What is your perfect NHL?

[DuklaNation]

More hitting, the current style is often boring with little actually happening. I'd like them to revisit forcing goalies to move the puck after freezing it. At least experiment with it more. Reduce goalie equipment size. The shot angles for players are miniscule. Proof? Look at defenseman PP goals, extremely low currently.

 

[bv29]

75 gp
30 teams
16 teams (back to the 1-8 system)

This + no salary cap.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

70ish games per season
Bring back ties
1-8 seeding system for playoffs
Fighting after a clean hit ALWAYS gets 2, 5 and 10
No offside review
No advertisements on the ice, glass, boards, or players.
No gambling promotion of any kind
No ipads on the bench to review plays

 

[Master P]

Make wood sticks the only option for players and get rid of the trapezoid.

 

[kevsh]

Mostly, just rewind everything a few years.

80 games. Any less makes it even harder for current and future players to chase single-season records and overall, career records/milestones.

30 teams. Drop 2 right now and there's enough talent coming in that most teams have at least one star worth paying to see. Note I said "most". It's not a right that everyone gets one.

Despite its flaws, keep the playoffs the same format as now. 1-to-16 becomes a travel nightmare and every other solution doesn't change must (1-8 in conferences, for example).

Drop the draft lottery. They keep tinkering and it's getting silly now. The draft lottery is a bore as only 1 team (if that) makes any move up worth noticing. Generational talents come along rarely enough that I'm okay with a team tanking when it happens. If nothing else a few AHL players and 8th-string goalies get a shot in the bigs for a few weeks they never expected.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

Sans trapezoid.

 

[Video Nasty]

Never going to understand the people wanting to shorten the season, in terms of games and when it starts and stops. It’s pretty much perfect the way it is. We can all still have lives, not worry about watching every game, catching what we can when we’re able to, and keeping that good feeling of hockey going on in the background of life for as long as possible. Then it’s gone for just long enough to miss it before it ramps up again.

 

[Jack Spider]

I'd start the season a few weeks earlier. Every year I get some sort of weird feeling that lasts a few weeks, a brain fog, between when the new school year starts and nhl season starts.

 

[super6646]

6 teams
Only good Canadian boys and a few yanks playing
Elbows, fights, the code
Leafs still losing in the first round every year

 

[rfournier103]

Four divisions of seven teams each.
(Adams, Patrick, Norris, Smythe)

Two conferences.
(Wales, Campbell)

Adams Division:
Boston Bruins
Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
Ottawa Senators
Quebec Nordiques
Detroit Red Wings
Buffalo Sabres

(The other divisions are negotiable)

42 games out of division. One home, one away for each team.

36 games within the division. 3 home, three away for each team.

78 games total.

Eliminate the instigator penalty, the third man in penalty and penalties for leaving the bench. I’d eliminate the shootout and trapezoid, also.

OT would be 5 on 5, 10 minutes of sudden death. If tied after 10, the game remains a tie. Winners get two points, losers get zero points. In the event of a tie, nobody gets a point. Points are only awarded for wins.

Lastly, if the Quebec Nordiques ever win the Stanley Cup in this proposed universe, Gary Bettman is to be publicly flogged in front of the Chateau Frontenac until he cries.

 

[Canadienna]

Never going to understand the people wanting to shorten the season, in terms of games and when it starts and stops. It’s pretty much perfect the way it is. We can all still have lives, not worry about watching every game, catching what we can when we’re able to, and keeping that good feeling of hockey going on in the background of life for as long as possible. Then it’s gone for just long enough to miss it before it ramps up again.

Personally it's more about keeping the players fresh and avoiding back to backs. I think the quality of the hockey would improve if they cut it down by 10-15 games.

Not that it would ever happen, but that's the thread.

 

[cowboy82nd]

22 teams
60 games
8 playoff teams
2 conferences only, no divisions
Top 4 in each conference make the playoffs

I like it more compact. I don’t think we need this many teams.

You also don't need half of your league to make the playoffs either.

I am in the minority, but that's ok.

So, you are cutting out the Leafs and what other teams.

 

[GMR]

Basically the early 90’s.

 

[The Marquis]

78 games - 1 home 1 away against each team, no divisions.
40 teams
24 teams make the playoffs, single elimination with bottom 8 seeds in the first round.
Playoffs are seeded over the entire league for fresh matchups regularly.