MY NHL

[Hank 0]

First realignment:

Smythe

Vancouver

Edmonton

Calgary

San Jose

Anaheim

Los Angeles

Dallas

Phoenix

Norris

Detroit

St.Louis

Toronto

Minnesota

Boston

Chicago

Colorado

Adams

Montreal

Ottawa

Buffalo

Nashville

Tampa Bay

Carolina

Florida

Patrick

Washington

Philadelphia

NY Rangers

NY Islanders

New Jersey

Atlanta

Columbus

Pittsburgh

- Playoff teams are decided by the top 4 teams in each division and you play out of your own division. THIS is how you build rivalries.

- Drop the Instigator Rule

- Only 16 skaters can dress a night. Because this will force teams to play their stars more, you'll see more offense as well as mistakes because guys won't have as much energy to backcheck like they do now. Brind'Amour has already said that there's no need for a 4th line. He feels he could play 35 minutes a night like the stars did in the 80's. And this is a 37 year old saying this.

- Reduce goalie equipment drastically - the technology's there. It can happen.

I think these rules will not only help open the game but also make it more exciting and build great rivalries through inter-division playoffs.

I still remember some of the great wars that took place in each division come playoff time.

Edited October 4, 2007 by Hank

[JayUp88 1]

I like you split ups. although the aves and the wings in the same division!?

I like having a 4th line. theres no need to get rid of it.

[toby91_ca 620]

What do you mean by "play out of your own division?"

I wouldn't mind experimenting with a smaller lineup. I like the idea of star players getting more ice time. Not everyone can handle it though (which maybe what separates the best from the rest though).

In terms of realignment, I wouldn't mind seeing it, but in your divisions, I'm not sure how you could have Buffalo and Ottawa in a different division than Toronto.

[Son of a Wing 1,644]

You might want to factor in Las Vegas (its gonna happen) and another team (probably Winnipeg). Expansion is coming in the next 5 years.

[Hank 0]

What do you mean by "play out of your own division?"

I wouldn't mind experimenting with a smaller lineup. I like the idea of star players getting more ice time. Not everyone can handle it though (which maybe what separates the best from the rest though).

In terms of realignment, I wouldn't mind seeing it, but in your divisions, I'm not sure how you could have Buffalo and Ottawa in a different division than Toronto.

As in, you have to get out of your division to get to the conference finals. Just like how it was about 10 years ago.

Regarding TO, they were in the Norris for a lot longer than they've been in the Eastern Conference. That division will be fine. And the only reason that Ott and TO have a rivalry is because of a number of playoff tilts. I'm sure once Ottawa faces Buffalo or Montreal or Tampa Bay a number of times, a rivalry will be born there too.

I don't like the 4th line because all it does is provide more rest for the top two lines. And most 4th lines are merely checking lines that bring nothing to the game, entertainment wise, other than to play sound defensive hockey and maintain a defensive system the coaches have in place.

With 16 skaters, teams can choose to dress 6 dmen and 10 forwards. That 10th forward can be a goon for the fans of scrapping.

[toby91_ca 620]

Regarding TO, they were in the Norris for a lot longer than they've been in the Eastern Conference. That division will be fine. And the only reason that Ott and TO have a rivalry is because of a number of playoff tilts. I'm sure once Ottawa faces Buffalo or Montreal or Tampa Bay a number of times, a rivalry will be born there too.

Yes, but if you look at a map, how can you have Toronto and Buffalo in a different division? I know it used to be that way, but you need to take logistics into account. Buffalo is the closest city to Toronto, Ottawa is the next closest. It would be difficult to consider having Ottawa and Montreal in a separate division for example.

I think when you are aligning the league, you have to group the closest teams together first and then look at outliers and fit them in as best you can.

[StaticWithABeat 0]

I've always been a big fan of the divisional playoff structure. In my perfect NHL there would be 4 divisions of 6 teams each, with the top 4 teams in each division going through 2 inter-divisional playoff rounds before moving on to the conference final, as Hank proposed. Dropping the instigator and reducing goalie equipment pretty much go without saying. Not sure if I like the 16-man roster idea, I can see arguments both for and against it...I'm inclined to say keep it the way it is.

