No more off-sides?

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Sorry, but offsides is a natural part of sports such as hockey and soccer/futbol. While I like high scoring games, gettting rid of offsides would just not feel right, and if it was eliminated, you'd have nearly every player not play defense and just completely stay in the offensive zone, waiting for 100-foot passes from a defeseman. Getting rid of the 2-line pass rule was/is more than enough.

[Zymz 0]

Instead of the current offsides rule, why not just make it "mini-offsides?" No player can advance the puck from his side of center ice to a player completely within the offensive zone. That would still force teams to advance the puck past center ice 1st, and then play the puck into the zone. The rule would force defenses to fall back into their own zone a little farther (by allowing attacking teams the opportunity to send a player in ahead of the play IF they've gained the red line), defeating the trap, and allowing skill teams to gain the zone more easily. Cherry-picking would still be the same as the current rules allow (2 line passes and such). So essentially, the only change to the game would be less play in the neutral zone and more play in the offensive zones, increasing scoring opportunity. Powerplays become more effective (they won't break down as much for pucks that just trickle over the blue line), thereby emphasizing clean play.

[Earthhuman 8]

Sorry, but offsides is a natural part of sports such as hockey and soccer/futbol. While I like high scoring games, gettting rid of offsides would just not feel right, and if it was eliminated, you'd have nearly every player not play defense and just completely stay in the offensive zone, waiting for 100-foot passes from a defeseman. Getting rid of the 2-line pass rule was/is more than enough.

If you stayed in the offensive zone, your opponent would effectively have a powerplay.

I guarantee that strategy would not pay off.

"Someday, the Red Wings will have a new arena and there will be a 15-foot bronze statue of Gordie Howe on one end of the rink and Steve Yzerman on the other." - John Buccigross, ESPN

LOL. I hope so.

[sibiriak 84]

If you stayed in the offensive zone, your opponent would effectively have a powerplay.

I guarantee that strategy would not pay off.

In the 1980s, the Tikhonov's Red Army team actually used a 1-4 defense, where one winger would be cherry picking high and taking a minimal part in the team defense. Effectively, they would defend 4 on 5 and look for a chance to spring that high forward on a breakaway. And it worked more often than not, under the old rules, no two-line pass, no extended defensive zones. Guarantee it won't work?

[Donaldjr2448 43]

Hate the idea....too tired to elaborate.

Me too!!! I hate the idea, it will only make Cheese Ball players like Karyia and s*** bags like him cherry pickers, The NHL does not need to do that. I think the game is fast enough, and anymore speed is only going to create more injuries. Stop trying to change the game. You know the NBA also had the lowest ratings in Finals history this year, right now Football has the US by the balls, so the NHL needs to stop trying to stay up with the Jones and Keep doing what they use to do,PLAY THE F'in GAME!!!!! Trust me it will fix itself. Bettman can only think himself for this lack of interest, by putting teams in Phoenix, Atlanta, Nashville, Florida, Carolina. Remember how great Baseball was in Montreal!! EXACTLY!! Now there in Washington, or NBA in Vancouver, what a great idea, NOT SO MUCH, now its in Memphis. I think Bettman is trying to market the game where there is no interest, I just don't get it!!

[joshy207 156]

The NHL needs to more aggressively promote the game of HOCKEY and stop bastardizing itself in order to attract American "fans" with short attention spans. If people wanted to watch hockey with no offsides, then roller hockey would still be a pro sport.

[BringHomeTheCup! 0]

The U-M blogger is a fool. There are so many things wrong with that blog, I don't know where to start.

But, I'll try, and if any of this is a repeat, sorry, I'm to upset to read anything else on this subject without first throwing out my thoughts.

First, the NHL DID widen the blue lines. Anyone else remember this? It has helped.

Second, he is wrong in thinking that teams wouldn't try the home run pass. Guys like Lidstrom, Savard, and Thornton would find ways to make those passes. Guys like St. Louis, Ovechkin, and Jagr would find ways to get open. And wouldn't you think coaches would find a way to incorperate it into the gameplan? Of course they would. Just like a veteran goalie always seems to cut a strap in OT right before a big faceoff when his best faceoff man is tired.

I won't go into any more detail about what's wrong with that post. My head hurts too much as it is.

[Bad Vlad Forever 1]

Not only is this a bad idea, they should bring back the two line pass rule

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

Hahaha yeaaah okay..

Let's take out icing as well!

[eva unit zero 271]

Not only is this a bad idea, they should bring back the two line pass rule

No. The two line pass rule was a joke intended to REDUCE offense. Removing it has been a huge success, btw.

