Ryan Wilson: NHLPA Agrees With You, NHL Needs More Scoring NHLPA Agrees With You, NHL Needs More Scoring

Amen!

I don't think the rule book is going to be enforced. The NHL likes the obstruction. It helps with parity and I think they believe it slows the game down to mitigate head trauma issues. Good defense now is how any talentless slob can interfere with high end players and punch them, grab their stick, crosscheck, interfere when they don't have the puck, etc. It's nearly impossible to get clean chances from the "home plate" area and goalies save percentages are absurdly high. Game is going the way of soccer where scoring chances are a rare event.

Playing a good defensive scheme is overrated. We need more 17-13 games. Can't wait until the NHL becomes indoor lacrosse.

enforcing the rules, even just 80% would help. Another option that I would be in favor of is enforcing a downsize in goalie equipment. There is no need for pads (chest, arm, back) that make tall, lean men look like the Pilsbury Dough Boy. The purpose of pads is supposed to be to protect the goalie, not make the goalie bigger.

The league could also look into increasing the size of the rink (unlikely to go through) and exploring ways to allow for even more stretch passes.

Agree totally. Games are boring this year. Hawks/Preds was the best series so far. Entertaining hockey. Other than that, playoffs have been a mixed bag. Caps/Rags is boring hockey last game notwithstanding. Problem: Players are too big, to fast, and the rink is the same size. No time or space.

I'd start with instituting a rule where players cant drop to the ice to block shots either by going to one knee, 2 knees, flopping in front of their own goalie, or doing the Scuderi ice flop on a 2on1 or 5-3. You have to remain on your skates to block a shot. This would have a 2-fold effect. More shots get through and you have less injuries.

Call the rulebook. Enforce goalie equipment. Expand the nets 3-6 inches. PP's are the full 2 mins. You score during a delayed penalty, you still get the PP. Shorthanded teams cant ice the puck. Every 5 icings by a team, they get a delay of game penalty. Boom. Done. This isn't hard.

Also, I think the league needs to seriously look into having the players wear cages for full-face protection. Too many pucks to faces, sticks to faces, etc. You're paying these players millions of dollars. Protect the investment. Think about the puck Sid took to his jaw in 2013. With a cage, that likely doesn't do anything to him, he plays out the season, wins another scoring championship, is 100% for the playoffs, etc..

Don't allow players to leave their feet to block shots!

It will:
**allow more pucks to get through/shots on net
**safer for players as well
**assess a penalty

Don't allow players to leave their feet to block shots!

It will:
**allow more pucks to get through/shots on net
**safer for players as well
**assess a penalty
- rrentz

So what happens if a player lays on the ice to block a cross-ice pass on a 2-on-1 and the player elects to shoot it and ends up hitting the defenseman. Is that now a penalty?

Don't allow players to leave their feet to block shots!

It will:
**allow more pucks to get through/shots on net
**safer for players as well
**assess a penalty
- rrentz

It's not enforceable and is actually good defense that the rulebook allows. It's the last change I would like to see instituted.

It's not enforceable and is actually good defense that the rulebook allows. It's the last change I would like to see instituted.
- jfkst1

But why would you want to allow it to continue? I'd like to add these additional rule changes:

No more body checking: this can cause injury, and inhibits the puck carrier's movement.

No more poke checks: poke checks can cause the player to lose the puck, resulting in fewer shots.

No more goaltenders: Goals = fun!!!

No more skating backwards - if players can only skate forward, it will make defensemen less able to prevent scoring attempts.

Random penalties - every 5-6 minutes, just call a penalty. The player doesn't even have to be on the ice. Just randomly give a team a PP.

Maximum shift time - after 30 seconds, you must be off the ice. Fresher players will be more exciting to watch.

That should get the offense going!

I would love to see this happen but I doubt it will.

I think the NHL is more likely to increase the size of goal then to actually enforce the rules that are already in place.

Which is really a shame since enforcing the rules actually leads to a better product versus increasing the size of the net which just leads to more goals. Not the same thing.

Playing a good defensive scheme is overrated. We need more 17-13 games. Can't wait until the NHL becomes indoor lacrosse.
- jmatchett383

No, but more 5-3 games would be nice.

No, but more 5-3 games would be nice.
- Nucker101

So you want to go back to mid-80s hockey where defense was absent and goaltenders were awful? Because 85/86 was the last season where the average goals/game approached 8. I consider that era to be one of the worst eras of hockey ever, despite some of the great players. It was basically shinny.

Today @ 8:26 AM ET
Playing a good defensive scheme is overrated. We need more 17-13 games. Can't wait until the NHL becomes indoor lacrosse.

I know this was sarcasm or at least I hope it was but either way there's a big difference between playing a good defensive scheme and illegally obstructing players.

I know this was sarcasm or at least I hope it was but either way there's a big difference between playing a good defensive scheme and illegally obstructing players.
- jaydogg1974

I feel, personally, that power plays are boring hockey. It's 9 guys in a more or less stationary position. Even strength hockey results in more movement, and more back-and forth motion. I'd rather watch a 2-1 game where it's mostly 5-on-5 that a 6-4 game where there are 9 PP goals. To me, offense does not equate to "good hockey."

