In my perfect NHL....

[Guest jaytan]

- Gordie Howe (or anyone with a brain) would be Commisioner

- No salary cap (sorry to the lower teams; it's sports, there will always be dominant/struggling teams)

- 26 teams (Florida, Nashville, Phoenix, Anaheim) - I don't care if they're good, no team belongs in a city that would rather watch Paris Hilton than the Finals; at least the Kings have good interest)

- NHL average attendance would skyrocket, even for the cellar dwellars

- No forced rivalries with 8 games against division opponents; 5 or 6 at absolute max

- More Original 6 matchups

- Every team must play every team at least once

- Better game promotion

Build on it!

So, basically, all we need to do is hook you up with the TARDIS and you can go back about 15 years in time.

Great thread:

1. 20 teams. I'm not going to go into the politics of who'd I eliminate but I'm pretty sure everyone knows of the top 10 that could be diced.

...

11. Make Bryan McCabe apologize to fans during intermissions for suffering through his horrible play.

Wow, those are certainly some drastic changes! I agree with a lot of the sentiment, but I think going too far would hurt the league more than help it. If all of those changes were inacted, a new rival league would spring up and probably do well. Eventually, the NHL would steal five or six of the other league's franchises, the other league would fold, and we'd slowly see the NHL devolve into its old self again.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

off the top of my head and in no particular order (except #1):

1)New Commissioner. Realistically it has to be someone with the business acumen to run the league, but ideally would be someone who's also passionate about the game.

2)72 game schedule. 82 games is too damn many. This will also help with #11.

3)No shootouts. I don't want to hear any whining about ties. This is my NHL. OT would be 10 minutes of 4 on 4. No points for losing. Ever. Two for win, zero for loss, one for a tie. Lose in OT? No points for you.

4)Hold at 30 teams. Let the struggling markets either get their act together, or get moved. Getting rid of franchises is too expensive.

5) Greater leeway in the cap structure. By running a successful, profitable franchise, the owner should be rewarded by being able to use that money on his team. Besides, a giant payroll does not necessarily equal success.

6) Bye bye instigator.

7) Crack down on hits to the head, and reduce or possibly ban the use of hardshell shoulder and elbow pads.

8) Reduce goalie equipment size. The catching glove can come way down, the blockpad a little, the leg pads a little, and the chest and arm protection can definitely be reduced. No more MIchelin men.

9) Lose the "rivalry" schedule of playing the same damn team 8 times. We know it's really just a b.s. excuse to save on travel costs. Go back to a schedule that somewhat approximates the old one.

10) Market the game! Fire every advertising agency that has ever come up with a crap-ass campaign for the NHL. Hire the biggest baddest coolest agency and spend a crapload of money marketing the game and its players. Show non-fans why the game is great. Run an ad during the super bowl letting football fans know that after the game, they can still watch a few months of hard hitting smashmouth sports with the NHL.

11) Get the season over sooner. Shorten and move up training camp. Seriously. Reducing the number of regular season games will help, but people will be more likely to watch playoff hockey if it doesn't go all the way to June.

12) Look into widening the ice surface. Players are bigger and faster. even the slightest increase would go a long way in improving the action of the game.

Edited for numerous typos and grammar

Edited July 18, 2007 by haroldsnepsts

[stevie 4 president 0]

Someone said bring hockey back to ESPN and I agree as long as they fire Barry "the assbag" Melrose.

[Lidstrom5 D-Man 0]

I'd like to see the All Star Game in the summer when we are dying for some hockey!

[Hank 0]

I'd like to see the All Star Game in the summer when we are dying for some hockey!

I think this is a great idea.

I believe at one time the All-Star game was played after the season concluded and it was against the Cup winning team and a collection of allstars. I thought I heard that fights almost broke out in some All-star games.

That's when players hated anyone not on their team. Ted Lindsay was on the NHL Network last night and he said as much.

Now we have a union that makes them all love each other. Isn't that nice. I want to hear stories about teams getting into fights while sharing the same train ride. Just like it used to happen in the 50's.

[Opie 308]

Unfortunately I think those days are behind Hank.

Not just in the NHL, every thing is so PC now that every one has to be happy and love each other and go dancing barefoot in the park with flowers in their hair.

[Winged Scooter 0]

I think this is a great idea.

I believe at one time the All-Star game was played after the season concluded and it was against the Cup winning team and a collection of allstars. I thought I heard that fights almost broke out in some All-star games.

That's when players hated anyone not on their team. Ted Lindsay was on the NHL Network last night and he said as much.

Now we have a union that makes them all love each other. Isn't that nice. I want to hear stories about teams getting into fights while sharing the same train ride. Just like it used to happen in the 50's.

