New Rule being discussed

[Hank 0]

Last night on TSN, Gord Miller said that this new idea is being thrown around the BOG and some of them actually like it.

Below you'll see a pic of how they will add 2 more lines above the circles.. The dmen in the offensive zone, while the wingers covering them will not be able to cross that line. This will force more 3-on-3 hockey and stop zone coverages and collapsing defenses.

This is the stupidest idea I've ever heard. Are these guys so high in their ivory tower they can't see that the most obvious change is the easiest - SHRINK THE GOALIE GEAR!!!

Edited December 19, 2007 by Hank

[Redwings-40-5 11]

I don't like rules that limits a player's movement on the ice, like the goalie and the trapezoid, and this. Personally I think this rule would be terrible.

[mooose kiiisses 0]

Seriously, that is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard!

[shannyfan1414 0]

stupid rule.

Why are they trying to ruin the game. I think that the game is fine and league needs to work on marketing the game. They need to figure out a way to to show the speed of the game on TV. They need to get national coverage on ESPN so that people can see the game learn to love it. Don't make stupid changes that are just going to ruin the game.

[omnipotent_hudler 0]

LEAVE THE GAME THE WAY IT IS

NO

CHANGE

For gods SAKE. What is this reasoning that 99% of people are using in regards to hockey? How in the world are low scoring games boring? Oh no, heaven forbid that a game might be decided by one goal! Oh, NO ONE is going to be excited when they know that their team scoring a goal actually means something

But oh no, lets turn the NHL into basketball! 140 goals per game!

the

game

is

fine

All we can possibly need right now is small changes. More consistency with penalties. Change the delay of game penalty. That's it

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

:nonono:

And they think this will increase scoring? How in the hell is that going to happen if D-men aren't allowed to sneak up back door, especially on a power play. Not to mention think about how much this would change a 5-on-3 PP.

No way the BOG or the league is so dumb that they would allow this to happen.

Sidenote: Does this remind you of Bubble hockey in the fact that your players would only be able to move so far.

Edited December 19, 2007 by Never Forget Mac #25

[grimace1970 81]

This is hockey, not soccer. If someone starts a petition, I'm there.

[DEVILSWATERBOY 10]

What the? Are they actually trying to ruin the game completely me I am not a big soccer fan but is this not the

basic layout for a soccer field. Boy this game has really gone the wrong way the past 5 years, I say put them on

pond with frozen buffalo crap and sticks and let them play hawkey :!:

[mooose kiiisses 0]

LEAVE THE GAME THE WAY IT IS

NO

CHANGE

For gods SAKE. What is this reasoning that 99% of people are using in regards to hockey? How in the world are low scoring games boring? Oh no, heaven forbid that a game might be decided by one goal! Oh, NO ONE is going to be excited when they know that their team scoring a goal actually means something

But oh no, lets turn the NHL into basketball! 140 goals per game!

the

game

is

fine

All we can possibly need right now is small changes. More consistency with penalties. Change the delay of game penalty. That's it

EXACTLY! isn't watching a team score 40+ baskets boring? it takes the excitement out of the game.

[IceMunkee 15]

Oh. Ah. I just threw up on myself. All over my nice combat boots.

[Cicada 4]

might as well start playing ******* netball...

just leave the game alone!

[JayUp88 1]

oh god i hope not

[Hank 0]

I'm glad that others here see that this is a retarded idea.

However, I'm in disagreement with a few that feel the game is perfectly fine.

In one breath I hear that the game needs to be marketed better and needs to get back on ESPN. But in the other I hear that low scoring games are fine. A low scoring affair isn't always a bad thing but when 90% of today's game's end with one team scoring 2 goals or less (every game last night had this), then there is an issue. I'm sure ESPN can't wait to promote a sport where a lot of the games are borefests that feature little-to-no forechecking, zone defenses and goalies that blot out the sun.

If a low scoring game features lots of flow, up-and-down action, hits, chances and big saves, it's a good thing. The issue is that a great, great majority of low scoring games feature almost none of this.

In my mind the NHL DOES need more scoring. I'm not asking for lacrosse totals, but an average of 6.5-7.0 goals per game is the magic number. Not 5.0 - 5.5. However, saying that, HOW the goals are scored is almost as important (or more important) to how many.

In today's NHL, I'd venture to say that 9 out of 10 goals are scored in this fashion - tip, rebound, screen shot. You don't see the nice top-shelf markers or long slapshots that you saw back in the day. Anyone remember Messiers classic goal from the right-wing boards on his wrong leg? Messier would have maybe 2 of those goals if he was starting his career now.

The issue is that scoring zones that existed for almost 100 years in the NHL are gone. Unless your name is Lecavailer, Heatley, Ovechkin or Kovalchuk, you need to be within a 6 foot radius of the crease to score a goal.

Also, Bill Clement made an excellent observation the other day that in today's NHL goals are generated either on the PP or off the initial rush into the offensive zone. Meaning that, if you don't score immediately after gaining the zone with some speed, there's a great chance you're not going to score. Teams are almost finished with chasing guys around and getting caught in the cycle. They simply collapse around the goalie and play a zone defense.