[Hank 0]

Yes, but if you look at a map, how can you have Toronto and Buffalo in a different division? I know it used to be that way, but you need to take logistics into account. Buffalo is the closest city to Toronto, Ottawa is the next closest. It would be difficult to consider having Ottawa and Montreal in a separate division for example.

I think when you are aligning the league, you have to group the closest teams together first and then look at outliers and fit them in as best you can.

There's never going to be a 100% fair schedule. The Wings and Blue Jackets have been getting screwed for a while now.

If making certain EST teams travel a bit more to make the league more balanced and exciting, I'll take that tradeoff.

I think the divisions I cooked up are pretty entertaining with some quality teams/rivals in each division. Playoffs would be a hoot to watch.

[union drone 0]

I really like the fact that you put the Capitals, Flyers, and Pittsburgh in the same division. The Caps/Pens rivalry has at times been epic (think early 90s), and those two deserve each other.

The wings' division has a lot of mojo with the St. Louis, Chicago, Toronto, Minnesota lineup. Boston's addition is questionable, but interesting. Colorado would probably hate all the travel, and might not be on board with being in the Norris. It would be nice to try to maintain some rivalry with them.

As for the changes, all seem good. I would add, however 10 minute overtimes before shootout. Having 5 minute OT is a complete joke. It is pointless. Either make it longer or get rid of it altogether!

I wonder what the shorter bench will do to the game...

[Spongewingredpants 75]

my NHL

Detroit

Toronto

Montreal

Boston

Chicago

New York

[vangvace 12]

My version:

Smythe

Vancouver

Edmonton

Calgary

San Jose

Anaheim

Los Angeles

Phoenix

(Vegas/KC in '11)

Norris

Detroit

St.Louis

Toronto

Minnesota

Columbus

Chicago

Colorado

(SW ontario expansion '11)

Adams

Nashville

Tampa Bay

Carolina

Florida

Atlanta

Pittsburgh

Washington

Dallas

Patrick

Philadelphia

NY Rangers

NY Islanders

New Jersey

Boston

Montreal

Ottawa

Buffalo

I like the idea of dressed 16 skaters and could very well happen and not get killed by NHLPA if it coincides with the 2011ish expansion so no "jobs" are lost.

Edited October 4, 2007 by vangvace

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

There seems to be one big flaw in your suggestions. What's the point of getting rid of the instigator rule if you're only dressing 16 skaters. Who's going to do all the fighting, the star players? If you eliminate the 4th line, you eliminate grit from hockey, as well as those underdog hard workers that every team's fans love to cheer for.

[vangvace 12]

There seems to be one big flaw in your suggestions. What's the point of getting rid of the instigator rule if you're only dressing 16 skaters. Who's going to do all the fighting, the star players? If you eliminate the 4th line, you eliminate grit from hockey, as well as those underdog hard workers that every team's fans love to cheer for.

Actually you'ld just return it to how it was in the 80s(?) roster wise. and that was some fun hockey to watch.

[Hank 0]

There seems to be one big flaw in your suggestions. What's the point of getting rid of the instigator rule if you're only dressing 16 skaters. Who's going to do all the fighting, the star players? If you eliminate the 4th line, you eliminate grit from hockey, as well as those underdog hard workers that every team's fans love to cheer for.

I think fans, as a whole, don't care much for a grinding line unless it fights a lot. And 3rd lines would still be around. You'd still see lines like Moen-Phalsson-Neidermayer that provide what you described.

And with no instigator and less players you'd still see players like Drake looking for justice at the end of a game if someone violated one of the stars. Plus, the one extra forward could be a goon.

[TheBadOne 0]

I like your ideas. I don't necessarily agree with all of them, but I like your ideas. That said:

- I like your divisional realignments. The league itself may have some tweaking to do, but all and all, I think its great you incorporated the classic names.

- I say keep the 4th line. Two scoring lines, a checking line, and an energy line are pretty good to watch. If you overplay the star players, they're probably likely to be prone to injury.

- For the playoffs, I'd like to see the 9th seed take on the 8th seed for a best of 3 miniseries to determine who gets the final playoff spot (5th vs 4th per your post.)

