Misery loves company

[Guest ZetterbergFourty]

1. Gary Bettman

2. Instigator rule

3. Intent to blow the whistle

4. That a linesman 60 feet from the net calls a good goal, and the ref standing right on the net rules is no goal, Toronto says inconclusive, and they rule it a good goal.

5. Hell, let's get it down to 1 referree, and 5 guys who come out to break up fights.

6. Pierre McGuire and the NHL's love fest for Pissburgh. and yes, it is ONLY for Pissburgh.

7. The VS/NBC deal

8. Goalie Equipment rules aren't enforced.

9. Revenue sharing. Detroit's money goes to support Phoenix, Atlanta, et al.

10. The Trapezoid and goalie contact rules. If nothing else, keep the trapezoid as a goalie no-hit area, if he wanders into the corners or way out in front (Price, Hasek), then he is fair game.

Things we need more of:

1. Kronwall Hits

2. GARY THORNE AND BILL CLEMENT

3. TV deal with ESPN or better.

This is an excellent list. I do agree with your 1 ref, 5 babysitters rule. Mine are:

1. The "officiating"

2. Shootouts

3. Bettman's absolute disregard for tradition, and Bettman himself.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

I want to see a return of the big talentless goons, like the league had in the 90's.

These middleweight fighters are getting kind of annoying.

Edited January 25, 2010 by GMRwings1983

[Marty Barry 230]

I want to see a return of the big talentless goons, like the league had in the 90's.

These middleweight fighters are getting kind of annoying.

Probert, Domi, McCarty types?

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Probert, Domi, McCarty types?

No.

All those guys were more talented than the average goon. Those are horrible examples.

I'm talking the Twist, Grimson, Odjick types. Goons who have no talent whatsoever, but are heavyweight fighters who are fun to watch, and have a tendency to go crazy out there.

I miss them.

[Theophany 110]

intent to blow

This. A thousand times, this.

The one thing that's been consistent with officiating is that intent to blow f***s some team out of a win, and is incredibly obvious after the fact.

It's one thing to have the whistle at your lips and blow it a fraction of a second late; it's completely another to have your whistle at your side and then say you intended to blow it while your whistle was in your pocket.

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

No.

All those guys were more talented than the average goon. Those are horrible examples.

I'm talking the Twist, Grimson, Odjick types. Goons who have no talent whatsoever, but are heavyweight fighters who are fun to watch, and have a tendency to go crazy out there.

I miss them.

Floyd Mayweather.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Floyd Mayweather.

Getting kind of old there isn't it?

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Referees. f*** them, clone the 97 finals officials and let them referee every game. Enough of these dopes deciding the outcomes ofthe games, ruins the game. Players need to decide the games.

Oh, and no more instigator rule. If Malkin tells Pronger he's an ogre, I want Pronger to be able to rearrange his face.

[RedWings Gone Wild 6]

The TV deal sucks, but I can still see most every game... it's easily the front office's inconsistency in dealing with disciplinary issues, and then the on-ice officiating is just the worst. No transparency from the league on any issue, and the star player treatment is starting to rival that of the NBA.

[McAwesome 754]

Officiating, hands down.

Basically, the lack of accountability with which the on-ice officials operate is to blame.

For example, going back to the shootout goal in the Dallas game, one referee who is two feet away from the play calls no goal while the other official 60 feet away calls it a good goal, and everyone seems to think that is OK. My question is, who is in charge here? If both on-ice officials have the same level of authority, then how do they decide who trumps who? If there is a disputed call on ice (especially on something as crucial as a goal), it needs to go to video replay.

Far too many games this season have been decided by bad calls, and the fact that the league is sweeping the whole thing under the rug is a slap in the face to all of us fans who watch not only for love of our chosen teams but love of the game in general, and the game is frankly being ruined by the incompetent officiating. Any one of us who made so many mistakes at our jobs would be disciplined or terminated, but the NHL officials not only do not have to worry about being held responsible for making incompetent mistakes or, heaven forbid, purposely making the wrong call due to some personal agenda, but the rules have an out clause, namely intent to blow, whoever heard of something so ridiculous, "Oh, I didn't make the call, but I meant to".

[dirtydangles 1,328]

3 point games and officiating. the 3 point games make it impossible for teams to catch up in the standings because the teams up in the standings often play to OT and both gain points on a regular basis.

[chrisdetroit 189]

1. The fact that I can't switch on the tv on any given evening or on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in the middle of the frickin season and watch a hockey game, any hockey game. This is just plain ludicrous.

2. The fact that a team can't challenge a call on the ice.

3. The fact that Detroit, Toronto and Montreal are sending money to Phoenix to support a backrupt ice hockey team that plays in the middle of the desert.

4. loser points for a shootout or an OT loss.

