Hey Ek. This isn't a change in the rules but a change in the media. Put a small microphone on every player. Let the viewer pick whatever player they want to listen to...all the trash talk, all the swearing, etc...You make it an adults only channel that you need to subscribe to. That would be more entertaining than listening to clowns like Pierre McGuire and Doc Emerick. Use your connections to make it happen.

P.S. Coaches don't want to let people hear their secrets. No problem. You can have a function that automatically mutes the sound if a coach is giving a player instructions (ie like a timeout)

If you truly want to grow the game in the US, find a way feature more games on over-the-air TV. Maybe work a game of the week onto NBC (run your Wednesday night rivalry games there instead of cable) to go along with the Sunday games that start in January.

Also, bring back tied games. If no one wins after 5 minutes of OT, the game ends in a tie. This will fix the 3 point game BS, and the gimmick that is the shoot-out.

Talking about changes in the game:
I just watched an interview with Wendel Clark and the one thing he said that is the most different about today's game from when he played is that there are less ways for fans to identify their favourite players on the ice. He mentioned that in those days you could reach out and touch the fans or a fan could see Guy Lafleur's hair flowing as he skated down the ice. With to much money comes to much protection. I think because players are seen as, are treated as, and view themselves as brands/companies there's less of a real personal connection to them. I think its something we will never get back too with out a huge upheaval but I have to agree with it. It is whats missing in the game for me.

The concept of the blue paint bring it back , if there is a foot in the blue paint NO MATTER WHERE IT IS call the goal back, everything is to be painted with the same brush.

Yes a lot more called back better than what we have now when its all grey area and coaches challenges, just call them all!

Yes I am dead serious everyone wants more scoring yes that's possible of course how about fair scoring?

Get rid of the stupid shootout. By the time the shootout ends we could of had 5 more minutes of hockey. 4 on 4 for 10 minutes, if no one scores, leave it as a tie, nothing wrong with a tie tbh.
- ToMaLe

This

Also knock it off with the offside review. Go by the spirit of offside, which the linesmen get right 99.9999% of the time. If it's technically offside by a skate's blade width on freeze frame who cares, if it's not offside to the naked eye, it's good.

That’s easy. Get rid of Jeremy Jacobs.

Put the big iron post back to keep the net in place . Let see who wants to the run the goaltender then

Use a tennis ball instead of a puck.

Move the trapezoid to front of net. Let goalies roam. New trapezoid allows more physicality like we had 20 years ago. But outside trapezoid strict enforcement of rules to keep speed in game and eliminate “clutching and grabbing”. And no more shootouts

Not the NHL but Canucks related - 1990 NHL draft, Canucks take Jaromir Jagr 2nd overall and Martin Brodeur 18th overall instead of Nedved and Anstoski
- LeftCoaster

Ouch

Fix the point system to make losers points less prevalent. Too many 3 point games. Too many losers points.
There have been teams make the postseason and even win the Stanley Cup where in they have actually been on the losing side of the ledger more than the winning side. See 2011-12 LA Kings
Finished 40-25-17 Wound up as the losing team in 42 of their 82 games.
If the season doesn’t pick up this year, Columbus would make the playoffs having 33 wins, but on the losing side in 37 games. They have 15 loser’s points.
Far too many.

While I’m not wild about 2 point games magically becoming 3 point games, it doesn’t appear that is going away.

I’d make OT 10 minutes. Play it all 4 on 4, as 3 on 3 is too gimmicky, and 4 on 4 is plenty open enough to achieve the desired result of reducing shootouts. You double the length of OT to give teams more opportunities in OT to end games and offset the chances you might lose going away from 5 minutes of 3 on 3.
If you win in OT, you get 2 points. Loser gets none.
If after 10 minutes of 4 on 4 OT the game goes to a shootout, it then becomes a 3 point game and each team gets 1 point. Shootout winner gets that 3rd point.

As dissatisfying as ties might be, the prevalence of loser’s points is at least as much if not more so.
If we are conjuring a 3rd point out of thin air, at least do so less frequently.
- nyr1980

It's never been a loser point, it's a false winner point. You're handing out a fake win in a tie game.

