How
to Fix the NHL
I haven’t been
writing much of anything regarding the NHL Lockout since we already know all
there is to know about it. However, while watching this debacle, I have come up
with a few ideas of my own to make the game and the NHL better. Here they are;
11) Reduce the NHL to 26 teams by folding Columbus,
Florida, Tampa Bay and, Nashville. This will allow the NHL to rid itself of
these four ‘money pits’ that never turn a profit and drag the rest of the NHL
down with them. The owners’ of these franchises will receive Contraction
Payments from the NHL, and the players’ of these teams who have either a
One-Way Contract or Two-Way Contract with the teams will go into a Dispersal
Draft to be picked up by the remaining NHL clubs which will better these
remaining teams’.
22) Relocate the Phoenix Coyotes to Quebec
City. Quebec City is in the process of building a new arena/amphitheatre which
will be capable of hosting an NHL franchise. As it stands with Phoenix, the
team will NEVER be able to build a viable fan base, and has never really
attracted an acceptable number of fans to games, even for the NHL Playoffs.
Quebec however, offers a ready-built fan base for a potential NHL return to the
city. The citizens of Quebec City have been starving for a major-professional
hockey club since the Quebec Nordiques relocated to Denver to become the
Colorado Avalanche in 1995. Also, the Quebec Coliseum is capable of being a
temporary home for any potential NHL franchise until the new Quebec
Amphitheatre is ready. Make it eight!!
Realign the NHL. As it stands right now,
Winnipeg is playing in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. Here
is a possible scenario if the NHL were to remain with its current teams for
realignment;
1)
Western Conference
|
Eastern Conference
|
(Western
Canada Division) Edmonton
Calgary
Vancouver
Winnipeg
Minnesota
|
(Northeast Division)
Toronto
Ottawa
Montreal
Detroit
Buffalo
|
(Central Division)
Colorado
St.
Louis
Chicago
Columbus
Nashville
|
(Atlantic Division)
New
York Rangers
New
York Islanders
New
Jersey
Boston
Washington
|
(Pacific Division)
Anaheim
Los
Angeles
San
Jose
Dallas
Phoenix
|
(Southeast Division)
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Carolina
Florida
Tampa Bay
|
23) Cut the NHL Regular Season to 76 games,
and start the NHL Regular Season on October 1st each year. This
would allow for the fans’ request for the season to start earlier than it has
been to be addressed. This will also allow for the season to end earlier, which
will in turn allow NHL Free-Agency to begin at an earlier date than on Canada
Day. June 25th would be an excellent place to start.
34) Eliminate Re-Entry Waivers
45) Establish the “Wayne Gretzky Award”-For
the Most Assists in the NHL Regular Season By a Player. This will allow for an
important aspect of the game to be honored which, has not previously been
recognized on NHL Awards Night. It will also give the NHL an opportunity to
further honour the greatest hockey player who ever lived even further.
Introduce the ‘Hybrid Icing’ rule currently
being used in the AHL. This will eliminate many hazardous plays while players’
are1) racing for the puck, as it will be the
ref’s discussion as to whether or not the situation is hazardous or not and, to
blow the play dead or not. This would reduce many injuries.
26) Introduce a single 10-min Overtime
period, followed by a shootout if the score is not won by the end of the 10
minute period. Also allow each time a player scores in the Shootout to count as
a goal on the score-sheet, just as is it is in a penalty shot. This will help
to improve the entertainment value of the games, should they go into Overtime.
37) Fire Gary Bettman and CUT TICKET
PRICES!!!!!!!
So there you have it! These are my thoughts
on how to improve the NHL and the game, while keeping the integrity of the
game intact. I hope you will leave any comments below as to how you think the
game/NHL could be improved. I hope we will be watching NHL hockey soon, but
until then, enjoy the World Junior Championship and Thank you for reading. Go
Canada Go!!!!