What changes would you make to the league?

[ScottM]

 

Some of my friends and I have had conversations about which teams in various leagues we would relocate and changes that we would make to the structure or rules of the leagues. I thought it might be fun to do that here.

 

As far as franchise changes, Arizona, Florida, Carolina, and maybe Columbus should be moved due to poor attendance. I'm not really a fan of having three teams in the New York area either, but I'm not sure there would be enough serious relocation candidates to change that. Seattle would be a good place to receive the Coyotes, The Panthers and Hurricanes could go to Quebec City and Hamilton. Should the Blue Jackets move, they could go to Hartford or Providence. The only hangups on those locations would be the fact that Hartford lost the Whalers in part due to poor attendance and that Providence is awfully close to Boston.

 

I'd also expand by two teams in the Western Conference to balance the conferences. I think it would be worthwhile to look at Kansas City as a possible expansion site. A few months ago, we had a conversation about Kansas City as a potential NHL site, and while I wasn't sold on it at that time, the more I think about it, the more I think it could work, primarily because of the population boom. Plus, there would be a natural rivalry with St. Louis. As for the other expansion site, Houston has a huge population base, making it attractive, but I'd be wary of any more Sunbelt expansion. Portland and Salt Lake City would probably be the other two locations I'd consider. SLC would have a natural rival in Colorado, but I think I'd end up giving the nod to Portland.

 

Now for rule changes. First, I'm scrapping that stupid shootout and I'm doing away with the loser's point. I'd go back to wins, losses, and ties, plain and simple. I would think about an extension of overtime though. Keep the five minutes of 4-on-4, but add five minutes of 3-on-3 after that if it's still tied. You could shorten those a bit if you wanted, but if you want to reduce ties, this would do it without adding a gimmick. I'm also not a fan of the trapezoid. Don't punish a Martin Brodeur, and don't bail out a goalie who makes stupid decisions behind the goal line. I'd also put limits on the size of goalies' pads. I'm all for allowing sufficient protection for goalies, but that can be preserved without getting so carried away with the size of the equipment. I'd also implement the international rule of eliminating the red line for a two-line pass, just to open up the game a little more.

 

If I thought hard enough, I'm sure I could come up with other rules changes, but those are a few ideas just off the top of my head.

[fishbulb]

1)  Coyotes and the Panthers are relocated ASAP.  Both franchises are embarrassments.  Both franchises have had plenty of time to get their junk together and have failed. (Florida finally seems to be on the right path, but NOBODY cares!... their attendance records are a disgrace)

 

Coyotes are moved to Quebec City and Panthers are moved to Seattle/KC/Vegas (whichever has the best plan)

 

 

2) Shootouts are eliminated:  4on4 for 5 mins, 3 on 3 for 5 mins, and then it's called a tie.

- 3 pts for regulation win.  2 points for OT win, 1 point for an OT loss/tie

 

 

3)  Suspensions stop being so focused on the outcome/injury.  (ie. Buff> I really like the jets, but that should've been a 10 gamer imo)

[JagerMeister]

1)  Coyotes and the Panthers are relocated ASAP.  Both franchises are embarrassments.  Both franchises have had plenty of time to get their junk together and have failed. (Florida finally seems to be on the right path, but NOBODY cares!... their attendance records are a disgrace)

 

Coyotes are moved to Quebec City and Panthers are moved to Seattle/KC/Vegas (whichever has the best plan)

 

 

2) Shootouts are eliminated:  4on4 for 5 mins, 3 on 3 for 5 mins, and then it's called a tie.

- 3 pts for regulation win.  2 points for OT win, 1 point for an OT loss/tie

 

 

3)  Suspensions stop being so focused on the outcome/injury.  (ie. Buff> I really like the jets, but that should've been a 10 gamer imo)

I care

[jammer2]

@fishbulb  I agree, sorry Panther fans, but show up to games or pay the price!  Since Dale Tallon is running the Panthers, they should go to a non Canadian city, Tallon is one of the leagues best GM's, knows how to build a team from the bottom up....and they will be competitive right off the hop with all the young talent Dale has acquired over the past few years. They Yotes can go to Canada, they can sell the game here no problem....although the Yotes have some wicked young talent of their own.