- I'm a goalie who plays inline hockey. IMO, goalie equipment should remain status quo. The reduction in the size of blockers, catchers, and leg pads after the lockout have enabled goaltenders with athletic ability to shine, while the guys who used to just park their oversized asses in the crease are now playing somewhere in Europe. Make it any smaller and either goalie injuries will skyrocket or due to the technology needed to make efficient protective equipment smaller, only pros or the wealthy will be able to afford it. My last complete set of equipment was barely under $1000, and that was going for the most affordable equipment available!

(Side note: Because I was playing inline hockey, the leg pads I got were 11" wide because they were made specifically for inline hockey. Once I got ice pads, they were 12" wide and SEVERELY affected my mobility. I'm glad the NHL reduced the pad sizes to 11", because the sizes they have now are just perfect.)

In addition to your points, I have mine as well:

- Fighting instigation penalties should focus more on jumping a person (e.g.: Parros jumping Hudler) as opposed to third man in (e.g.: Drake jumping in to fight Parros after laying a nasty hit on Hudler or trying to fight Hudler.)

- Visors and mouthguards should be mandatory, as should be either goalie throat visors or goalie throat guards (Ozzy uses a visor, Dom uses a guard, Luongo uses neither and suffered a minor throat injury as a result.)

- All players should wear a padded underglove similar to MMA fighting gloves, but with wrist protectors as well. Anyone caught altering the padding for fighting advantage would receive an automatic 20 game suspension and forfeit 20 games worth of salary. It might seem harsh, but it will also keep it fair and safe.

- The original jerseys should be re-instated or the new ones should be redesigned. They can't be tied down for fights, they're leaving the players soaked, and they seem to rip easily. Is it worth them being 8% faster? I dunno.

- Teams should play 6 games vs dvisional opponents (24 based on the actual conference alignment), 4 against conference opponents (40 games) and 15 games vs opponents in the different conference, 20 if a division in one conference has a "home and home" system with a division in the rival conference. (I hope it goes through at the board meeting.)

- Winnipeg would get a team if another one is placed in Vegas, not considering whether or not Nashville moves to KC.

- No touch icing would be implemented.

- Any player under 21 who doesn't perform to certain standards in junior, college, minor league, or European play would be ineligible to play in the NHL, with the standards agreed upon by the governing bodies. I say this because I don't want to see players fall victim of improper development, which could affect their careers for a lifetime. Not all people are meant to stay in junior (like Sidney Crosby) but not all should be uprooted as soon as they're drafted (like Malhotra) because their team sucks. Draft age would remain 18. An alternative to this would be to make a player play one full season in the AHL before being able to play in the NHL.

- In addition to having 3 healthy scratches, 3 additional players can be designated for "practice squad" and would be exempt from waivers if designated to the minors for assignment. Players would have to have a practice squad clause in their existing contract in order to be assigned to the practice squad and would allow them to be in the NHL at an AHL salary (except if they're designated for the active roster.) Ideally, only players on an entry-level contract, Group VI free agents, or any Group III free agent on a two-way deal would be eligible to opt into the clause. A player like Meech would be ineligible because he's Group II, nor would Dan Cloutier because he's on a one-way deal, but a guy like Matt Ellis would be able to opt into it and not worry about having to relocate due to being claimed on waivers. The maximum amount of players designated between scratches and the practice squad would be 5 skaters and a goalie.

There's probably more, but I can't think of it right now because I'm working.

Edited October 5, 2007 by TheBadOne

[55fan 5,133]

I agree with drop the instigater rule.

I would also add:

Fighing is only a penalty if one participant is unwilling or unable to participate. (obviously, it's they guy who fought who gets the penalty).

Two minute penalty for failure to drop gloves and protective headgear, or for failing to allow one's opponent to do the same.

The fight ends only when agreed upon by the players, or when a clear winner is determined by the officials, who shall then blow the whistle, raise the arm of the winner, and seek medical attention for the other participant. In that order.

Agree with the 10 minute OT before heading to the shoot-out.

Get hockey on PBS. Everyone gets PBS. Have pledge breaks during the commercial time outs.

