The summer doldrums of hockey. Propose an NHL rule change.

[Porous Five Hole]

Hate the shootout or a toenail challenge? Hate the goalie trapezoid or the cap circumvention? What would you change if you were Commish for a day?

For me, it is that a penalty is only a penalty given the game situation (a regular season game is officiated differently than a playoff game, or late in the game is officiated differently than the first period).

I don’t want to officials to call the game differently depending on the scenario.
 

Since that is unlikely to change, I’ll identify a specific rule I don’t like…and that is the “intent to blow the whistle.” Arbitrary garbage. 
 

What would you change?

[Norcal]

Offside rule could use a revamp

[mjd1001]

52 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

Hate the shootout or a toenail challenge? Hate the goalie trapezoid or the cap circumvention? What would you change if you were Commish for a day?

For me, it is that a penalty is only a penalty given the game situation (a regular season game is officiated differently than a playoff game, or late in the game is officiated differently than the first period).

I don’t want to officials to call the game differently depending on the scenario.
 

Since that is unlikely to change, I’ll identify a specific rule I don’t like…and that is the “intent to blow the whistle.” Arbitrary garbage. 
 

What would you change?

agree 100%

I brought this up in a thread a few months ago.  People say officiating should not decide the game and when you call a penalty late in the game or in OT of the playoffs, the officals are making it about themselves or they are deciding the game.   I disagree with that totally.  When a penalty that was called early in the game is NOT called late in the game, THAT is when they are more likely to 'decide' the game by letting players do things against the rules that they weren't allowed to do previouslly.

[pastajoe]

A goal should count no matter how it goes into the net, including kicked in and high stick. Both take skill and are too subjective to call properly.

Also 3-2-1 point system; 3 for regulation win, 2 for OT/shootout win, 1 for OT/shootout loss.

[Brawndo]

Icing enforced on PKs and a SHG ends the penalty 

Edited July 31, 2023 by Brawndo

[Carmel Corn]

Maybe not a "rule", but would love to see the LTIR loophole modified so that teams can't just stack their teams for the playoffs.

[Pimlach]

22 minutes ago, Carmel Corn said:

Maybe not a "rule", but would love to see the LTIR loophole modified so that teams can't just stack their teams for the playoffs.

It’s a ridiculous loophole that should be closed. Only in the NHL …

[PerreaultForever]

No more 10 minute misconducts when the refs think you might cause trouble next shift. Ridiculous misuse of a rule last year. 

[Marvin]

Puck over the glass is like icing and not a penalty.

[pastajoe]

5 hours ago, Marvin said:

Puck over the glass is like icing and not a penalty.

That would reward the offending team as they’re having trouble clearing the zone, they get a stoppage in play to catch their breath, reset positioning, and a faceoff to win possession again. They could even call a timeout.

[Doohickie]

10 hours ago, Norcal said:

Offside rule could use a revamp

I would keep zone entries the same, but zone exits would be at the center line.  This would encourage more scoring I think since it would b harder to clear the zone.

In OT, I would make it a line violation if a team passes/shoots/"loses control" of the puck from the offensive zone (without the other team touching it) to the neutral zone:  Once they possess the puck in the offensive zone they have to keep it there.  If not, it becomes a faceoff in their defensive zone.  The point of this rule is to keep one team from hogging the puck in OT.

I think the Sabres generally benefit with the current rule but that won't always be the case.

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, pastajoe said:

That would reward the offending team as they’re having trouble clearing the zone, they get a stoppage in play to catch their breath, reset positioning, and a faceoff to win possession again. They could even call a timeout.

I agree except for the last bit:  A team cannot call their timeout during an icing under the current rule; I assume @Marvin means that would apply here.  I still don't like the proposed rule though, which is basically what it was prior to the minor penalty for delay of game (although the players could change).

[Porous Five Hole]

11 hours ago, pastajoe said:

A goal should count no matter how it goes into the net, including kicked in and high stick. Both take skill and are too subjective to call properly.

Also 3-2-1 point system; 3 for regulation win, 2 for OT/shootout win, 1 for OT/shootout loss.

I support that point system.

[RochesterExpat]

Not quite a rule change, per se, but I feel that when a match penalty is assessed for intent to injure, the penalized player should be suspended until, at minimum, one game following the return of the other player. If you end someone's season because you took a match penalty, your season should be over too. None of this, "I'm back in two games but he's out for two weeks" garbage.

I'd take it a step further as well. The injured player's cap hit (while on IR/LTIR) will be paid by the offending team and it will be counted against as a cap penalty of the offending team the following season. If you're Ryan Reaves and you take out Nick Suzuki for an entire season during the first game, Toronto is paying Suzuki's salary for the season he's unavailable to Montreal and Toronto gets a $7.8m hit against the cap the next season.