That would be awesome, fights in an all-star game ! I remember the 1st ever non-Wings game I watched was back in 85 between Chicago and Toronto. A Hawks player ran Toronto's goalie and the was a bench clearing brawl. Ahh the days...

I say we ban all fighting penalties except the roughing, 5 minute major, and game misconduct, anything else buh-bye.

Hank, everytime you post your Avatar makes me chuckle, I love that movie!

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

I'd like to see the All Star Game in the summer when we are dying for some hockey!

The problem is I'm guessing it's the last thing the players would want. they have to play from september (including training camp) through potentially June if they make it to the Cup. After winning the Cup, I remember Yzerman saying several times how he couldn't wait to take the pads off.

[Guest DetroitIan]

In my perfect NHL, we would actually have a schedule that allows us to play EVERY team in the league. Cut 2 games off of divisional games, and put them towards eastern teams. It would make the season that much more exciting. I cant believe Bettman doesnt see that. Sure we should probably play our divisional teams a little more. But the fact remains. We should be able to play every eastern team atleast once. Until then, I'll never be truly happy with any of our upcoming schedules. Man I hope that changes soon.

[donfishmaster 62]

My League:

Eastern Division

Raleigh

Charlotte

Charlston

Columbia

Atlanta

Macon

Knoxville

Nashville

Tampa

Miami

Orlando

Tallahassee

Western Division:

Huntsville

Birmingham

Montgomery

Mobile

New Orleans

Little Rock

Memphis

Austin

Dallas

Houston

San Antonio

Jackson

And an operating agreement with the federal government and the united nations that says that no other professional team can operate above the minor league levels. It also gives this league first rights to draft and sign any players they choose. And they have exclusive rights to the stanley cup. Any league or teams who attempt to violate this agreement will immediately be put to death by firing squad!

so which team would yall root for in my new NHL?

HAHAHA!

People who cheer for teams that are abandoning their cities sure have some pretty funny ideas!!!

[Guest jaytan]

OK, a lot of great ideas have been thrown into the mix. Here's my take:

1. Keep the amount of teams at 30, but move Nashville and Phoenix to Southern Ontario and the Pacific Northwest (probably Portland, but Seattle's still an option), consider moving others (Winnipeg, Vegas, Kansas City).

2. A re-alignment to thee conferences of ten teams each. Something like this:

Western Conference

Pacific Division: Vancouver, Portland, San Jose, LA, Anaheim (maybe Vegas instead of Vancouver)

Mountain Division: Edmonton, Calgary, Colorado, Minnesota and Dallas (maybe Vancouver instead of Minnesota)

Central Conference

Original Division: Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa

Midwest Division: St. Louis, Columbus, Southern Ontario, Pittsburgh, Buffalo

Eastern Conference

Northern Division: Philadelphia, Boston, NYI, NYR, New Jersey

Southern Division: Washington, Carolina, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Florida (one of these teams will move very soon)

Playoffs: All division champions get in and are seeded 1-6 with conference champions getting the top three spots. The next seven teams in the league with the best records get in next.

Finally, each conference's remaining team with the best record will fill the final three spots. In the first round, the teams are put in a one-sided bracket, but the conference winners must face the bottom-three playoff team from their conference.

3. Change the scheduling. Each team will play divisional opponents six times a season (24 games, equal home and away), non-divisional conference opponents four times a season (20 games, equal home and away), 18 of the non-conference opponents twice a season (36) and two non-conference opponents just once (one at home, the other on the road). The non-conference opponents rotate each year.

4. Keep the regular-season schedule at 82 games, but shorten the pre-season and training camp.

5. Obviously, change the commish. My pick: Brian Burke!

6. Change most of the "new" NHL rules. Get rid of the space behind the net where the goalie can't touch the puck. Get rid of the instigator rule. Standardize and relax enforcement of existing penalties. Maybe bring back the two-line pass violation.

7. Require that 60 per cent of each team's active roster include players with American or Canadian citizenship or players who played at least half of their developmental hockey in North America.

8. Raise the salary cap, but keep it in place.

9. Get a better American TV deal.

10. Advertise more effectively.

11. I'm tired of making this post, so I'll stop now. But I'd make more changes than that!

Edited July 18, 2007 by jaytan

[Guest EZBAKETHAGANGSTA]

Western Conference

Pacific Division: Vancouver, Portland, San Jose, LA, Anaheim (maybe Vegas instead of Vancouver)

Mountain Division: Edmonton, Calgary, Colorado, Minnesota and Dallas (maybe Vancouver instead of Minnesota)

Central Conference

Original Division: Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa

Midwest Division: St. Louis, Columbus, Southern Ontario, Pittsburgh, Buffalo

Eastern Conference

Northern Division: Philadelphia, Boston, NYI, NYR, New Jersey

Southern Division: Washington, Carolina, Atlanta, Tampa Bay

7. Require that 60 per cent of each team's active roster include players with American or Canadian citizenship or players who played at least half of their developmental hockey in North America.