Fine announcers who say "uh" every 5 seconds. As in: "Nicklas uh Lidstrom passes to Henrik uh Zetterberg and he uh shoots."

[Izzy24 44]

What's a "throat visor?" Do you mean a gobbler?

[clutchngrab 12]

I like your ideas.... But, Keep 4 lines, but play 4 on 4 - especially if goalies are going to be over-padded and the nets stay the same size.

Also, no touch icing and consider eliminating off-sides if playing 4 on 4.

Fighting should be like it used to be and dirty penalties like boarding, cross-checking should be 4 or at least a 2 and 4 minute version.

Go to 48 minutes and quarters and halfs like basketball to keep the games moving.

Excuse me, I must go huff a little more glue.

[vangvace 12]

- For the playoffs, I'd like to see the 9th seed take on the 8th seed for a best of 3 miniseries to determine who gets the final playoff spot (5th vs 4th per your post.)

- I'm a goalie who plays inline hockey. IMO, goalie equipment should remain status quo. The reduction in the size of blockers, catchers, and leg pads after the lockout have enabled goaltenders with athletic ability to shine, while the guys who used to just park their oversized asses in the crease are now playing somewhere in Europe. Make it any smaller and either goalie injuries will skyrocket or due to the technology needed to make efficient protective equipment smaller, only pros or the wealthy will be able to afford it. My last complete set of equipment was barely under $1000, and that was going for the most affordable equipment available!

(Side note: Because I was playing inline hockey, the leg pads I got were 11" wide because they were made specifically for inline hockey. Once I got ice pads, they were 12" wide and SEVERELY affected my mobility. I'm glad the NHL reduced the pad sizes to 11", because the sizes they have now are just perfect.)

In addition to your points, I have mine as well:

- Fighting instigation penalties should be issued at the referee's discretion, with more focus on jumping a person (e.g.: Parros jumping Hudler) as opposed to second man in (e.g.: Drake jumping in to fight Parros after laying a nasty hit on Hudler or trying to fight Hudler.)

- Visors and mouthguards should be mandatory, as should be either goalie throat visors or goalie throat guards (Ozzy uses a visor, Dom uses a guard, Luongo uses neither and suffered a minor throat injury as a result.)

- All players should wear a padded underglove similar to MMA fighting gloves, but with wrist protectors as well. Anyone caught altering the padding for fighting advantage would receive an automatic 20 game suspension and forfeit 20 games worth of salary. It might seem harsh, but it will also keep it fair and safe.

- Winnipeg would get a team if another one is placed in Vegas, not considering whether or not Nashville moves to KC.

- Any player under 21 who doesn't perform to certain standards in junior, college, minor league, or European play would be ineligible to play in the NHL, with the standards agreed upon by the governing bodies. I say this because I don't want to see players fall victim of improper development, which could affect their careers for a lifetime. Not all people are meant to stay in junior (like Sidney Crosby) but not all should be uprooted as soon as they're drafted (like Malhotra) because their team sucks. Draft age would remain 18. An alternative to this would be to make a player play one full season in the AHL before being able to play in the NHL.

- In addition to having 3 healthy scratches, 3 additional players can be designated for "practice squad" and would be exempt from waivers if designated to the minors for assignment. Players would have to have a practice squad clause in their existing contract in order to be assigned to the practice squad and would allow them to be in the NHL at an AHL salary (except if they're designated for the active roster.) Ideally, only players on an entry-level contract, Group VI free agents, or any Group III free agent on a two-way deal would be eligible to opt into the clause. A player like Meech would be ineligible because he's Group II, nor would Dan Cloutier because he's on a one-way deal, but a guy like Matt Ellis would be able to opt into it and not worry about having to relocate due to being claimed on waivers. The maximum amount of players designated between scratches and the practice squad would be 5 skaters and a goalie.)

There's probably more, but I can't think of it right now because I'm working.

What your talking about as far as fighting goes is called the aggressor penalty.

I'm not sure about the MMA gloves. I think that they would take away from the "feel" of the puck. The Wrist protection would be interesting, but it would have to be like scale-like (think armadillo) or something and could end up slowing shots.