Edit: And no, I don't want a game where you can jump on a guy on a breakaway and have nothing called. But I don't want the NHL calling every single slight infraction as per the letter of the rulebook, because it's impossible to avoid penalties no matter how hard players try.

But why would you want to allow it to continue? I'd like to add these additional rule changes:

No more body checking: this can cause injury, and inhibits the puck carrier's movement.

No more poke checks: poke checks can cause the player to lose the puck, resulting in fewer shots.

No more goaltenders: Goals = fun!!!

No more skating backwards - if players can only skate forward, it will make defensemen less able to prevent scoring attempts.

Random penalties - every 5-6 minutes, just call a penalty. The player doesn't even have to be on the ice. Just randomly give a team a PP.

Maximum shift time - after 30 seconds, you must be off the ice. Fresher players will be more exciting to watch.

That should get the offense going!
- jmatchett383

How about just enforcing what the rulebook says? With what is being allowed, you and I could form a defensive pairing that could shutdown top lines. Scoring chances are down to near historic levels and goalie save percentage is at an all-time high. Meaning basically it's a bunch of perimeter shots, scrums in front, and random goals. It sucks to watch.

Don't allow players to leave their feet to block shots!

It will:
**allow more pucks to get through/shots on net
**safer for players as well
**assess a penalty
- rrentz

How about making equipment softer?
Don't change a thing with the rules.
If the player wants to put himself in harms way, by laying a big hit, or making a key block, they can.... but it will hurt.
They will do it less as a result.
Less blocked shots = more goals
Softer equipment = less concussions

How about just enforcing what the rulebook says? With what is being allowed, you and I could form a defensive pairing that could shutdown top lines. Scoring chances are down to near historic levels and goalie save percentage is at an all-time high. Meaning basically it's a bunch of perimeter shots, scrums in front, and random goals. It sucks to watch.
- jfkst1

Alright, let's look at the rulebook:

"Any forceful or powerful chop with the stick on an opponent’s body, the opponent’s stick, or on or near the opponent’s hands that, in the judgment of the Referee, is not an attempt to play the puck, shall be penalized as slashing."

This is called a poke stick check. The NHL defines it as "slashing." So, by your rationale, stick checks should be illegal. Because that's how the rule books spells it out. Because everything must be black-and-white.

Jmatchett

Random penalties - every 5-6 minutes, just call a penalty. The player doesn't even have to be on the ice. Just randomly give a team a PP.


Doesn't that already happen in a lot of games, only the PP are explained as penalties that funnily enough weren't called for the other team when the same thing happened earlier in the same game?

Jmatchett

Random penalties - every 5-6 minutes, just call a penalty. The player doesn't even have to be on the ice. Just randomly give a team a PP.


Doesn't that already happen in a lot of games, only the PP are explained as penalties that funnily enough weren't called for the other team when the same thing happened earlier in the same game?
- Aussiepenguin

OH-MY-GAWD-THE-NHL-HATES-THE-PENGUINS-AND-ONLY-EVER-CALLS-PENALTIES-AGAINST-THEM!!!OMGFML!!!

I like the equipment ideas.

All goalie equipment needs to be smaller. It's ridiculous how big goalies are now.

It's not only the pads, but their pants, chest protectors (which are absolutely ridiculous) and jersey sizes. Right now, pucks get caught up in goalies jerseys all the time. It's harder and harder to score goals between the arms and body. It's cause the jerseys get in the way.

Goalies should be forced to wear form-fitting jerseys, just like the players.

The bigger goalies like Bishop can just go down on their knees and throw their arms up in the air and they still cover most of the top of the net. In the past, goalies were reluctant to go down because it would leave a ton of room up top.

The whole reason why the 'butterfly' is successful for the majority of goalies is because of equipment. If we make the chest protector, jersey and pants smaller and thinner, goalies will be more reluctant to go down, which will change how they have to play and open up more holes for the shooters.

People who talk about making the net bigger don't seem to realize that goalies will just get bigger equipment to compensate. It may work for a couple years, but the goalies will catch up and we will be back in the same boat.

So what happens if a player lays on the ice to block a cross-ice pass on a 2-on-1 and the player elects to shoot it and ends up hitting the defenseman. Is that now a penalty?
- jmatchett383

I think it could be made that if it's a "shot" and the player is below the top of the circle, or something then a penalty is called. Their are plenty of penalties/rules that are left to the referee on the ice to make a judgement? It's worth looking into ...that's all

Eliminate any type of trapping system

Alright, let's look at the rulebook:

"Any forceful or powerful chop with the stick on an opponent’s body, the opponent’s stick, or on or near the opponent’s hands that, in the judgment of the Referee, is not an attempt to play the puck, shall be penalized as slashing."

This is called a poke stick check. The NHL defines it as "slashing." So, by your rationale, stick checks should be illegal. Because that's how the rule books spells it out. Because everything must be black-and-white.
- jmatchett383

No it isn't. Players slash all the time well above the ice level and on opponents without the puck. Subban's slash on Stone should have been a 5 game suspension minimum. That would eliminate almost all of those slashes. Anytime the stick comes parallel to the ice on an opponent it is supposed to be called hooking. That never happens. Now players are constantly holding each other's sticks and kicking at the puck because the refs never call it.