CC97]

Cowlishaw, as usual, makes some interesting points, and then makes some dumb ones. He misses on the contraction issue, but fix the scheduling? Absolutely. There is no reason that as a Blackhawks fan living in Atlanta, I can't see my team come into town once a year. And, I don't go to Thrashers games very often, but if Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, etc. were coming in town for a night, I'd make sure I went and saw the game. In an 82 game schedule, there's room to play every team home and away, and still play more games against your division.

Speaking of Atlanta (and for that matter, the rest of the Southeast Division) and their schedule for next season, they will play a grand total of three games outside the Eastern time zone, and just one game on the Western side of the Mississippi River (and that location is mere feet from the river).

If any team from the Southeast Division makes the finals, they could be facing quite the disadvantage because of that.

[HedleyLamarr]

Cowlishaw, as usual, makes some interesting points, and then makes some dumb ones. He misses on the contraction issue, but fix the scheduling? Absolutely. There is no reason that as a Blackhawks fan living in Atlanta, I can't see my team come into town once a year. And, I don't go to Thrashers games very often, but if Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, etc. were coming in town for a night, I'd make sure I went and saw the game. In an 82 game schedule, there's room to play every team home and away, and still play more games against your division.

Speaking of Atlanta (and for that matter, the rest of the Southeast Division) and their schedule for next season, they will play a grand total of three games outside the Eastern time zone, and just one game on the Western side of the Mississippi River (and that location is mere feet from the river).

If any team from the Southeast Division makes the finals, they could be facing quite the disadvantage because of that.

Possibly, but I doubt it.

Then again, I think it's more difficult for Western teams to play in Eastern time zones than Eastern teams playing in Western time zones.

[Nasima]

[Mod edit: Spam.]

[Shylockthejew]

...ugh...

[HedleyLamarr]

[Mod edit: Quit responding to the spam. Especially quit quoting it.]

[Webhamster]

1. No. Then they would have to stop swearing. It's so much funnier to watch the coach let loose a string of expletives if you can only read his lips. Lindy Ruff, I'm looking at you...

2. Good God! Someone find out what drugs this guy is taking and call his doctor immediately! Hockey in July? Yeah, great idea. The finals should wrap up no later than mid-May. Compress the season a little. There are periods where some teams don't play for over a week straight. Surely they can make up some ground during the season?

3. OK, absolutely. The schedule is a joke and should be addressed.

4. Canadian. Ambivalent.

5. Meh. I don't care for the shootout anyway. I think there should be a 10 minute overtime and done in the regular season. Ties are fine with me. However, if the shootouts are here to stay then I really don't care about this. It's not like they're going to get checked during a shootout so if you want to doff the helmet...go for it.

6. No. It gives the penalized team a chance to regroup and get fresh legs out there. If you want to talk about icing, let's talk about no-touch icing.

7. Meh. Either way. I think the main benefit with the current is that the team that earned home-ice is probably the better team and would reap the added gate receipts of a (potentially series-clinching) 5th game that would not be theirs under this system. It only gives a team a reason to draw a series out to 6 games. Not that anyone would ever deliberately do that...right?

8. Yeah, one set of rules for the season, one set of rules for the playoffs, and another set for specific games in the final. Great idea. I can't believe nobody thought of it before. Genius.

9. Whatever.

10. Good luck. I think this one's already been covered to death as being unrealistic.

My suggestions

1. No-touch icing.

2. Realign the conferences so that each has an East, Central, and West division...or make the playoffs inter-conference. I'm tired of East vs. West finals every year.

3. Move the trading deadline to February 15th in an effort to try to prevent teams from loading up on players from eliminated teams for the playoffs.

4. Stop awarding the extra point for an overtime/shootout loss (well technically regulation time tie). It's stupid. If you lose, you lose. That's life. Sometimes it sucks. Deal with it.

5. The NHL is the only "major" sports league I can think of that has more than 50% of its teams qualify for the post-season. That's too many. 12 would be good, eight would be better.

6. Stop comparing yourselves to baseball, football, or basketball and recognize that you'll never outdraw "Championship Poker" on ESPN2 in the United States. Stop acting like you're a major US sport.