I would say, and have said for years that offsides should be modified as follows:

No two-line pass infraction, and offsides and icing would be moved up a line; icing would have to be from inside your own defensive zone, and offsides would be determined at center ice. The blue line would be moved so that it is 40 feet from the goal line.

This forces trap teams to press more, and means the trap can be more easily beaten. A long pass from within the defensive zone has only a small chance of being accurate by the time you reach the other end. But a long pass from the defensive zone has a much better chance of breaking a team past the red line. An iced puck would have to travel an additional 50 feet, and teams would have to clear the puck 30 feet further from the goal.

[RainingBlood 8]

this guy must be smoking something. Just give more leway to guys like Crosby to cherry pick since 2 line offsides is gone.

Edited June 16, 2007 by RainingBlood

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Im not too hot on the idea...and its not cause i hate change in hockey, im a supporter of the 'new' NHL. Getting rid of 2 line passes is enough, if they eliminate offsides, we will have guys like Jagr cherry picking for 60 mins.

[BringHomeTheCup! 0]

No. The two line pass rule was a joke intended to REDUCE offense. Removing it has been a huge success, btw.

I would say, and have said for years that offsides should be modified as follows:

No two-line pass infraction, and offsides and icing would be moved up a line; icing would have to be from inside your own defensive zone, and offsides would be determined at center ice. The blue line would be moved so that it is 40 feet from the goal line.

This forces trap teams to press more, and means the trap can be more easily beaten. A long pass from within the defensive zone has only a small chance of being accurate by the time you reach the other end. But a long pass from the defensive zone has a much better chance of breaking a team past the red line. An iced puck would have to travel an additional 50 feet, and teams would have to clear the puck 30 feet further from the goal.

This is a terrible idea. It wouldn't force trap teams into anything. I think it would actually play more into the traps teams game. It would just give them one more excuse to run the 1-2-2, and wait for mistakes.

Has anyone ever watched Rick Nash play when the Jackets are on the PP? He sits with one foot on the blueline, and one foot inside the zone, just waiting for a long bomb. It doesn' work much. But this is what you can count on if you take out offsides.

One thing you can garuntee is a lot less 'flow' to games, and a lot more long, usless passes.

[StaticWithABeat 0]

Personally I'm quite happy with just having no two-line pass rule...I think the league has about 1000 things it would be better-served trying to fix before it goes back to screwing with perfectly functional, well-established rules in an attempt to force more offense into the game.

I pretty much automatically equate "blogger" to "know-nothing blowhard with too much time on their hands" because 98% of them just spout off pages full of uninteresting, uninformed crap...such as seriously advocating removing fundamental parts of the game because their attention span is too small to handle the 20 seconds between an offsides call and the ensuing faceoff.

[elriqo28 2]

wow, the dumbest person on earth has spoken! thank you!

[Production Line 1]

Offsides no way. Lets think and do something about icing, to eliminate the unessessary injuries...icing belongs in the game but to a certain extent...

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

Offsides no way. Lets think and do something about icing, to eliminate the unessessary injuries...icing belongs in the game but to a certain extent...

No touch icing.

[Production Line 1]

No touch icing.

Don't take icing compleatly out, some teams have the skill to beat the icing. No touch icing would stop the game to much. But if its going to be to close to call let the refs blow their whistle. Thats where they get hurt the players are trying to get to three feet on the other side of the boards before the opponent just to toch the puck...a happy medium...imo...

[eva unit zero 271]

This is a terrible idea. It wouldn't force trap teams into anything. I think it would actually play more into the traps teams game. It would just give them one more excuse to run the 1-2-2, and wait for mistakes.

Has anyone ever watched Rick Nash play when the Jackets are on the PP? He sits with one foot on the blueline, and one foot inside the zone, just waiting for a long bomb. It doesn' work much. But this is what you can count on if you take out offsides.

One thing you can garuntee is a lot less 'flow' to games, and a lot more long, usless passes.

The trap relies on positioning and quickness to cut off short passing lanes through the neutral zone. It takes advantage of the fact players can only go a certain distance before they have to turn back or receive a pass. My suggestion would mean there is still about 50 feet of 'neutral zone' when talking about the trap, but there is also 100 feet of attacking zone. By removing icing less than 150 feet, you eliminate many dangerous rushes to the puck; the goalie will now play it if it's near the boards. Dumping the puck past the trap will not result in an icing nearly as often, which means the trap teams must either be vulnerable to that possibility or be spread over more ice, opening up the passing lanes.

Ultimately, the idea is to have a game where whistles for things like offsides and icing are minimal. You can't take them out completely, but they can certainly be modified to play to hockey's strengths and to discourage 'boring hockey.'