Of course, this only works in la-la land where referees call games correctly. The reality is the punishment system will only be effective at stopping such penalties if the blowback hits the team directly and/or the owner's pocketbook. I'm sure there's a better way to do it, but I don't like the current NHL system. I also recognize it's because the CBA. I'd just like to see some changes.

[nfreeman]

12 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Icing enforced on PKs and a SHG ends the penalty 

I like the 2nd one but not the first.  It would make power plays even more important than they currently are, which IMHO would not be good for the game.

 

12 hours ago, Norcal said:

Offside rule could use a revamp

The offside nuance I'd like to fix is this:  when entering the O-zone, I think the puck currently needs to be all the way into the zone -- i.e. it cannot be on the blue line -- before the skater enters the zone, or else it's offside.  I think if the puck is on the line, it should not be offside.

 

Separately, other changes I'd like to see are:

1.  OT in the playoffs goes to 4-on-4 after the 1st OT.

2.  Significant reduction in the size of goalie equipment.

3.  Match penalty and suspension for head shots during post-whistle scrums like the one Dahlin got concussed on last year.

4.  Helmets off in the shootout.

[PASabreFan]

Not a rule change per se... But if the criteria for a PS are met, CALL IT!

[Marvin]

13 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Not a rule change per se... But if the criteria for a PS are met, CALL IT!

More generally, my rule change should have been to actually enforce the rules and get rid of "game management".

[Pimlach]

42 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I like the 2nd one but not the first.  It would make power plays even more important than they currently are, which IMHO would not be good for the game.

 

The offside nuance I'd like to fix is this:  when entering the O-zone, I think the puck currently needs to be all the way into the zone -- i.e. it cannot be on the blue line -- before the skater enters the zone, or else it's offside.  I think if the puck is on the line, it should not be offside.

 

Separately, other changes I'd like to see are:

1.  OT in the playoffs goes to 4-on-4 after the 1st OT.

2.  Significant reduction in the size of goalie equipment.

3.  Match penalty and suspension for head shots during post-whistle scrums like the one Dahlin got concussed on last year.

4.  Helmets off in the shootout.

I would like to see this goalie equipment get reviewed too. 

More policing of head shots post whistle.   The lack of fighting is leading to nasty post whistle scrums, punching with gloves on, etc.   The hit to Dahlin’s head was terrible.   

[LabattBlue]

29 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I would like to see this goalie equipment get reviewed too. 

More policing of head shots post whistle.   The lack of fighting is leading to nasty post whistle scrums, punching with gloves on, etc.   The hit to Dahlin’s head was terrible.   

Size of the goalie gloves is embarrassing as is the chest/shoulder padding. 

[Eleven]

14 hours ago, pastajoe said:

 

Also 3-2-1 point system; 3 for regulation win, 2 for OT/shootout win, 1 for OT/shootout loss.

 

3 hours ago, Porous Five Hole said:

I support that point system.

3-1-0 with no OT or shootout.

 

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

4.  Helmets off in the shootout.

This would be cool.

[pastajoe]

Regarding uniforms I would say home team wears dark until January, then switch to white at home for rest of season. That allows the home teams to promote their dark alternate jerseys before Christmas, but let’s fans see some more variety after.

[PASabreFan]

57 minutes ago, Eleven said:

This would be cool.

On the line, we have Gump Worsley.

[Hawerchuk]

Here's one I've always thought could use a revamp. Calling a timeout. Each team gets only one per game and its only for 30 seconds. That to me is ridiculous. You can barely get the guys to the bench let alone draw up a play or what not in 30 seconds. Why not give each team a minute or 1:30? Seems to me 30 seconds is way too short. Now, i understand there are aprox three TV/commercial timeouts per period, but still doesn't give the team calling one enough time in my opinion. Look at basketball, friggin teams get like 15 timeouts per game (ok, i exaggerated but still). Give the coaches and players more time to use their only one timeout.

[Hawerchuk]

15 hours ago, pastajoe said:

A goal should count no matter how it goes into the net, including kicked in and high stick. Both take skill and are too subjective to call properly.

Also 3-2-1 point system; 3 for regulation win, 2 for OT/shootout win, 1 for OT/shootout loss.

Um, a that's a big NO on kicking it in. Its not soccer.

And, I'm just not on board with 3 points. My tweak would be 2pts for a Regulation win and OT. 1 pt for each team making it to the shootout (plus the other point for a shootout win) AND ZERO points if you lose in Overtime. It would make both teams try as hard as possible to win in OT instead of just floating around waiting to get to the shootout. Just my 2 cents.

Edited July 31, 2023 by Hawerchuk
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