[yave1964]

Perhaps some teams on the move, Sunrise to Quebec or Hamilton for starters...... and ABSOLUTELY no questions asked very first thing would be to change the archaic ridiculous hold that Juniors has over the NHL. Right now, a Canadian boy drafted by the NHL cannot be sent to the minors if he below a certain age, he still has to go back to Juniors and cannot be recalled by his parent club. I would end that NOW. I have mentioned that before and greatly annoyed several Canadian posters who say that Juniors would end up folding (they wouldn't) or that the fans would stop coming (wrong again) or that the teams, after developing the talent deserve to keep the players (they don't). Quite simply, A USA born player can be sent to the minors, same as a euro, in Canada Juniors dictate to the NHL. It really needs to be reversed. It is absurd and archaic. Sooner or later I truly believe it will and just like college football or basketball where players come out after a year or two and enter the NFL/NHL the College game remains as popular as ever. Juniors would survive, the NHL would thrive and the NHL would frankly return the vast majority of the younger players to Juniors anyway, a handful a year would be affected. If an NHL team wished to send a potential talent to the AHL to get him some experience against men instead of sending him back the Juniors to dominate seventeen year olds, they would have that right. If, say, the Bruins lose Bergeron to injury and have a Junior star draftee who they wish to recall they could. The NHL is the dominating league and that is how it will eventually be.

[jammer2]

I have mentioned that before and greatly annoyed several Canadian posters who say that Juniors would end up folding (they wouldn't) or that the fans would stop coming (wrong again) or that the teams, after developing the talent deserve to keep the players (they don't).

 

 

 That is just not true. Many, many CHL team have to scrape and claw to get back to even....and how do they do that?...by hosting a few playoff games to get into the red. If the stars are plucked away at 18...those teams just do not make the playoffs. CHL owners incur tremendous expenses, even with the players getting a measly 50 or 60 bucks a week. At *least* a quarter of the teams would fold if the NHL followed your lead on this issue. Why should the CHL owners buy the kids equipment, spend time developing them on and off the ice...pay for a very very nice education package AND then see them leave when they are just starting to become stars...that is not fair.

 

 If NHL teams want to use guys at 18 and 19 for their AHL team, my advice is....quit drafting OHL players...go Euro or NCAA route. The NHL teams know what they are getting into when they select a CHL player.....if the rules are that upsetting to them, they should draft from another league.

 

 You gotta remember, almost all the CHL teams money are generated through ticket sales....when the stars are gone, nobody wants to pay 20 bucks to see a team devoid of stars....it just would not happen.

[yave1964]

@jammer2

 

The NCAA does a tremendous job of marketing and deals with issues such as this every year. The sky wont fall, the world wil not end, IMHO when an NHL team risks an investment on a player in the draft, they are then theirs to do with as they damn well please. Like I said, it wouldn't effect a half a dozen teams a year, but if an NHL team feels that their 19 year old would be better served down at the A instead of playing against kids, they should have that right. Juniors have too much power over the NHL, and like I said I think sometime in the next decade it will be changed. Archaic rules, Canadian kids being essentially slaves of Junior hockey even after they are drafted. Absurd. You and I agree most of the time, this is one that we are diametrically opposed.

[WordsOfWisdom]

1. No more gimmicks. Return to 2-1-0 points system with ties. (Or limit shootout to 3 shooters each and then have a tie.) No points for losing.
2. Return to wooden sticks. You don't see aluminum bats in MLB.
3. Wider and taller nets, shaped like a trapezoid to create space where it's needed most: down low. (Wide at the bottom, narrowing at the top.)
4. Contraction! Eliminate Arizona Coyotes and Florida Panthers.
5. Relocate Carolina Hurricanes to Quebec City. 
6. No more line changes on the fly. (Longer shifts, slower speed. Force players to adjust their tempo and not just go 100% all the time.)
7. more to come...

 

[Mossin]

No more gimmicks. Return to 2-1-0 points system with ties. (Or limit shootout to 3 shooters each and then have a tie.) No points for losing.

 

I see your point, but I don't agree. I really find the joy of getting a winner each game!

 

Return to wooden sticks. You don't see aluminum bats in MLB.

 

Bringing back wooden sticks, would really mix up the game! 

[The Mountain Man]

I really think a second team in Toronto Area would be better off than in Hamilton. They have a brand new NHL size rink in the Markham area I believe. There are plenty of people to draw for a fan base and the games would be sellouts. Toronto Toros?

 

As far as rules go ....I would LOVE to see Goalies not allowed behind their own red line...no going behind the net...If you do you are fair game like every other players. People cant board you but you can be hit like any other player. That would change the game considerably.

