What is your solution to the Pre-season problem?

[Gaud]

I think the best solution is hit them in the pocketbooks. Any sort of play that is fine-worthy or suspension worthy not only dings that player, but results in an automatic fine for the team and coach.

This should also reduce retaliatory hits, whether it’s a player taking matters into their own hands or coaches’ orders.

I dont know how much this works, but the fines would definitely need to be upped. I have friends that make enough money that their speeding tickets are just simply part of their budget. I keep reading about some countries make their fines proportional, base on the offenders' salary. They figure the person may actually stop speeding if the fine is 14 000$ instead of 100$.

Maybe this is what is needed here - it may change the decision-making from "i have to protect my teammates" to "doing this will take away from my family". Of course, id be weary of deals from teams to circumvent that - say by offering to pay all fines in return for the player to play for the team.

 

[sandviper]

I dont know how much this works, but the fines would definitely need to be upped. I have friends that make enough money that their speeding tickets are just simply part of their budget. I keep reading about some countries make their fines proportional, base on the offenders' salary. They figure the person may actually stop speeding if the fine is 14 000$ instead of 100$.

Maybe this is what is needed here - it may change the decision-making from "i have to protect my teammates" to "doing this will take away from my family". Of course, id be weary of deals from teams to circumvent that - say by offering to pay all fines in return for the player to play for the team.

The last part was why I suggested fining the team and coach, but yeah, how the fee structure is going to work I got no idea.

 

[Runner77]

I’d keep the same number of pre-season games and not mess with the long established 82-game regular season standard.

However, I would not have have NHL teams face each other in the pre-season but only play teams from a foreign league that are of a calibre that is closest to NHL teams.

 

[wedge]

There's a lot of talk in my office, on the radio, on podcasts and most medias about the Preseason problem;

How do you protect your NHL players from injuries and/or cheap shots?

There was a lot of options that people offered but none really stuck with me as a real solution that would benefit the NHL as a whole except maybe two of them but they come with their own problem too.

1st option that made some kind of sense ;

• Minimum of 6 games total.​
• Minimum of 4 games where teams have full control of who they play, at their own risk. The AWAY team must send their line-up first since they are most likely the one to send a C or B club with a bunch of scrubs trying to make a name for themselves.​
• The last 2 pre-season games, you must have your full roster and be cap compliant. Just like the Regular season.​

2nd option ;

• Keep the current format.​
• If there's a player (that doesn't make the official roster) that receives a suspension for a cheapshot, the opposing team can choose which player has to serve the suspension.​
• All suspensions shall be served from game1 of the regular season.​
• Exemple : Pare receives a 3 games suspension, MTL request that the suspension has to be served by Auston Matthews.​
• Arber Xhakej is suspended for 1 game. He's making the team roster so he is suspended for game #1 of the regular season.​

I like the first idea besides the "cap compliant" part. Some players are still fighting for a roster spot at that point and I wouldn't change that.

 

[Gaud]

The last part was why I suggested fining the team and coach, but yeah, how the fee structure is going to work I got no idea.

lol and coach?
I wonder how many coaches would blackmail the player "you pay my bill or you are cut"

 

[HuGort]

Probably not play your stars as much. Or until final game or two. Most the minor leaguers are sent down by then.

I doubt owners like giving up revenue of two games.

 

[LaP]

There's a lot of talk in my office, on the radio, on podcasts and most medias about the Preseason problem;

How do you protect your NHL players from injuries and/or cheap shots?

There was a lot of options that people offered but none really stuck with me as a real solution that would benefit the NHL as a whole except maybe two of them but they come with their own problem too.

1st option that made some kind of sense ;

• Minimum of 6 games total.​
• Minimum of 4 games where teams have full control of who they play, at their own risk. The AWAY team must send their line-up first since they are most likely the one to send a C or B club with a bunch of scrubs trying to make a name for themselves.​
• The last 2 pre-season games, you must have your full roster and be cap compliant. Just like the Regular season.​

2nd option ;

• Keep the current format.​
• If there's a player (that doesn't make the official roster) that receives a suspension for a cheapshot, the opposing team can choose which player has to serve the suspension.​
• All suspensions shall be served from game1 of the regular season.​
• Exemple : Pare receives a 3 games suspension, MTL request that the suspension has to be served by Auston Matthews.​
• Arber Xhakej is suspended for 1 game. He's making the team roster so he is suspended for game #1 of the regular season.​

One thing the NHL could do is double the suspension length in pre-season and the suspended players must stay on the NHL roster for the full duration and count toward the cap for the full duration. Also no pay if suspended in pre-season and a fine. Obviously it would be a deterrent for playoffs teams only. Most cup contending teams can't afford to have 750 000k to 900 000k added to their cap for 10+ games and most ECHL and AHL players can't afford to not be paid for a few weeks on top of a fine. Another deterrent could be added for non playoffs teams.

 

[Knuckles30]

A few people talking about the lost revenue, but if you take an average ticket price of $200, you only have to raise prices $4 per game all season to make up for removing 2 home games. They could also add rookie tournament games.

