interstorm wrote:I've given up on the changing of goalie equipment (at a meaningful level). That requires agreement between the NHL and NHLPA -- and I am sure such an agreement would also be a bargaining chip in a larger negotiation (which historically has never gone well). So I've reluctantly tossed that one out the window.
I also have no faith in the NHL refs but I'll at least give them the benefit of the doubt that they aren't completely incompetent (not sure why I am being so nice). I'm assuming that on some level they're at least saying we won't call 20 penalties on a single team in a single game -- that they at least want to maintain the flow of the game overall. While I can agree with it, that same mentality drove the Flyer's behavior in the early 70's (just read Dryden's book). Honestly the game would stink of there were 40 penalties and while players would adjust, I think the constant boundary pushing would sooner or later force refs to bypass calls again (and be back where we are today) or keep up with the over-the-top amount of penalty calls. Either way no good.
Make the goals bigger!
I've heard this regarding calling everything only about a billion times. The reality is NO the players will adjust and stop taking 20 penalties a game after a they learn the new standard. Then the games will flow MUCH better. You give the refs ZERO leeway. They 100% call the rules or they are fired. Until hockey grows up and acts like the other professional sports leagues it will always have this issue. Outsiders cannot get into hockey nearly as easily as other games because the rules themselves are the subject of such controversy due the the inconsistent enforcement. I'm not saying the rules on the books are perfect. But they are a lot more perfect then a bunch of over-empowered league employees trying to give the game the "right feel".
I don't think it would be that easy. First off, how long do you speculate the adjustment to take (to REALLY sink in from both sides) 5 games...20...a season? However long, if you're calling 40 penalties a game for any significant amount of time then your product looks like a joke.
Fire the refs if they don't make every call. You know their union would have a field day over every missed call. While we can agree they are not sufficient, virtually every other major sports leage who replaced their officials with lower level ones took one on the PR chin.
The only realistic path is moving to bigger goals -- it could literally happen in a day. Every other option is nearly impossible to either pass or sustain. Not saying it is the ideal way...just saying it is the only way.
Let's just start with some basics:
- Call penalties.
- Eject offenders via game misconducts if it's a bad hit.
- Give the offender a five-game ban.
- If it's particularly outrageous, increase the suspension to 10 games up to the rest of the season.
- Use video footage between breaks to re-assess calls on bad/good-hockey hits. Pass responsibility to the boys at Toronto if need be.
Do this, and I look forward to seeing the Flyers finish games with just 12 skaters.
This. At the root of it all is the league's desire to be able to nudge the outcome of games. They want the ability to ref the score. Everything else that follows has to do with plugging this huge gaping hole in the rules.
I really don't know why the NHL has let the refs go like this. They seemed to have things going in the right direction at the beginning of the Sid/Ovie era and then just let it slip away.
- Call the penalties
- Players will learn
- Less serious infractions will occur
-
- Profit
How realistic is it to involve the coach and/or captain in the suspension, much like diving?
FIrst suspension X games - player only
Second suspension X games double - player and captain
Third suspension X games tripled - player, captain, coach
Maybe keep the first suspension amount for captain and coach, or 1 game or something like that. Start punishing the team as much as the player.
Not sure it is really fair to punish the captain. The coach yes and fine the team as well. Impact the salary cap somehow, make the team pay for the players actions
The reason why I brought up the captain is that he is supposed to be the leader. I believe peer pressure is the only way to fully get rid of the lack of respect that leads to these hits. If a captain is a good enough leader, the team will follow him and shame the offending player into changing his behavior. Look at the Orpik situation, if Ovechkin got a game suspension, how much pressure would the other players put on themselves to make sure this kind of nonsense didn't happen?
Maybe have a criteria, get suspended for hits to the head, intent to injure making the team/captain share the punishment. Maybe something like accidental boarding that could lead to a suspension because of the act, but doesn't affect anyone else.
I just think the discussion needs to be towards team punishment and peer pressure from teammates.