Love the conferences however hate rule 7.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Love the conferences however hate rule 7.

Agreed.

Why require that 60 per cent of each team's active roster include players with American or Canadian citizenship or players who played at least half of their developmental hockey in North America?

So the teams will have to put less talented players on their roster to meet some arbitrary requirement and lower the quality of product on the ice?

how about putting more resources into developing talent in Canada and the U.S. and promoting the sport to youngsters instead?

[vangvace 12]

32 teams

remove the instigator rule

return to divisional playoff system and original conference names

change schedule to play everyone twice

reduce the goalies chestpads

goalies can roam free

no otl or shootout

no hard plastic above the waist and below the neck

no more per diem for players making over $3mil a season

add fan union, with represantation at the BOG meeting

[Opie 308]

add fan union, with represantation at the BOG meeting

Damn I like that one!!!

[stevkrause 1,247]

Agreed.

Why require that 60 per cent of each team's active roster include players with American or Canadian citizenship or players who played at least half of their developmental hockey in North America?

So the teams will have to put less talented players on their roster to meet some arbitrary requirement and lower the quality of product on the ice?

how about putting more resources into developing talent in Canada and the U.S. and promoting the sport to youngsters instead?

Agreed, it's all in the promotion and development of talent, there's so much coming out of Sweden right now for one reason - as Nick said "In Sweden, you play hockey in the winter and soccer in the summer"

It's encouraged and pushed there, so they develop more

[Guest jaytan]

I figured I might get some criticism for the 60 per cent rule (it should have been 70 or so), but I was actually being very lenient. I don't think foreign players even make up 40 per cent of the league currently. I intended the rule to encourage teams not to over-Eurocize their rosters (like Detroit has done) and to do a little bit to discourage signing role players from Europe rather than homegrown guys.

There are a number of good reasons to do this. For one, having such a large percentage of foreigners in the league makes it harder for a lot of fans and potential fans to identify with the players. This is bad for marketing the league. Also, it would help preserve in our league our style of hockey - which is better, frankly. Also, more kids will play hockey in the US if they have more homegrown heroes playing on TV.

This isn't unprecedented at all, by the way. European soccer leagues have had similar practices in place for years.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

In my perfect NHL, we would actually have a schedule that allows us to play EVERY team in the league. Cut 2 games off of divisional games, and put them towards eastern teams. It would make the season that much more exciting. I cant believe Bettman doesnt see that. Sure we should probably play our divisional teams a little more. But the fact remains. We should be able to play every eastern team atleast once. Until then, I'll never be truly happy with any of our upcoming schedules. Man I hope that changes soon.

[Ashenden 0]

I guess I'm for expanding the NHL's fan base, but here's what I see as the fundamental problem: None of the changes that have come about in the recent past has been aimed at me, the passionate fan, and that seems backwards. I figure that if the NHL treats its loyal fans well, they will drag newcomers into the league with their passion and happiness with the game. I would guess that most of the NFL fans are very happy with their league and don't have to suffer talk radio bashing the "state of the game." Anyway, make some ******* changes that people who like hockey care about and good things will happen.

[stevkrause 1,247]

I guess I'm for expanding the NHL's fan base, but here's what I see as the fundamental problem: None of the changes that have come about in the recent past has been aimed at me, the passionate fan, and that seems backwards. I figure that if the NHL treats its loyal fans well, they will drag newcomers into the league with their passion and happiness with the game. I would guess that most of the NFL fans are very happy with their league and don't have to suffer talk radio bashing the "state of the game." Anyway, make some ******* changes that people who like hockey care about and good things will happen.

[Hank 0]

That would be awesome, fights in an all-star game ! I remember the 1st ever non-Wings game I watched was back in 85 between Chicago and Toronto. A Hawks player ran Toronto's goalie and the was a bench clearing brawl. Ahh the days...

I say we ban all fighting penalties except the roughing, 5 minute major, and game misconduct, anything else buh-bye.

Hank, everytime you post your Avatar makes me chuckle, I love that movie!

LOL! Nobody touches Brian Fantana! I believe his name translates to "Whales ******".

Anyway, I guess I'm in the minority when it comes to liking how the NHL has cracked down on obstruction. I don't like some of the phantom calls that have plagued the league in the past 2 seasons but this is a necessary evil until they iron things out.

