About a month ago, the NHL made a number of rules changes designed specifically to open up the game and make it more offense-oriented. Many of these changes seem very reasonable and likely to achieve their desired outcomes.
For instance, under the new rules, the dimensions of the goaltender’s equipment must be reduced by approximately 11 percent. Why 11? I haven’t the foggiest idea. 10 seems like a much more appropriate “approximate” number, but then again, if the NHL made a habit of doing things that made sense, they probably wouldn’t be straggling behind the PGA and NASCAR.
The bottom line is, now that goalies aren’t being padded up until they resemble Yokozuna, effectively covering every square inch of net, it will require more than simply standing in place to block 80 percent of the shots taken. Goalies will also be limited to a trapezoid-shaped section behind the net.
Other new introductions, such as those of the “tag up rule” and of the “two line pass rule” also seem as if they will make offensive strategy a bit easier. Even the dimensions of the rink have been altered to create larger offensive zones, giving players more room to work with.
However, among several rules changes, there are some that just seem stupid.
If there is anything that Jerry Springer has taught us, it is that people like to watch other people beat the crap out of each other. Why the NHL, which had a kind of rough year, would want to crack down on in-game fighting is completely beyond me. Granted, obstruction tactics such as holding and hooking do “disrupt the flow of the game” and diminish scoring opportunities. But let’s be honest. If people want to see a fast moving, high scoring sport, the NBA starts its season in a few months.
In addition to a “zero tolerance” policy on obstruction tactics, the league wants to create a new penalty for players who fight in the final five minutes of a game. A player would receive a game misconduct and a one-game suspension, a penalty that would double with each offense. At the same time the coach of the offending team would receive a $10,000 fine, which also would also double with each incident.
People go to hockey games to see the one thing they can’t get anywhere else without going to Vegas or paying for Pay-Per-View: some good ol’ fashioned blood and violence. Removing this aspect of the game will only alienate a fan base that’s already pretty pissed off. Look at it this way: when you saw Happy Gilmore, what part did you like more: when Happy sunk the putt to win the final tournament, or when Bob Barker beat the living crap out of him? I rest my case.
