Back on Ice

No red-blooded Canadian blogger can let too much time pass before commenting on the end of the NHL lockout. I'll certainly admit that I'm not quite the hockey fan I used to be, but my decline in interest dates back to long before this most recent work stoppage. As a teenager and young adult I was really into all the major pro sports - I could tell you every player on each roster, have a reasonable idea of their statistics, quote the dimensions of each ballpark and tell you what everybody had for their pre-game meal. I still have more than a casual interest in sports, but I can go weeks without watching any events on TV and think nothing of it, especially during the regular season. The only exception to that is golf. I usually catch at least a little bit of the PGA Tour event each weekend, and I'm always glued to the TV when the majors are on.

It's no secret that the NHL needs to improve its on-ice product, and there has been much discussion on and experimentation with rule changes, some of which seem like nothing more than gimmicks. Examples of rule changes that won't work:

- Bigger nets: Yes, that will cause scoring to go up, but the overall quality of play will remain the same. Instead of boring 2-1 games there will be boring 3-2 games. This does nothing to address the flow of play and entertainment value of the game.

- Reducing the size of goalie pads: See above. I agree that the pads need to be reduced, but this can't be the only fix to the game.

- Shootouts: This doesn't do anything for the first 60 dull minutes of the game. Nobody will buy a ticket because of the possibility of a shootout.

Now, here are some of my ideas to help open up the game:

- Eliminate the red line BUT ALSO bring each blue line 5 feet closer to the centre. This will accomplish two things. First, it will allow for longer breakout passes without requiring the opposing defence to hang back as much since there will be less neutral ice to defend, encouraging a more balanced offensive philosophy. Secondly, it will allow teams on the attack (and powerplay) more room to operate in the offensive zone.

- Tag up offside should return. I didn't really understnd why it was eliminated in the first place.

- No touch icing. I don't believe that this in itself speeds up the game, because there are probably a dozen times a game that icings are waved off by an attacking forward getting to the puck first or forcing a goalie to play it. But I believe this is a good rule for safety reasons. However, if you want to cut down on the number of icing stoppages, combine this rule with:

- Give each team a minor penalty for every fifth icing call against them. One thing that drives me nuts in the modern game is incessant icing, which seems to be enormously more frequent than ten years ago and more. If you know you'll be penalized for every fifth icing, you'll think twice about doing it. As a result, there will be less "relieving the pressure" and more scoring opportunities will arise. It also could be fun towards the end of the game when the play-by-play guy says, "The Sharks have a one goal lead and two icings to give."

I hope the NHL and its players will see their new "partnership" as an opportunity to start fresh and use innovative thinking to bring back what once was, and could again be, a great league. They might even pique my interest along the way.