Puck Prose
Fansided

10 Rule Changes The NHL Must Implement To Improve The Game

By Ken MacMillan

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 20: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman addresses members of the media as the Dallas Stars and the NHL host a press conference for the upcoming Bridgestone Winter Classic 2020 at the Cotton Bowl on March 20, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - MARCH 20: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman addresses members of the media as the Dallas Stars and the NHL host a press conference for the upcoming Bridgestone Winter Classic 2020 at the Cotton Bowl on March 20, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images /

6. Eliminate offsides

OK, now we’re getting somewhere. Open the game up, show off the player’s skill, let’s see more goals. Defensive defensemen don’t get accolades and it’s because they are the least exciting players on the ice. Zdeno Chara sold a lot more tickets when he was shooting the puck 108 miles per hour. No one is paying just to see him play smart positional hockey today.

I did not mention the offside rule at all earlier when I was talking about expanding video review. In fact, I hate video review for offsides. It’s just an excuse to take a goal away from a team. It kills all momentum in a building after so many goals because fans are expecting a review.

So, not only do I think the league should stop reviewing offsides, I think they should stop calling them altogether. It sounds ridiculous, I know. This rule was created at the same time as the no forward passing rule. We got rid of that one, didn’t we? It’s taken a lot longer, but it’s time to get rid of offsides.

This would change the look of the game dramatically. The puck carrier wouldn’t need to lead the rush. Players could take off as soon as a smooth skating defenceman gets control of the puck and set up in the offensive zone. Stretch passes would be the norm, icings would be nearly non-existent as offensive players would already be deep in the zone to take the pass.

It would lead to a quicker transition from one zone to the other when a turnover happens. The bottleneck in the neutral zone would be gone. We would trade in battles on the boards in between the blue lines for a defenceman who is down by a goal blocking a shot and firing the puck 150 feet to a teammate who is on a one on one.

More fast breaks, less grinding it out along the boards. More excitement and less waiting. Sign me up for that.

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