If you're going to mandate mouthguards and visors then you might as well cut out that step and go straight to full facemasks. They'd offer better protection. But I don't think either are necessary to make mandatory because more players coming into the league are going to the visor.

Winnipeg would be third on my list for Canadian cities to get a team. Hamilton and Quebec City I would consider first.

To worry about player development at the point of 18-21 is waaaay to late in the game imo. But then again the handful of highschool and peewee practices haven't really included fundamentals either

I'm not sure how having 5 skaters and a goalie watching the game eating popcorn helps them develop...

a ninth playoff team... I'm intrigued, but over half the league goes to the playoffs as it is. Plus it'll add another week or two to the season.

As for the goalie pads... if you're a beanpole and you put on pads and you then look like an NFL lineman or sumo wrestler, then the pads are too big. Look at the pads from 10 years ago (the whole thing not just leg pads) there is a dramatic increase. Hell look at Paddy Wah's or Guigure's pads over thier career... It's not so much the leg pads in particular the rest of the pads that need to still be shunk. Either that or make the nets bigger. Your choice.

Sorry that you'd have to spend another grand for your hobby in advance.

[yankeebaddabing 0]

Wow all of a sudden no one likes hockey the way it is, yeah let's change the entire game, that will help ratings and get more people to watch it now won't it, hey how about we erase all the records and start a new sport sort of like hockey

My 2 cents

[TheBadOne 0]

What's a "throat visor?" Do you mean a gobbler?

Yeah, the clear protective piece of plastic that dangles from the mask/cage

[TheBadOne 0]

What your talking about as far as fighting goes is called the aggressor penalty.

I'm not sure about the MMA gloves. I think that they would take away from the "feel" of the puck. The Wrist protection would be interesting, but it would have to be like scale-like (think armadillo) or something and could end up slowing shots.

If you're going to mandate mouthguards and visors then you might as well cut out that step and go straight to full facemasks. They'd offer better protection. But I don't think either are necessary to make mandatory because more players coming into the league are going to the visor.

Winnipeg would be third on my list for Canadian cities to get a team. Hamilton and Quebec City I would consider first.

To worry about player development at the point of 18-21 is waaaay to late in the game imo. But then again the handful of highschool and peewee practices haven't really included fundamentals either

I'm not sure how having 5 skaters and a goalie watching the game eating popcorn helps them develop...

a ninth playoff team... I'm intrigued, but over half the league goes to the playoffs as it is. Plus it'll add another week or two to the season.

As for the goalie pads... if you're a beanpole and you put on pads and you then look like an NFL lineman or sumo wrestler, then the pads are too big. Look at the pads from 10 years ago (the whole thing not just leg pads) there is a dramatic increase. Hell look at Paddy Wah's or Guigure's pads over thier career... It's not so much the leg pads in particular the rest of the pads that need to still be shunk. Either that or make the nets bigger. Your choice.

Sorry that you'd have to spend another grand for your hobby in advance.

Yeah, I can't claim to be an official. Thanks for the heads up. I don't agree with the "third man in" rule or instigator rules. I just don't like a grossly unfair fight.

For the underglove idea, It doesn't have to be as bulky as a MMA glove, but padded. I love fighting in hockey, but given the fact that the players are better conditioned and bigger nowadays, I would want to limit the amount of Fedoruk and Newbury incidents out there. Plus if that happens in tandem with dropping the instigator rule, it gives enforcers the ability to do their job and lessen the risk of injury. The wrist part comes from an idea I got watching Don Cherry's Rock Em Sock Em videos and Coaches Corner, where he shows how the old-school gloves were able to protect the hand and the wrist and reduce the risk of a broken wrist. If you're saying something to the effect of dragonskin, I'm with ya on that.

Well here's how I feel about visors/mouthguards vs. a full mask. I don't feel a full mask is entirely necessary because it would deter fighting and encourage stick work. Also, getting caught with a stick on the chin is not nearly as threatening as taking a puck or stick to the eye. I look at what happened with Berard and Yzerman and think of how unfortunate it would have been if their careers would have ended on those notes. A guy gets popped in the chin during a fight, he's a little woozy, but he'll live. A guy gets hit real well in the eye, it could be the end of his career.