The officiating its HORRIBLE these refs need to be retrained badly! Many non calls cost the other team goals and bad calls as well. I don't know what game they are watching but there should be more challenges allowed without a 2 minutes penalty that is ridiculous and not sure what moron thought of that one! Hockey should have 3 times outs or one period if the call is not reversed they lose a time out.

1. Get rid of the shootout and go to a 10 minutes OT with ties allowed.

2. Get rid of trapezoid for goalies.

3 Make the puck over glass penalty up to the officials

4 Power plays go the full time even if there is a goal.

5 Offside is nullified if the other team touches the puck in the zone.

6 Goalies serve there own penalties

7 Time limits on video reviews

Don't know why they ever changed it. Go to a game and enjoy a couple of pops and a hot dog. Watch two teams battle it out. If it ends in a tie, so be it. Better than a loser point. The cream will rise to the top

Every game 3pts 3RW 2/1 OT-SO W/L
2 Conferences Playoffs 1-8
Offsides: Blueline is an extended-verticle plain...addendum, if an offensive player is offside but not involved with the play, the goal stands
Full time served on all penalties
knocking the stick out of a players hand is NOT a penalty
Revision of the instigator rule

Overhail DoPS

It's never been a loser point, it's a false winner point. You're handing out a fake win in a tie game.
- Blue Clam

If you get a point and lose, it’s a loser’s point .

Change playoff seeding. 1-16 with a 2-3-2 home away schedule to reduce flights.

Goalie can defend the blue paint anyway he sees fit.

Goalie can get crushed outside of blue paint.

Due away with offsides altogether.

I would go back to 1v8, 2v7, etc. And reseed after each round. And I would eliminate the shootout and change 3 on 3 to 7 minutes. If it ends in a tie it ends in a tie. Nothing wrong with regular season ties.

Here is an interesting take.

We know how power plays carry over between periods and in to overtime if the game is tied.

How about if a team is down by a goal and they receive a power play with less than two minutes in the game that team gets the full 2 minutes just as they would at any other point in the game.

Get rid of the trapezoid. Brodeur is retirered. Get rid of the Chelios rule as well. No more delay of game penalties from it actually not bing that

Love the idea to have teams serve the entire penalty even if a goal is scored. Could see some 3 spots getting put up on long two man advantages or double minors. Scoring twice on a regular penalty would happen semi regularly. Who doesn't like scoring two or three times in a couple of minutes know what I'm sayin. Could be some wild games.

Get rid of the trapezoid. Brodeur is retirered. Get rid of the Chelios rule as well. No more delay of game penalties from it actually not bing that
- BluesDroogie

It does delay the game though, as soon as they got rid of the penalty guys would start doing it on purpose again.

It's not how I would change the nhl... It's how I would change the overall game of hockey.

First off I we would change the way the game is called as far as a rules standpoint. Make the game the same worldwide across all leagues. The refs need to make the same calls when it comes to the NHL, khl, etc. So that when it comes to international tournaments the refs don't have to learn new systems.

Second... The ice needs to be standard size worldwide, this let's all players learn one ice size and how to play on that ice. Whether it be north American, Olympic, or the hybrid size surface.

Last I would change the way the point system works. And make it the same world-wide as well.
-3 points for an overall win
-2 points for a win in extra time
-1 point for the loss in extra time (as a result of a tie game in regulation)
- Get rid of the shootout. All it is is a skills competition/break away contest. It proves nothing but to guarantee that extra point is awarded. If the game ends in a tie keep it that way. Don't just give away that extra point for the sake of awarding it.

1. More divisional games (more home-and-home, too).

2. No automatic minor penalty for clear over glass in the defensive zone.

3. No instant replay to determine if an entry is offside.

4. 3 points for a regulation win; 2 points for OT win; 1 point for OT loss.

5. No more than one day off between playoff games.

6. OT should be game-play, not a shootout.

7. More flow/mullets, less playoff beards during the regular season.

Mine would be pentalty related. If a team has too many men on the ice or if the goalie delays the game, the team committing the infraction picks a player of their choice to go to the box. I think the team going on the power play should be able to choose who they want in the box.