We need to get the game back to where a shot from 15 feet out from even a 3rd liner can be seen as a dangerous play. The 'anticipation' of a possible goal needs to return. Almost everyone in Joe Louis (all 15,000 ) knows that when one of our players, or the opposition, lets a shot go from 20 feet out, unless there's a screen happening, the puck ain't going in the net. The drama has been sucked out of the offensive zone.

The only way I can see this happening is to shrink goalie gear. The size of the current tender is so large that not only are they stopping pucks they shouldn't but it's also affecting shooters psychologically. Case in point: the Wings game vs the Coyotes - Kronwall steps in from the point with the puck unchecked. He makes it to the middle of the hashmarks with nobody around him and what does he do? He passes off to Cleary who's standing on the boards. Why? Because he saw no room at all. That needs to change.

Just my $.02.

[auxlepli 17]

Don't like the rule. Shrink the goalie gear.

[Opie 308]

I heard an interesting comment made on a local sports station.

I think it was Bob Ryan (from Around the Horn fame for most of you) mentioned that the lack of scoring may be because the rinks have become so big that it has limited the goal scoring.

For instance the old garden was something like 100' by 60' can't remember the exact measurements, and now the rinks are 200 by forever. His argument was that in the smaller rinks if a player turned the puck over, the other team could turn around and be in the Offensive zone well before the D got set up.

I think they need to stop tinkering with the rinks and the lines and rules and jerseys and skates. What they need to do is worry about pads. Goalie and skater pads.

Shrink goalie pads and soften up players pads, get rid of that hard shelled gear the players are wearing that makes them nearly invincible and when a hit is delivered the results are far more severe.

No matter what they do with the rink, how they change the lines, any of that crap, some coach will come up with a way to play a zone, trap, or some other type of D to stop the flow of the game.

What is next a 3 second key in front of the net like in basket ball that no one O or D can stand in for more than 3 seconds.

Stop ******* with the game, you are making it harder for casual fans to follow the game, those are the fans that the league/sport need!!

[Hank 0]

I heard an interesting comment made on a local sports station.

I think it was Bob Ryan (from Around the Horn fame for most of you) mentioned that the lack of scoring may be because the rinks have become so big that it has limited the goal scoring.

For instance the old garden was something like 100' by 60' can't remember the exact measurements, and now the rinks are 200 by forever. His argument was that in the smaller rinks if a player turned the puck over, the other team could turn around and be in the Offensive zone well before the D got set up.

I think they need to stop tinkering with the rinks and the lines and rules and jerseys and skates. What they need to do is worry about pads. Goalie and skater pads.

Shrink goalie pads and soften up players pads, get rid of that hard shelled gear the players are wearing that makes them nearly invincible and when a hit is delivered the results are far more severe.

No matter what they do with the rink, how they change the lines, any of that crap, some coach will come up with a way to play a zone, trap, or some other type of D to stop the flow of the game.

What is next a 3 second key in front of the net like in basket ball that no one O or D can stand in for more than 3 seconds.

Stop ******* with the game, you are making it harder for casual fans to follow the game, those are the fans that the league/sport need!!

Exactly!

Good post Opie!

[Superman54 91]

the best way to do it is shrink the goalie equipment. That way we do not have to make the nets bigger and ruin tradition, shrinking the eq. just makes more sense. Oh and please god, let this rule be a joke!

[blgillett 48]

Seriously, that is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard!

That's my thoughts exactly!

[omnipotent_hudler 0]

I'm still baffled as to why everyone thinks this:

1. Increase scoring

2. ????

3. Profit!

[FedorovGurl 2]

the best way to do it is shrink the goalie equipment. That way we do not have to make the nets bigger and ruin tradition, shrinking the eq. just makes more sense. Oh and please god, let this rule be a joke!

Some of the best posts I have seen and I agree. Don't mess with the game. I don't mind a low scoring game at all; it just means there was some wicked fine defence and great goaltending. Who can argue with that??

[Grittzkey 1]

I'd stop watching hockey.

[Rob the Badger 0]

I think that the NCAA hockey rules are about as good as they get as far as the actual play of the game is concerned. If you added fighting to it without any instigator rule, it would be about perfect. The restrictions on goalies playing the puck and the idea of adding new lines to the ice is just stupid.

[Opie 308]

The only "new" Rules that I like are going back to touch up offsides and the two line pass.

Other than that it has all been Bulls***!!

[VM1138 1,921]

So four players will be crammed between the blue line and this new red line? THat's ridiculous. THere won't be any movement at all, let alone goal scoring. Say goodbye to slap shots.

[Lidsyukerberg 0]

I'd stop watching hockey.

Actually, that's not true.

You would stop watching whatever bastardized sport they are creating to replace hockey. It's getting harder and harder every day to actually call this hockey.

I'm just glad that I still have some of the older games on DVD for when I want to watch a hockey game.

March 26, 1997, enough said?