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1. Get rid of the two-line pass
2. Restrict goalie pad sizes
3. Get rid of the instigator penalty
4. Stop calling goaltender interference outside of the crease (if he goes out IMO, he's fair game)
5. Contract the league to 24 or 28 teams
6. Remove the restrictions on stick curves
7. More divisional games
2. Restrict goalie pad sizes
3. Get rid of the instigator penalty
4. Stop calling goaltender interference outside of the crease (if he goes out IMO, he's fair game)
5. Contract the league to 24 or 28 teams
6. Remove the restrictions on stick curves
7. More divisional games
1. Get rid of the two line pass -- Most would consider this to be an invitation to cherry-pick... but I disagree. This would open up the ice much more because it would make playing the trap much more difficult. I thought a game was supposed to showcase the players' skills, not the systems'. There would be more odd-man rushes, more breakaways, and a definite increase in goals. All of this = more excitement. And defenses can always adjust to try and defend against this.
2. Restrict goalie pad sizes -- There are restrictions now, but they aren't good enough, IMO. Compared to the 60's, 70's, 80's, and even early 90's, pads have grown in size.
3. Get rid of the instigator penalty -- This isn't a proposal that would affect the offense. This would be better for the game. Before the instigator penalty, there were less injuries do to carelessness and dirty play. You were held accountable for your actions. The players policed themselves. But now, there is too much dirty play. In the old days, if you were playing dirty, your opponent's enforcer would be allowed to stick up for his team. Now guys get game misconducts if their jerseys come off. The game has become pussified.
4. Stop calling goalie interference outside the crease -- Again... this goes back to how the game used to be played. Goalies get to wear a suit of armor and have the freedom to skate out to grab the puck. IMO, if a goalie goes outside of his crease to play the puck, he should be treated like any other player and be subject to getting hit.
5. Contract the league to 24 or 28 teams -- This really is about the talent pool in the league. So many terrible players are in this league because the talent pool has been diluted. There's nothing I dislike more than to see a system winning a Stanley Cup rather than a skilled team. Well, maybe I hate seeing a team that can't sell out their home playoff games going to the Cup Finals: Carolina. That market doesn't care about hockey. They care about Nascar, College Basketball and being on the Jerry Springer show.
6. Remove the restrictions on stick curves -- This would give goal scorers more of an advantage. And perhaps striking a little fear into the hearts of goalies. This rule was created when goalies used to have cheap little pieces of plastic for masks. It's unnecessary now.
7. More divisional games -- I miss the old Chicago/St.Louis, Chicago/Toronto, Chicago/Detroit rivalries. And what about the Edmonton/Calgary/Los Angeles rivalries of the late 80's/early 90's. Now, teams don't develop that inherent hatred of each other that used to make hockey fun to watch. As a Chicago fan, I don't care about Chicago playing Carolina... or some other pud team that we wouldn't face except for the Stanley Cup Finals (and with the Blackhawks, that won't happen anyways). Make the games matter. More divisional games will do this.
Feel free to add your own reform ideas or comment on my own. Discuss.
In this way, we could at last have all the best players at the World Championship, and we could finally find out which national team is REALLY the strongest in the world.
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