5. The NHL bias towards Sydney Crosby. Enough already!

6. The stupid puck over the glass rule.

7. The stupid trapezoid rule. Let the goalies play the puck!

8. Weak penalty calls.

[Marty Barry 230]

Kovalchuk to Detroit rumors.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

the fans

that goes for every sport though

[Guest ZetterbergFourty]

1. The fact that I can't switch on the tv on any given evening or on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in the middle of the frickin season and watch a hockey game, any hockey game. This is just plain ludicrous.

2. The fact that a team can't challenge a call on the ice.

3. The fact that Detroit, Toronto and Montreal are sending money to Phoenix to support a backrupt ice hockey team that plays in the middle of the desert.

4. loser points for a shootout or an OT loss.

5. The NHL bias towards Sydney Crosby. Enough already!

6. The stupid puck over the glass rule.

7. The stupid trapezoid rule. Let the goalies play the puck!

8. Weak penalty calls.

You mean the Delay of Game penalty for intentionally shooting puck out of play? If that wasnt there you'd just have a bunch of players every game doing it. Wouldnt be a very entertaining game. I can totally see the refs, coaches, etc going banana's over this aswell. Along with the great job they do with the no-goal/ya-goal s***. It doesnt happen very often to be much of a piss off to me.

Or am I totally wrong, you mean when the puck goes out of play in to the netting or whatever, the FOUR dumbass officials on the ice dont see it, then it comes back into the play 10 seconds later, goes into the net and counts?

Edited January 26, 2010 by ZetterbergFourty

[egroen 384]

1. The fact that I can't switch on the tv on any given evening or on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in the middle of the frickin season and watch a hockey game, any hockey game. This is just plain ludicrous.

2. The fact that a team can't challenge a call on the ice.

3. The fact that Detroit, Toronto and Montreal are sending money to Phoenix to support a backrupt ice hockey team that plays in the middle of the desert.

4. loser points for a shootout or an OT loss.

5. The NHL bias towards Sydney Crosby. Enough already!

6. The stupid puck over the glass rule.

7. The stupid trapezoid rule. Let the goalies play the puck!

8. Weak penalty calls.

Good post, so I'll just list my thoughts:

1) It is tough to find hockey on the tube... very annoying.

2) I wouldn't mind one challenge a game either.

3) Agreed - at least let there be a luxury tax then.

4) 90% of the time I agree -- however, I don't like that a skills competition can decide 2 points. Awarding the loser of a shootout 1 point in a way acknowledges it is a pretty stupid way to decide a game, which I appreciate.

5) It wouldn't bother me as much if there were not so many tangible, on-ice benefits to being the chose one, or the chosen team.

6) Hmmmm... I am on the fence on this one. 2 minutes seems extreme, but at the same time I do not like seeing short-handed teams flipping it over the glass for a break.

7) Absolutely. The trapezoid is stupid and dangerous.

8) Inconsistency in calls is soooo frustrating. I also hate makeup calls and handicap calls at the end of a game.

[Wings_Rule_1010 4]

Besides what most people have said (officiating, tv, crosby), how about the fact that a decades long tradition like the swinging the octopus has to be done off the ice. And I think it is dumb that you get an extra two minutes for making a guy bleed. It could be the most brutual high stick, but if he doesn't bleed, two minutes only. And all the talk of making a no touch icing rule. That happens in NCAA hockey and it slows the game down so much.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Also, the 2 referee system. It's moronic when a play happens five feet in front of a referee who doesn't call a penalty, but the other referee on the other side of the red line does.

[egroen 384]

Also, the 2 referee system. It's moronic when a play happens five feet in front of a referee who doesn't call a penalty, but the other referee on the other side of the red line does.

I think that has largely led to the inconsistencies over the past few years. Refs definitely have a "style" and having two out at the same time muddies up the water [ice].

[egroen 384]

Oh, and probably my number one --

If the puck is over the goal line BEFORE the whistle is blown, review the damn play. Period.

I absolutely hate all the blown calls on goals... completely takes away from the game.

Happened again last night:

Edited January 26, 2010 by egroen

[ManLuv4Clears 7]

I have to agree with about 90% of the complaints in this thread. It actually pisses me off reading them and thinking about what a debacle this sport has become. There can't be one sport that can come remotely close to the NHL in terms of the amount of rule and format changes that have been implemented in such a short period of time. I don't even want to get started on the officiating or TV deal.

[Stiffy 0]

Mine would have to be the excessive amount of clothing worn by Ice Girls.

[Marty Barry 230]

Mine would have to be the excessive amount of clothing worn by Ice Girls.

EXACTLY!!!!! It is downright blasphemus.

[Marty Barry 230]

BLOWING 2 GOAL LEADS!!!

[Stiffy 0]

BLOWING 2 GOAL LEADS!!!

Yea, I would trade winning that game for Ice Girls in burlap sacks all season. Brutal.