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I have said this before and will say it again: The NHL Rulebook is a patchwork document that accomplishes less with more. As more and more ill-conceived reactionary rules, band-aids for larger problems and vaguely worded and/or contradictory rules are added to the existing Rulebook, the objectives get lost.
Plain and simple, neither common sense nor a respect for the original intent of rules guide today's NHL Rulebook. Along with what I believe is poor coaching and lack of support for its on-ice officials, the messy rulebook is a major factor in the oft-decried lack of consistency. Absolute consistency is impossible to attain but continual improvement is both realistic and reachable.
Before that can happen, the NHL rules need to be inspected, reviewed and rewritten.
In a blog for HockeyBuzz planned for this NHL offseason, I will queue up the rules that I feel are in the greatest need of attention and suggest some potential improvements. I touched upon three such rules in my Huffington Post blog last week.
Today, I talk about the means by which I think the process should be undertaken. I would like to the NHL form an experienced committee to oversee the process. Let's get someone who actually played the game at the NHL level, someone who reffed the game, a current or former General Manager and a lawyer with hockey-related experience to tie this all together.
My suggested committee: Jim Johnson, Mark Faucette, Harry Sinden, Craig Patrick and NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly. The first four are independent of the League nowadays. All of them are experienced, smart and have a long history in the League. Daly, meanwhile, has everyone's respect and he's a lawyer, too.
I feel this group could hone in on the issues that are not adequately addressed, come up with more clearly worded guidance for nettlesome on-ice situations, and either eliminate or reconsider some of the extraneous or miscast rules that distract from the real purpose of the game and the jobs of the officials.
Anyway, that is just some food for thought on the first of two off-nights between Games One and Two of the Stanley Cup Finals.
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Paul Stewart holds the distinction of being the first U.S.-born citizen to make it to the NHL as both a player and referee. On March 15, 2003, he became the first American-born referee to officiate in 1,000 NHL games.
Today, Stewart is an officiating and league discipline consultant for the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and serves as director of hockey officiating for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).
The longtime referee heads Officiating by Stewart, a consulting, training and evaluation service for officials. Stewart also maintains a busy schedule as a public speaker, fund raiser and master-of-ceremonies for a host of private, corporate and public events. As a non-hockey venture, he is the owner of Lest We Forget.
In addition to his blogs for HockeyBuzz every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, Stewart writes a column every Wednesday for the Huffington Post.