So I'd start by cutting pre-season from 8 to 4 games (2 home, 2 away). Mandatory 2 days off between games (no back to back to force split squad), and institute a 30 man roster limit before the pre-season games start.

I'd also look at something like all major and unsportsmanlike penalties are an automatic ejection, and fighting majors are an automatic 1 game suspension. Let's refs throw guys out for unsportsmanlike to turn down temperature on a game and reduces guys trying to "prove themselves" by fighting vets, as 1 fight and they lose the rest of that game + the next to impress.

 

[Knuckles30]

Or let's get crazy with this one:

All pre-season games become triple-header 3v3 mini tournaments. Teams submit 3 lineups of 9 skaters and 1 goalie, and play 3 20 minute games (so you can still charge full price tickets - still 60 minutes of hockey). Work on systems and all that in practice - games are to get your legs / timing / chemistry going.

 

[overlords]

Or let's get crazy with this one:

All pre-season games become triple-header 3v3 mini tournaments. Teams submit 3 lineups of 9 skaters and 1 goalie, and play 3 20 minute games (so you can still charge full price tickets - still 60 minutes of hockey). Work on systems and all that in practice - games are to get your legs / timing / chemistry going.

I'd take a bullet to stop you or you ideas getting anywhere near a BOG meeting

 

[ChesterNimitz]

I'd take a bullet to stop you or you ideas getting anywhere near a BOG meeting

Such fervour is truly a rarity.

 

[HuGort]

I'd just be glad when this preseason is over. Been a messy one.

 

[Riddick412]

Two words, one solution: bubble wrap

 

[Knuckles30]

I'd take a bullet to stop you or you ideas getting anywhere near a BOG meeting

Ha! I'll choose to take that as a compliment.

 

[CHwest]

Barring injury 75% of the players you ice in your last two preseason games need to be on your opening night roster. Done.

 

[RealityBytes]

Simple really. two options:

1. Since most teams use preseason as tryout sessions for their borderline players, just bench your stars and only play your borderline players against the other team's borderline players. That's what it will evolve into. When all teams do that, it just becomes best of AHL against best of AHL.

2. Aside from that, a better option is to possibly bring in special rules for pre season, such as start a fight and out for all of the pre season games. Any five minute penalty or one drawing blood, benches the offending player for the whole game. Make them play closer to like the PWHL with players showing only hockey skills and no goon skills.

 

[JianYang]

Not much can realistically be done.

The worry of an injury in the preseason is always going to be prevalent in a contact sport.

The established guys use them as a dress rehearsal and the others use them to try and make an impression. Both groups find some sort of value in them and management uses them as an evaluation tool particularly with determining who might be on the cusp of the team. The owners also find value because there are extra games where they can make money.

They might make the preseason in general smaller and add games to the regular season. I'm sure the owners would be for it, at least, but the preseason is not going away, and you have to deal with possibility that something might go wrong, just like something went wrong in game 2 of the regular season for dach last year.

 

[the valiant effort]

Not much can realistically be done.

The worry of an injury in the preseason is always going to be prevalent in a contact sport.

The established guys use them as a dress rehearsal and the others use them to try and make an impression. Both groups find some sort of value in them and management uses them as an evaluation tool particularly with determining who might be on the cusp of the team. The owners also find value because there are extra games where they can make money.

They might make the preseason in general smaller and add games to the regular season. I'm sure the owners would be for it, at least, but the preseason is not going away, and you have to deal with possibility that something might go wrong, just like something went wrong in game 2 of the regular season for dach last year.

In 10 years everyone will lament the stouter preseason of yesteryear when teams looked better prepared through the first few weeks of the reg season

 

[RandR]

I'd just be glad when this preseason is over. Been a messy one.

Me too. Injuries can happen at any time, but I am convinced Laine would not be out for at least a couple of months unless it was an AHL pylon (with zero chance of making the NHL this year) defending him on that play.

To solve this problem where most pre-season games seem to have one largely AHL lineup vs one largely NHL lineup, I expect the league and the NHLPA will at some point agree to drop 2 games for each team from the pre-season and replace that by adding 2 games to the regular season. In the resulting 4-game pre-season, they could also decrease (or remove) the requirement as to the number of experienced NHLers in the lineups for the first 2 pre-season games and increase it for the final 2 games.

Ranking the quality of games from A to D, in a 4 game pre-season (2 home, 2 away) season ticket holders could then expect their first 3 games to be:
Game 1: first pre-season home game with mostly AHLers on both teams = a grade D match
Game 2: last pre-season home game with close to regular season NHL rosters on both teams = a grade B match
Game 3: first regular reason home game = grade A match

If I was a season-ticket holder I would take that over what fans currently get:
Games 1 and 2: pre-season games with a mostly AHL road team vs a mostly NHL home team = 2 grade C matches
Game 3: final pre-season home game that has mostly NHLers on both teams = a grade B match

For the players, depending how many players are invited to camp, most AHLers and other rookies with little chance to make the team will still get up to two pre-season games (first home, first away). And most of the NHL regulars would each play in two pre-season games (last home, last away), which is all most would care to play anyway.