I've been watching a lot of classic hockey on the NHL Network. Last night they showed Game 3 of the Devils-Lightning game of this past season. Immediately following this was a 1992 playoff game between the Rangers and Devils. And then the other day they showed a game from the 2003 Cup final (again Devils - not sure what's up with the Devils manlove).

Anyway, the difference in all three games was drastic but one thing you couldn't help notice was the lack of any flow, excitement or creativity in the 2003 SC final game. In the 1992 game you could tell it was much slower compared to the 2006 Devils-Lightning matchup. And there was still some hooking. But the difference in that game was that there was no neutral zone trap, 3 forwards almost always attacked in the offensive zone, and the lack of 'defense first' was obvious. Not only that, it was shocking to see how small the goalies looked compared to today. Even Brodeur looked smaller compared to now and he still uses most of the same equipment from back in the day.

In the end, I wish the game was a hybrid between the 1992 and the 2006 game. I loved the speed and and lack of obstruction and hooking in the modern game but I loved how offensive minded the players and coaches were in '92.

But what I do know is that I can't go back to watching how hockey was played in 2003. It was atrocious and to be blunt, it didn't even look like hockey. The skilled players never got a chance to do anything because they always had 2-3 hands or sticks wrapped around them and only 1 forechecker ever pressed the defensemen in the attacking zone.

I think the game now is a lot better than what it was and we have to continue with the assault on obstruction. But it would be nice to make sure a standard is still enforced.

Regarding the comments on hockey radio where everyone complains, I've found that 99% of the time, the caller is complaining because his or her team lost. I very, very rarely heard a fan call in to complain after his team won.

Just look at the CBC crew. Ron MacLean and Don Cherry ***** and moan worse than anyone. But who's their team? The Maple Leafs. And since the lockout, with the CAP and new rules, the Leafs have proven to be pathetic. I'm sure if the Leafs were winning Cups or in contention for it, we wouldn't hear one word out of either of those guys concerning the 'new' NHL.

Just my $.02.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

7. Make Lou Lamourello wear a bag over his head. I'm tired of looking at that Muppet-Salamander looking thing he calls a head.

9. Players that you have drafted and developed - their salaries only count 50% towards the Cap. This promotes developing your own talent as well as rewarding teams for good drafting. This includes players that weren't drafted by their team, but were traded for before they came to the NHL (eg. Spezza).

11. Make Bryan McCabe apologize to fans during intermissions for suffering through his horrible play.

A 50% cap cut for self-drafted players is a bit steep, but 35-40% off could work for me.

Just look at the CBC crew. Ron MacLean and Don Cherry ***** and moan worse than anyone. But who's their team? The Maple Leafs. And since the lockout, with the CAP and new rules, the Leafs have proven to be pathetic. I'm sure if the Leafs were winning Cups or in contention for it, we wouldn't hear one word out of either of those guys concerning the 'new' NHL.

I call BS there. I'll give you Cherry as a biased guy, but MacLean is very even handed. The person I can't stand is that younger ex-goalie dude (I think he used to play for the Kings, right?). He's insanely Canadian biased.

Regardless, you can't complain too hard about Ron or Don since they're shoulders above any other hockey commentaters out there. Cherry for his presence and hilarious ignorance (visors are for babies? Hahaha, sure- so are seat belts then ). MacLean for his amazing hockey sense, knowledge and broadcasting skill.

[vangvace 12]

I'm also adding...

no more during period interviews

no tv monitors on the bench.

[Hank 0]

A 50% cap cut for self-drafted players is a bit steep, but 35-40% off could work for me.

I call BS there. I'll give you Cherry as a biased guy, but MacLean is very even handed. The person I can't stand is that younger ex-goalie dude (I think he used to play for the Kings, right?). He's insanely Canadian biased.

Regardless, you can't complain too hard about Ron or Don since they're shoulders above any other hockey commentaters out there. Cherry for his presence and hilarious ignorance (visors are for babies? Hahaha, sure- so are seat belts then ). MacLean for his amazing hockey sense, knowledge and broadcasting skill.

Ron is WAY better than Don in the biased department but Ron still is a bit biased. He interviewed Colin Campbell and actually showed him some clips where he felt hooking or holding would have resulted in a goal.

I like Ron, but he whines way too much about the 'new' NHL.

But Don is great as far as entertainment and you're right when you say they're the best out there for hockey broadcasting. Although, I secretely love the VS crew and the job they do. They bring a lot of knowledge to the table and have a very professional and prepared shine to their presentation.

And I think you were referring to Kelly Hrudey. I like him just on the basis that he's the only guy to call out Giggy for being all pads and having no real athletecism.

Edited July 19, 2007 by Hank