Worst changes in hockey in your lifetime

[Invictus]

the SHOOT OUT...worst ever

Honestly I don't mind it...
The season is long, overtime is not 5v5 which increases likelihood of goals. Let the players go home and not risk injury being overly tired.

Playoffs don't have shootouts and that's how it has to stay.
I hate so much watching FIFA elimination games being decided by shootout.

[TeamRamrod]

Uniform adverts. Trash.

[2014olympicgold]

I like how they have some unwritten agenda to not have 2 dark colours on the ice, but are putting out a playoff series of Toronto vs Tampa where no matter what it's blue vs white. I know it's a very specific issue, but man I hate watching Leafs/Lightning series because they have the exact same colour combinations. I hate it.

[stevegamer]

The shootout. Do 2 five minute overtimes, switch ends between periods, call it a tie. No real issues with that.

[Feenom]

For me, it has to be the way refs call a game between the regular season and the playoffs. Drives me nuts. Not sure that's really a change per se, but I hate it about the game. That and the fights that happen after a big clean hit.

Yes. So stupid that a clean hit gets punished on the ice.

[metaldude26]

For me, it has to be the way refs call a game between the regular season and the playoffs. Drives me nuts. Not sure that's really a change per se, but I hate it about the game. That and the fights that happen after a big clean hit.

The big difference here is that the regular season standard has changed from in the past. Remember the clutch and grab era pre-lockout when it was anything goes for 82 games plus playoffs? Well now there's a bunch of penalties getting called all regular season (outside of the last 10 minutes of every close game) and then the playoffs hit and there are still a bunch of penalties, but the standard slowly erodes to where you can take anything but the most blatant of liberties by around game 4 or 5 of the first round and just keeps sliding from there.

[loppantorkel]

Agreed, amazing picture.

Worst change...? Maybe the continual expansion of the NHL is taking the edge of many international tournaments -> dwindling public interest in ice-hockey? I think international ice-hockey was much bigger in the 80's and 90's. Tough to pinpoint the most influential cause of it, but the NHL has probably contributed to some degree.

[StuntMan12]

NHL not letting players go to the Olympics. I get the NHL's view but I would rather see them at the Olympics.

[Axeman33]

The big difference here is that the regular season standard has changed from in the past. Remember the clutch and grab era pre-lockout when it was anything goes for 82 games plus playoffs? Well now there's a bunch of penalties getting called all regular season (outside of the last 10 minutes of every close game) and then the playoffs hit and there are still a bunch of penalties, but the standard slowly erodes to where you can take anything but the most blatant of liberties by around game 4 or 5 of the first round and just keeps sliding from there.

But that's my issue. If it's a penalty in the regular season, it's a penalty in the playoffs and that isn't the case.

[butch]

the almost certain to occur fight after a good clean hit

a shootout shot clock to light a fire under kuznetsovs ass

[random-d]

Shootout is the worst but I think the worst changes are the ones they haven't made yet even though it's clear they should. Some things I would like to see (not in order of importance);

1. Start handing out majors for instigating fights after a clean hit
2. Start penalizing refs who aren't penalizing play equally and consistently in the playoffs
3. I wouldn't mind if they made the ice surface a little bigger. Don't have to go full Euro but the game is faster, should encourage that by adjusting the parameters.
4. Shot blocking... ffs, I don't know what you do about that besides start firing canons and daring people to get in front of them but it's really boring watching teams just fill the middle of the ice with bodies any time there might be a shot coming. Maybe #3 would help? Vegas blocked nearly 20 shots per game last season, so apparently that's a recipe for success. Maybe they need a 3 second violation type rule like in basketball