[BringHomeTheCup! 0]

The trap relies on positioning and quickness to cut off short passing lanes through the neutral zone. It takes advantage of the fact players can only go a certain distance before they have to turn back or receive a pass. My suggestion would mean there is still about 50 feet of 'neutral zone' when talking about the trap, but there is also 100 feet of attacking zone. By removing icing less than 150 feet, you eliminate many dangerous rushes to the puck; the goalie will now play it if it's near the boards. Dumping the puck past the trap will not result in an icing nearly as often, which means the trap teams must either be vulnerable to that possibility or be spread over more ice, opening up the passing lanes.

Ultimately, the idea is to have a game where whistles for things like offsides and icing are minimal. You can't take them out completely, but they can certainly be modified to play to hockey's strengths and to discourage 'boring hockey.'

The trap teams would morph the trap into an even more boring game. You would see a harsh decline in forechecking from these teams. Instead, they would just sit back and wait to attack, say until the opposition has passed the blue line. They would still clog up the middle, and they would still play a very 'Devilish' style of hockey.

What the NHL should look at is this. Be more liberal with waiving off icings. Encourage long passes. Maybe something like as long as the player is past his own blueline, and the pass is within a reasonable distance, the icing is waived off. Maybe even throw in if that player can cross the opposing blue line before the puck crosses the goal line, icing is waived off.

The point is there are so many more viable options than trying to change the line format, or offsides. Offsides is an intergal part of the game. Don't try to change it. It's fine how it is. Bettman finally caved to the pressure and brought back the tag up rule, that's plenty.

[eva unit zero 271]

The trap teams would morph the trap into an even more boring game. You would see a harsh decline in forechecking from these teams. Instead, they would just sit back and wait to attack, say until the opposition has passed the blue line. They would still clog up the middle, and they would still play a very 'Devilish' style of hockey.

Well which is it? "Devilish", or the trap? The two are not the same thing. This cannot be said enough: the New Jersey Devils of the mid 90s DID NOT TRAP. The trap is a 1-2-2 forecheck that is reliant on speed and positioning. The Devils played an 0-5 format forming a wall in the neutral zone. HUGELY different.

What the NHL should look at is this. Be more liberal with waiving off icings. Encourage long passes.

This rule change was made after the lockout.

Maybe something like as long as the player is past his own blueline, and the pass is within a reasonable distance, the icing is waived off. Maybe even throw in if that player can cross the opposing blue line before the puck crosses the goal line, icing is waived off.

So my idea for making icing have to be 140 feet rather than 90 is a bad idea, but we should change it so that most icings get waved off if the player is ahead of his own blue line? How is that significantly different?

The point is there are so many more viable options than trying to change the line format, or offsides. Offsides is an intergal part of the game. Don't try to change it. It's fine how it is. Bettman finally caved to the pressure and brought back the tag up rule, that's plenty.

"Offsides is an integral part of the game", that has been changed many times since it was first put in place 70 years ago.

My suggestion would certainly be different from what we've seen before, but it would result in faster games, fewer whistles, and more potent power plays. Because longer passes would be available at lower risk, teams couldn't clog up the middle as easily because you could just dump the puck into the corner from 130 feet away with no penalty. If your guy is faster than theirs, you may have just found yourself a scoring chance.

[mannysBETTER3434 1]

...while we're at it, why don't we just eliminate the whistles all together? I got it, when the opposing team scores, the play keeps going the goalie fishes the puck out of the net and tries to pass it to a team-mate!

...Eliminate offsides?!?!? F*ck, this is not and never will be the NBA, this is hockey, the NH f'ing L! All these wanna be Bettman's should just go back to watching the NBA and MLS! Stop f'ing with our rules to try to attempt people who don't give a rats ass about Hockey! Hey, maybe 15,000 people will show up to celebrate the next Stanley Cup too, maybe, just maybe 15,500 will show up if we change the rules some more! Yeah, that's attracting fans!

...you keep changing the rules and making this sport into a ballerina, maybe 15,000 people will show up to the next DETROIT Stanley Cup, how bout that bettman? Would you like that? Ass-hole!

This won't turn into the NBA. If there was no off-sides the NHL wouldn't even have lacross scores.

I think some people are getting way to intense on this topic. I don't agree with it either, but it's fun to talk about. Some people on here are talking like it's a serious thought by the NHL. RELAX!!!!

[Kp-Wings 3]

This won't turn into the NBA. If there was no off-sides the NHL wouldn't even have lacross scores.

I think some people are getting way to intense on this topic. I don't agree with it either, but it's fun to talk about. Some people on here are talking like it's a serious thought by the NHL. RELAX!!!!

You've been around long enough to know that's just how we are.

[mannysBETTER3434 1]

You've been around long enough to know that's just how we are.

Yes that is very true

[Offsides 21]

Then my name would be obsolete *sniff*