41 replies to this topic

[vangvace]

Foxsports

The jist:
Ten ways to fix the NHL:

1. Fire Gary Bettman

2. Get back on TV

3. Restructure the season

4. Continue the officiating fine-tuning

5. Get rid of composite sticks

6. Fix the ice

7. Get rid of the instigator rule

8. Recognize the impact of gambling

9. Increase the net size

10. Market the players



for the most part though nothing we didn't already know

[Winged Scooter]

Increasing net size should be replaced with Doing away with unbalanced scheduling....

[Wingfan191]

I agree with everything on that list, except making the nets bigger, for now. I'd like to see some trial runs with it before it gets put into the NHL.

[ben_usmc]

whats wrong with the sticks?

[bullocks]

net sizes are fan, equipment sizes are not.

[vangvace]

whats wrong with the sticks?

Personally I don't like then because they seem to break more often... but that might just be short term memory instead of fact.

[Echolalia]

I like the idea of being able to choose what stick you want to use. Composite sticks have their obvious advantage of being lighter, faster, and more flexible, but that comes at a heavy price of being substantially less reliable. Either way it increases the excitement for me as a fan. I'm seeing faster and more accurate shots and quicker stick-work, and at the same time its more likely that in a key situation (ie penalty kill or powerplay) a stick could break out there, increasing the tension and intensity of the situation. Even if its the wings on the pk and a stick breaks, I'm definitely more captivated and on the edge of my seat, and I really think that would benefit the league in terms of collecting new fans.

Not that I have anything against wood sticks, its really the player's preference. My personal preference would be in forwards having composite and defense (for the most part) having wood, but I really don't want to see that as a rule. More of a "coach's suggestion" kinda thing

Also, replace "make the nets larger" with: "even if your name is Giguere, we still don't allow mattresses for pads."

Edited by Echolalia, 11 June 2007 - 04:24 PM.

[lfd250]

Sorry, but I think this is just as funny.

http://www.canada.co...t...ac0&k=12576

[haroldsnepsts]

1) Absolutely

2) Great. but easier said than done. It's not like ESPN was begging the NHL for the contract.

3) I agree and will go one further. Move the season up and shorten it by a couple games. It'll never happen because of greedy owners, even if it would make the season less of a grind and improve the quality of the product.

4) Definitely. Whistles were swallowed in the Finals. Anaheim figured out that as long as you don't use your stick or take your hand off your stick, you can pretty much run all the interference you want. they had set plays off faceoffs, particularly in the defensive zone, where guys were clearly setting picks and interfering.

5) The article suggests that composite sticks make it a lot harder to receive passes. I've not played with them enough to confirm that, and I'm betting the passes I receive don't quite have the heat on them that they do at the NHL level. The busted sticks are annoying though. I'd be curious to hear if this is true about composite sticks and catching passes.

6) I agree, but good luck. Southern arenas are going to be harder to have good ice. And multiple use arenas won't be excited about honoring any restriction of what events they can have before a hockey game and how soon.

7) Yup.

8) I'm not sure what Bettman does to dissuade casual gambling, but okay.

9) No no no no no! They better not increase the net size a millimeter before they seriously crack down on goaltender pads. Decrease the ridiculous trapper size, decrease the blocker a little bit, shave some more off the leg pads, and definitely work on preventing the Michelin men goalies like Luongo and Giguere.

10) Agreed. hockey players as a group are the least offensive, most likeable pro athletes you'll find. Generally humble, pretty articulate, usually no criminal records...

[Wings_Fan_In_Exile]

I agree with everything on that list, except making the nets bigger, for now. I'd like to see some trial runs with it before it gets put into the NHL.

Same here. Leave the nets alone. And go back to the old schedule. I think it's a joke that a fan has to wait like four years to see an opponent live from the Eastern Conference.

I have no issues with composite sticks either.

And I really like #1 on the list.

And for #2, ESPN would be so nice.... stupid contracts.

Edited by Wings_Fan_In_Exile, 11 June 2007 - 04:45 PM.

[Booster313]

I don't agree with the nets or the sticks, what I would really like to see is olympic size ice, an extra 10 feet on either side of the area would do wonders for all that neutral zone trapping that goes on. It would make 5-5 hockey look like 4-4!

Edited by Booster313, 11 June 2007 - 05:03 PM.

[ShanahanMan]

agree with everything except composite stick and nets. I mean, look at Datsyuk

Edited by ShanahanMan, 11 June 2007 - 05:11 PM.

[Echolalia]

what I would really like to see is olympic size ice, an extra 10 feet on either side of the area would do wonders for all that neutral zone trapping that goes on. It would make 5-5 hockey look like 4-4!

That is a surprisingly intriguing idea, actually. It would eliminate (or at the very least, heavily reduce) the slow pace of games that result from repeated trapping, and increase momentum and therefore offensive opportunities, and hence scoring within a game. A lot of complaints that I get from "outsiders" about hockey is that its uneventful. Of course that opinion is developed from watching the score-marquee during sports center and seeing low scoring games, opposed to actually watching the game to find out for yourself, but I think Olympic sized rinks would increase scoring enough to possibly captivate some "on the fence about being a fan" type people, but still keep us old-time low-scoring hockey lovers into the game.

Although kinks may have to be worked out (as all changes usually do), but at the very least I do think its a good idea to widen the rink at least 7-10 more feet.

[haroldsnepsts]

That is a surprisingly intriguing idea, actually. It would eliminate (or at the very least, heavily reduce) the slow pace of games that result from repeated trapping, and increase momentum and therefore offensive opportunities, and hence scoring within a game. A lot of complaints that I get from "outsiders" about hockey is that its uneventful. Of course that opinion is developed from watching the score-marquee during sports center and seeing low scoring games, opposed to actually watching the game to find out for yourself, but I think Olympic sized rinks would increase scoring enough to possibly captivate some "on the fence about being a fan" type people, but still keep us old-time low-scoring hockey lovers into the game.

Although kinks may have to be worked out (as all changes usually do), but at the very least I do think its a good idea to widen the rink at least 7-10 more feet.

The trick is trying to convine the owners to give up those precious seats they'd need to get rid of to widen the rink.

[ProfessorLidstrom5]

Here is the link
10 Ways

[Opie]

1 and 7 are the two I find most important

[toby91_ca]

Didn't we already talk about this?

[Wings_Fan_In_Exile]

Didn't we already talk about this?

I think we did. And again I have to state how opposed I am to #9!

[Bluedevils_13]

the refs need to learn how to drop the puck in a frickin face off, so every time there is one they don't have to restart it, kick one of the centers out for no apparent reason. It seems like 80% of the faceoffs in the game have to be done twice.