[ScottM]

I really think a second team in Toronto Area would be better off than in Hamilton. They have a brand new NHL size rink in the Markham area I believe. There are plenty of people to draw for a fan base and the games would be sellouts. Toronto Toros?

 

You could do that, and it would probably work, but the advantages that I think exist for putting a team in Hamilton are that 1) you're putting a team in a new market instead of an existing one, and 2) there would be more room for the fan base to grow since it would be "Hamilton's team" and not a team having to compete with another team in the same metro area for the same fans.

 

Btw, I do know that Hamilton is very close to Toronto, but the fact that Hamilton is the center of its own CMA and the fact that it would be a bit closer for extreme southern Ontario would be a plus. My only question would be how much it would affect Buffalo.

 

Now that you mentioned a team name, I realized I didn't. I'd call the Quebec team the Nordiques, of course. I'd bring back the Metropolitans name for Seattle. The other two are a little tougher, but I have ideas. For Portland, I think "Volcanoes" might be an interesting name. It would be a nod to Mount St. Helens, of course, but also to the fact that an extinct volcano lies underneath the city. With Hamilton, why not take the nickname of the region for inspiration? The area is called the Golden Horseshoe, so why not the "Golden Stallions?"

[Claude Monet]

You could do that, and it would probably work, but the advantages that I think exist for putting a team in Hamilton are that 1) you're putting a team in a new market instead of an existing one, and 2) there would be more room for the fan base to grow since it would be "Hamilton's team" and not a team having to compete with another team in the same metro area for the same fans.

Btw, I do know that Hamilton is very close to Toronto, but the fact that Hamilton is the center of its own CMA and the fact that it would be a bit closer for extreme southern Ontario would be a plus. My only question would be how much it would affect Buffalo.

Now that you mentioned a team name, I realized I didn't. I'd call the Quebec team the Nordiques, of course. I'd bring back the Metropolitans name for Seattle. The other two are a little tougher, but I have ideas. For Portland, I think "Volcanoes" might be an interesting name. It would be a nod to Mount St. Helens, of course, but also to the fact that an extinct volcano lies underneath the city. With Hamilton, why not take the nickname of the region for inspiration? The area is called the Golden Horseshoe, so why not the "Golden Stallions?"

If Portland got a team they would bring back the buckaroos! Greatest logo ever

[jammer2]

  My biggest pet peeve with the NHL...and it's a simple one...

 

 

 HOME= White....ROAD= Darks....we need to start a petition or something...this is just not right....in fact, it's downright disturbing!!!!

[flyercanuck]

@jammer2

 

I'll never understand why it would be any other way. 

[Holymakinaw]

I know none of this will happen, but changes I would LOVE to see in the NHL........

 

1.  Reduce the number of teams from 30 to 26.  There are just too many, and some US markets are just not good for hockey.  Teams to go are Florida, Arizona, Carolina and  Columbus.

 

2.  Lose the regular season shootout win gimmick.  Nothing wrong with wins, losses and ties.

 

3.  Make the nets a bit bigger, and Goalie gear smaller.  It'd be nice to see more than one 50 goal scorer now & then, and a few 100 point guys, like the old days.

 

4.  Get rid of the salary cap.  My stupid Leafs have proven that they cannot compete in a capped system.  The only chance they have at consistently making the playoffs, is to outspend others.  

[jammer2]

@Holymakinaw  At least for me, as soon as the nets are altered in size, at all....I'm out. It's no longer the sport I love. It's a bastardized version of it.

[Podein25]

Remove two linesmen/refs. Free up some much needed space. Replace with electronics (ie for offsides), like in tennis. Or monkeys.

[BluPuk]

1.) Reduce the number of teams to 16 immediately. Get rid of: LA, Anaheim, Phoenix, Florida's 1 &2, Dallas, Colorado, Carolina, Colombus, San Hose, Nashville, NYI, NJD, Washington. In other words make into a hockey league.

2.) Legislate all the advertising off the boards and the ice, AND the players' uniforms.

3.) Play fewer games and start the season earlier and end it earlier.

4.) No more phoney OT's. 2 points for a win, 1 for a TIE and 0 for a loss.

5.) Go to a 100 x 200 rink size as standard. With the reduction in teams, caliber of play will go up and the players will not need any help from the rink size to make up for lack of talent. 

[flyercanuck]

@BluPuk

 

Welcome to the board....good luck getting the owners to agree on 1, 2 (players uniforms?) 3 and 5.

 

I'm with ya on #4.