Winnipeg would be first for me, then Quebec City, then Hamilton because of its proximity to Toronto and Buffalo. I'd probably feel different if I lived there, but they do have the Bulldogs.

My wiseass rebuttal to the "To worry about player development at the point of 18-21 is waaaay to late in the game" would be "Well if Jimmy Howard were so great, how come he's in the AHL?! " My serious reply to that is that while some kids are ready for the jump like Sidney, not all are at their physical AND mental peak to be playing at the highest level. Yeah, some kid can look great showing off against a bunch of 17-21 year olds in front of 1,323 people in Plymouth. But then comes the hype about how this guy's going to be the next Wayne. Then he steps onto the ice in an arena with a 18,000 screaming fans playing against guys who've been doing this s*** for years. Is he going to perform, or is the whole situation going to be too much to deal with?

Conversely, the guy goes from playing in front of 2.000 in Plymouth to playing in front of 7,000 people in Grand Rapids to playing in front of 20,000 in Detroit (once Illitch figures out lower ticket prices = fannies in seats.) In the process, he's developing with all the same faces and starts developing an approach to the game and a counter-approach to players' tendencies. He enters the league when ready and has enough experience to justify his spot on a roster.

Another point to that is that the time they bide makes a young player hungry. If a kid rules at Jr. and then gets touted and thrown into the NHL, they can be like "Hey, I made it here without effort, they like me for me, right?" Then after the kid takes too many shifts off, he is either trying to find a team via tryout (Cleary) or ends up a career minor leaguer (Ference). Consequently, the kid that goes from Juniors/College/Europe to Minors ends up sick of smelling diesel fumes and eating McDonalds on game day when he starts to figure out that if he works hard enough, charter flights and chicken parmigiana awaits him, thus lighting a fire under his ass. Once that's figured out and he shows up to next season's camp 20 lbs lighter and ready for an NHL job, he's going to be groomed as a franchise player (Howard, Quincey, Ozzy, Filpulla, Hudler, and the list goes on.)

To re-iterate an idea central to my practice squad suggestion, those three players would have the right to be designated to minor and recalled without having to clear waivers and could spend as much time in the minors for a "conditioning assignment" as necessary. I'll drop my suggestion of having players on entry-level contracts eligible so as to not interfere with their development, but anyone who's a Group III or VI Free Agent is someone who's days of development are likely over and should have the right to say whether or not they want to remain with one organization over the course of the season. Ideally, a player would have to agree to it in their contract, so its not like a team would just go and say "Hey, you're on our team, we're designating you for practice squad." I see it as a convenience for the team as they're able to protect parts of their roster and a convenience for the player so they don't have to end up living out of a suitcase if they don't want to due to the waiver wire.

A best of 3 game series doesn't necessarily have to add a week. They can just kick out the 3 games at the 8th seed's home and resume the traditional playoff format.

If players still used wooden sticks, leather helmets, and cotton for shoulder pads, I'd be all about a drastic reduction in pad size. But even with the new dimension goalie pants, goalies are reporting more bruises on their thighs. The shoulder floaters for the NHL should rightfully be reduced and have been as far as I'm to understand. I've worn the new gloves and they're just right. If you want to scale the leg pads down to 10" (like back in the day), that could work too. Otherwise, I strongly suggest they keep it as it is, in regards to both pad sizes and net size.

I will say this though, Roy, and to a lesser extent Giguere, took too many liberties with their pad sizes. Phonies like that should be called out and penalized by both refs and the league. Roy's the worst when it came to that because while he always wore oversized pads, he had the AUDACITY after he retired to suggest they reduce pad sizes!!!! Why didn't he say that when he was playing for Colorado?!?!?!?!?!

I sold that gear anyway because now USA Hockey's followed the NHL's lead and reduced the sizes as well. I was able to get most of my money back, but had to use it to move, so I'll be looking to get new gear come next winter/spring.

Edited October 5, 2007 by TheBadOne

[Guest jaytan]

The players association wouldn't let you get rid of the fourth line.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Im surprised you didnt say that visors werent allowed Hank, since your one of those guys who hate them ( as do I)