And one of my stranger not-fully-fleshed-out notions:

Give the other team the option of trading in a minor penalty (hooking, holding, slashing, boarding, etc) for a penalty shot (except on off-setting penalties), but they can only do it once per game and not in the last 5 minutes of the game (or OT). Like timeouts in football to stop the clock it becomes a strategic call. The player who was the "victim" of the penalty gets to take the shot.

[KevinMcD]

1. No. Then they would have to stop swearing. It's so much funnier to watch the coach let loose a string of expletives if you can only read his lips. Lindy Ruff, I'm looking at you...

Bryan Murray I am looking at you.

5. The NHL is the only "major" sports league I can think of that has more than 50% of its teams qualify for the post-season. That's too many. 12 would be good, eight would be better.

NBA is like the NHL 16/30 teams make it.

[Camden Crazy]

I can't believe that people think the Flyers should be contracted. Sure, we sucked this year, but we still have one of the best fan bases in the league. People in Philly and in surrounding areas actually do care about the team, and how can you get rid of a team with so much history (only 1 Stanley Cup, but tons of great players)?

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

My suggestions

1. No-touch icing.

Not going to argue with you there. this really should be eliminated.

2. Realign the conferences so that each has an East, Central, and West division...or make the playoffs inter-conference. I'm tired of East vs. West finals every year.

not going to happen. if anything it would create a logistical nightmare with travel costs. I however don't mind a playoff system where you take the top 16 teams and seed them according to record where you have 1 play 16 and 2 play 15 etc. i could go for that.

3. Move the trading deadline to February 15th in an effort to try to prevent teams from loading up on players from eliminated teams for the playoffs.

the reason eliminated teams trade their players to contending teams is to give the veteran players a shot at the cup. Theres some teams that are eliminated from the playoff by the end of december. So this really wouldn't stop contenders from raiding the eliminated. I do however like moving it up to february, to give players that they do trade for more time with the team to develop chemestry.

4. Stop awarding the extra point for an overtime/shootout loss (well technically regulation time tie). It's stupid. If you lose, you lose. That's life. Sometimes it sucks. Deal with it.

Yeah i don't like the point system. I rather have a more simplified system. if you win you get 2 points either in regulation or ot/shootout. If you lose in either regulation or ot/shootout, you get nothing.

5. The NHL is the only "major" sports league I can think of that has more than 50% of its teams qualify for the post-season. That's too many. 12 would be good, eight would be better.

i actually like the NHL/NBA system of awarding 16 teams playoff spots. I don't like the idea of awarding only 8 teams a playoff spot. To me it takes the interest out of the season. If my team isn't a lock for the top 4 seeds, then i have lost interest in the rest of the season and i'm on to another sport or something totally different. thats why i really don't watch baseball. i generally don't like watching the same 4 teams year and year out with the occasional cinderella team.

6. Stop comparing yourselves to baseball, football, or basketball and recognize that you'll never outdraw "Championship Poker" on ESPN2 in the United States. Stop acting like you're a major US sport.

Sad but true. in fairness though, the reason the NHL doesn't draw is because the media ignores the sport.

The NHL needs to go on a mass blitz of advertisement, find ways of featuring the players and do everything possible to get people interested in the sport. Maybe a gretzky type of player or even a TO type of player just to draw interest. They need somebody that will interest people. The conservative nature of the hockey player has all strangled the league. Nice for the traditionalists stuck in the 1950s, bad for the casual fan that is looking for something hip and exciting. and todays players really aren't hip or all that exciting. Controversial players in the NHL wouldn't be the worst of things. Granted we don't need thugs like Bertuzzi but maybe someone outspoken that would get people to pay attention.

And one of my stranger not-fully-fleshed-out notions:

Give the other team the option of trading in a minor penalty (hooking, holding, slashing, boarding, etc) for a penalty shot (except on off-setting penalties), but they can only do it once per game and not in the last 5 minutes of the game (or OT). Like timeouts in football to stop the clock it becomes a strategic call. The player who was the "victim" of the penalty gets to take the shot.

not sure if i like this idea. i'd have to see this in action to judge whether or not its a good idea.