If you were NHL Comissioner...

[StuntMan12]

what changes would you do to the game?

For me I would do this


#1. Take out the trapezoid - Can't stand the thing. It encourages a chip and chase game which I cannot stand. Rather see a puck possession game, carry it over the blue line.

#2. Bring back the Center Line - I believe taking out the center line has taken out lots of the creativity in the game. Players look to just make a stretch passes over and over which also leads to more icings.

#3. Expand the ice width 5-10 feet, Expand the ice length 5 feet - Would make for more of a free flowing game I believe

#4. Modify the coaches challenge - Obviously takes up a lot of time and it is frustrating when your team gets a goal called back on a play that is half an inch offside. Maybe only allow 1 challenge per game or if you make a false or denied challenge you get a penalty to deter challenging EVERY single goal.

#5. Change the home/away jersey colors - Am a traditionalist and always liked WHITE being home and DARK being away

#6. Take out the instigator rule

#7. Bigger fines and longer suspensions - Sick of seeing EVERY suspension being less than it should be. Fines need to be big enough where guys think twice before breaking the rules.

#8. 1st Day of Regular Season every team is in action - Well by next season this would be impossible but I'd like for it to be tradition where everyone plays the first day of regular season.

#9. Automatic Icing - Safest option for players chasing for a puck during an icing and takes out the guess work for the officials

#10. Take out the shoot-out/3 on 3 - Now I agree 3 on 3 is very entertaining but I believe it will end up being like the shoot-out, when I say that I mean how many people were on board with the shoot-out when it first came into the league then fast forward 10 years later and most fans got bored of it. Overall I see it as gimmicky. I don't see anything wrong with going home with a tie and the game won't be decided by a skills competition. I would make it 60 mins regular time, if the game is tied after regulation 10 minute sudden-death overtime (4 on 4).

[Axeman33]

I like the trapezoid, no center line and the 3on3/shootout personally.

Instigator rule will never come back. They want fighting out of the game and even though I grew up in the old school times of watching hockey in the good ole days (70s forward), that's not something to be seen again.

I think the hybrid icing rule has worked pretty well myself.

As far as rules I would like to see implemented, and I know it would never fly but it's a pet peeve of mine, but once goalies leave their crease to play they puck, they are fair game. If a goalie is playing the puck outside his crease he should be no different than any other skater out on the ice. This is coming from a guy who has played goalie for over 30+ years myself. If that means making the crease a tad bigger then so be it.

[2014olympicgold]

If goaltender interference isn’t a penalty, it shouldn’t be the reason for a goal to be overturned.

Remove tablets from the bench (coaches challenge), and ear pieces.

Make the blue line “from ice to ceiling” so players can have their leg off the ice, but still be onside.

Better camera quality on the blue lines.

Camera’s on the inside of the post or on the ice somewhere to better see a puck crossing the line.

If you jump someone after a big hit, your team is on the PK.

If keeping the Bye week, make the preseason a week shorter and the reg season a week longer (reduces B2B)

Introduce some G-force sensor on a player’s helmet to help give hard evidence of a possible concussion. Do a study on the average athlete and what force can cause a concussion. You can remove someone from the game if they look bad and the sensor didn’t trigger, but if it did it gives hard evidence that the player can be removed. No more complaining if Smith/McDavid gets removed for a concussion scare.

If you have a B2B, look into your second game opponent also coming off a B2B. Even-ish playing field. I see this more in basketball where Toronto plays Cleveland in Toronto on Tuesday; Toronto plays Celtics on Monday in Boston, but Cleveland last played Saturday and are already in Toronto rested by Sunday night.

[LawMan]

Some solid stuff in here, some I disagree with.

Mine:
1. End the Coach's Challenge- I think this is a case of the Rule of Unintended consequences, the challenges cause way more problems then they solve.
2. Delayed Penalty requires clearing defensive zone/goalie freezing it- right now the rule calls for the penalized team to "possess" the puck, which usually means touching it, I'd increase that to requiring the penalized team to getting it out of the defensive zone/goalie freezing it.
3. Reverse Host of games 1-4 in playoffs The higher seed would start on the road. 2 reasons, 1- it allows the high seed to split the 1st 2 games and have the advantage. 2-no travel between games 4 and 5.
4. Blue line goes to ceiling agreed with the others the whole point of offside is to prevent an offensive player from gaining an unfair positional advantage, shouldn't matter whether your leg is on the ice or not.
5.3 point system 3 for regular win, 2 for OT/SO win, 1 for OT/SO loss. This system better reflects the fact that its harder to win in regulation than a shootout. Also, it would create a a lot of interesting playoff chase scenarios and jumps in the standings.
6. Reduce goalie equipment size I believe the NHL is genuinely trying to do this. Problem is the goalies are hesitant to do it and it's very hard to define how to make things smaller without increasing injuries, especially when every goalie is a different size.
7 ASG Outside I can't believe this crossover hasn't happened yet. The ASG is a spectacle and the outdoor games are spectacles....

[butch]

why are they calling 4 days off a bye week anyways ; its 4 bloody days not 7 .

the isles had their 4 day break then played b2b immediately coming off it .

I'd like to see the season end around may 20th , not mid-june and begin around sept 20 th .

find a way to use technology to make all of the offsides calls ; maybe by doing so theres 1 less ref/linesman clogging up the ice .

[Mr. Guru]

Something I'd like to see incorporated.

In 3 on 3 OT, if you cross the opposition blue line you can't cross the red line and go back into your zone.

Like what basketball does.

How many times do we see teams circle back and get a better entry in the zone. Can't stand it. It's cheap. Has this ever been discussed?

[LawMan]

One more I'd add
Replace Wild Card with Crossover Right now you could end up with 4 teams from each division in the playoffs but the wild card teams each playing in the opposite division, given that the playoffs are focused on divisions this doesn't make any sense to me. I'd re-write the playoff rules to state:
1. The top 4 teams in each division make the playoffs.
2. If the 5th place team in a division has MORE points that the 4th place team in its conference-rival division then the 5th place team crosses over and gets the 4th seed in the other division.

This would still allow 1 conference to have 5 teams in the playoffs but would also ensure at least one division has 4 teams playing each other and would promote divisional rivalries.