[hf101]

1.) Reduce the number of teams to 16 immediately. Get rid of: LA, Anaheim, Phoenix, Florida's 1 &2, Dallas, Colorado, Carolina, Colombus, San Hose, Nashville, NYI, NJD, Washington. In other words make into a hockey league.

2.) Legislate all the advertising off the boards and the ice, AND the players' uniforms.

3.) Play fewer games and start the season earlier and end it earlier.

4.) No more phoney OT's. 2 points for a win, 1 for a TIE and 0 for a loss.

5.) Go to a 100 x 200 rink size as standard. With the reduction in teams, caliber of play will go up and the players will not need any help from the rink size to make up for lack of talent. 

 

Welcome to these forums.

I respectfully but strongly disagree with point #1.  I love the game and want it to grow throughout the world.  Why should fans of  only 16 cities have the opportunity to watch a professional hockey game in person?  Limiting the number of teams, limits interest, limits youth interest and the desire to play.  Hockey is the best sport in the world let's over come the stamp that hockey is a niche sport.   

 

I'd watch a hockey game everyday if it were available.

[BluPuk]

Welcome to these forums.

I respectfully but strongly disagree with point #1.  I love the game and want it to grow throughout the world.  Why should fans of  only 16 cities have the opportunity to watch a professional hockey game in person?  Limiting the number of teams, limits interest, limits youth interest and the desire to play.  Hockey is the best sport in the world let's over come the stamp that hockey is a niche sport.   

 

I'd watch a hockey game everyday if it were available.

 

Thanks hf101. I love the game too, but I think the term "grow the game" is a misdirection by the NHL. It really means "grow the market" - IMHO. I don't care a whit about the NHL, I care about hockey - in particular Canadian and international hockey. Respectfully, I just don't see having thirty teams in the NHL (some of which have no business existing in their current markets) as "growing the game". Jokingly, I don't see any way to "fertilize" the game to grow it - although some of the stuff poured on us by the NHL definitely has a certain smell to it - again my opinion. I don't think it can be force fed.....

[radoran]

@jammer2

 

I'll never understand why it would be any other way. 

 

Because you can have two "home" jerseys and get folks to buy both of them.

[radoran]

Get rid of: LA, Anaheim, Phoenix, Florida's 1 &2, Dallas, Colorado, Carolina, Colombus, San Hose, Nashville, NYI, NJD, Washington.

 

You know who drew more than Edmonton (#22) and Winnipeg (#27)?

 

Nashville, Anaheim, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Jose (#11), Tampa Bay (#9), Washington (#5).

 

Tampa and Washington both outdrew Vancouver and Ottawa. Washington outdrew Calgary and Toronto as well.

 

Why, exactly, are they getting rid of two top ten draws, the #11 draw, a recent two-time Cup winner and a Conference Finalist and Cup Finalist this year? Moreover, the Islanders played to 94% full houses last year and are headed to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn which they will likely sell out.

 

Arizona, Florida and Carolina I can get on board with. Maybe the Devils, too.

[BluPuk]

You know who drew more than Edmonton (#22) and Winnipeg (#27)?

 

Nashville, Anaheim, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Jose (#11), Tampa Bay (#9), Washington (#5).

 

Tampa and Washington both outdrew Vancouver and Ottawa. Washington outdrew Calgary and Toronto as well.

 

Why, exactly, are they getting rid of two top ten draws, the #11 draw, a recent two-time Cup winner and a Conference Finalist and Cup Finalist this year? Moreover, the Islanders played to 94% full houses last year and are headed to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn which they will likely sell out.

 

Arizona, Florida and Carolina I can get on board with. Maybe the Devils, too.

As I said, I don't care about the NHL - or how much money they make. I only care about the quality of the hockey, which, IMHO, sucks big time. All the play (OK, most of it) is on the boards in "scrums", or in front of the net. I see no hockey skill there, it's more like rugby or football.

If you watched the World Championships this past year, you would have seen what real hockey looks like - again IMHO. I realise that my view is not the only one though.

 

Maybe what we need is a real commissioner - not the owners' mouthpiece, and then just maybe we would not have the "trapezoid", some 3-point games and some 2-point games, phoney-baloney 4 on 4 OT's and outdoor games at 80deg. F.?

[radoran]

Maybe what we need is a real commissioner - not the owners' mouthpiece, and then just maybe we would not have the "trapezoid", some 3-point games and some 2-point games, phoney-baloney 4 on 4 OT's and outdoor games at 80deg. F.?

 

This would be a welcome change.Unfortunately, the owners are committed to the NHL first, and hockey second.