New rule ideas
 

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/i...what-should-go

So basically they are testing and brainstorming to incorporate new rules/ideas to the NHL.

Likes:

-4v4 overtime followed by 3v3 overtime.
:shootout should still occur if no one scores which would probably be highly unlikely in most cases
:If there is a penalty during 3v3 i think it should be an automatic penalty shot for the opposing team (it would be stupid for a 3v2 to occur.)

-Goalie trapezoid restriction should be removed

-Icing rules

-Teams spending the full penalty time even if they are scored on

-Goal verification rules


Dislikes:

-Goalie has to play the puck when ref tells him to

-Extra Ref judgement calls


Your thoughts?

i like the idea of the on ice communication for the refs on a headset while playing...its handy for them to be able to tell each other what to look at, what they are doing, etc.

the 3 on 3 thing is interesting for sure.

i like the idea of serving the full penalties.

i like the trapezoid, so i think it should stay

and i LOVE the idea of hybrid icing....where if its obvious the team doing the icing has no chance of touching the puck, they immediately blow it dead instead of waiting for the other team to skate down and touch it.

What I like:
-better goal verification is definitely a plus
-shallower nets
-hybrid icing
-banning hand passes completely

What I don't want:
-I think the trapezoid should stay, I don't really see any big arguments against it, and it makes trapping harder (even if just by a little bit)
-serving the full penalty even if scored on and no icing on the PK: That's too much of a punishment for the average penalty, and it makes bad calls even worse. Instead there should be more major penalties for bigger infractions

And I'm undecided on the 3v3, I guess I have to see it a few times first.

Love the new rules discussions. Glad they look at creative changes.

Trapezoid.......remove it IF they also make goalies fair game when behind the goal line. Let them play the puck, but also pet forecheckers play the body on them if they do. If not, keep the trapezoid.

Hybrid icing...absolutely. Should have done this long ago.

3 on 3...OK by me.

2:00 penalties.....OK.

Shallow nets....OK.

Goalie equipment.........still needs to be smaller.

love the bolded, the words in red, makes no sense. Instead of giving them a Penalty Shot, why not just give them and extra player. and the player SHOULD be released when there team is scored. I agree with your dislikes though

I have come to like the trapezoid. If they remove it, than the goalie should be fair game behind the goal line like any other player.

3 on 3 is stupid as ****. People complain about the shootout being a gimmick, how is 3 on 3 that much different. It's still a dumb gimmick. If I wanted to watch shinny I'd...move to Canada or something

Full 2 minute penalties are dumb too. Increased scoring shouldn't come from teams constantly being on the powerplay

Fine with goalies having to move the puck. Pretty tiresome to see some guys freeze the puck way outside the crease with no one around

ambivalent about the trapazoid

I actually like the trapezoid. I think it has legitimately helped keep the game faster.

They said with the speed of the players in the R&D camp that even when they told the goalies to ignore the trapezoid they didn't play the puck.

Plenty of goalies will play the puck. One little camp means nothing. The game hasn't increased drastically in speed (in terms of player's skating ability) since the inclusion of the trapezoid. It will revert to what it was before -- much more neutral zone playing.

It's a brilliant idea, as a linesman myself, too often I've been trapped against the boards on the blue line with players playing right at my feet, making it impossible to call offside, and have looked across to see the other guy stood there daydreaming instead of coming down to cover me

Yeah it's a small sample size but the fact remains that defensemen have a harder time slowing forecheckers down without clutch and grab. Straight away speed may not have increased a lot but players can get by the defense and get deeper in the zone faster.

I don't buy it, though, because clutch and grab still exists to an extent. The game really has not increased in speed exponentially in the way it would have to for that to be the case. I think it's more of a thing that the goalies are just not used to it (since they have played a certain way for some time now).

Funny...they are talking about making the goals smaller when they should be talking about making them bigger.

They are constantly looking to tweak every tiny little rule to increase goal scoring, meanwhile the most obvious and probably most effective one is apparently sacriligious to mention.

I think all of these rules can possibly go into effect. But I think the 3v3 overtime and no touch iceing are most likely to be put into place.

I like most of them except the ones involving ref judgement and goalie-ref interaction

this has been my stance. It will limit the wandering, add realistic pressure on the goalie to move the puck and create those belfour moments of empty nets.

Full 2:00 Penalties is not a good idea.

It just further compounds bad/marginal calls.

While I still don't believe that scoring is a problem in this league, what the NHL needs is more even strength goals, not power play goals.

That's totally possible and I agree at this point goalies are used to having a leash. They probably wouldn't even attempt to venture into the corners very often at first might take most of a season.

I don't know who would benefit from it haven't been able to really gauge goales puck moving skills since the trapezoid was implemented. I know Hank wouldn't go too far out at least I hope not. Only three I can think of that really like to play the puck are Marty, DP, and Mike Smith.

Hate the idea of 3 on 3.

Extend the 4 on 4 to ten minutes. Someone will take a penalty and someone will score.

I like the icing changes.

I like that Goalies can play the puck. Was upset that they were limited to that section behind the net. However, should they cover puck to stop play with both skates not touching blue in front of the net, they should get a delay of game penalty.

Like the thinner nets to give more room benind the goalie.

Would prefer the full 2 minutes be used for specific penalties such as delay of game and diving.

Do away with the shootout. If teams are tied afte rthe ten minutes of 4 on 4, then they are tied.

Tie games are not the issue, they were never an issue. Style of play that led teams to playing for a tie is an issue.

With most of the clutching and grabbing gone from the game, I'm not convinved that hard earned tie games are not a good thing.

I think bigger nets is a bad idea, it doesn't really "fix" the problem. Feels like the easy way out.

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I disagree, the speed of the game has increased quite a bit in my opinion.

prior to the lockout watch the game was boring as ****. trying to get the neutral zone was brutal and the games were hard to watch.

The games are alot more free flowing and with that there's an increased speed to each contest.

It's not the speed, in terms of quickness, that the trapezoid helps, it's the flow. Someone on the main board made the comparison to intentional grounding in football. In this case, though, it's the defender (being the goalie) that is killing the play. I made the point in that thread that just because something is a skill doesn't mean it should be okay. Messier was particularly skilled at throwing elbows. I'm sure many players would be very good at kicking pucks in. Avery is skilled at getting into goalie's faces with his back to the play. So some goalies are good at puck-handling. They can be good at it behind the net or in front of the corners.

LOVE the idea of enforcing the area in which the goalie can cover the puck. It's already in the rulebook, just call the penalty.

I'm meh on changing icing rules. We don't see THAT many injuries from chases.

I like 3v3.

Not for eliminating the ability to ice the puck on the PK. I was initially on the fence about this one, but my dad made a good point: eliminating that part of the game would also mean eliminating the set rushes QBed by the defenseman from behind his net. Think of it. Without the ability to ice the puck on the PK, the Rangers second goal in game 7 of the 94 SCF doesn't happen the way it did.

I might be wrong, but does anyone else feel like these rules are to increase scoring?