Will hockey ever add active backups for games?

[Time Skip]

Most other sports I can think of allow for active backups to be used; they just tend not to. Hockey technically does but only for the goaltending.

Heck, not even the refs get replaced!

Football has more guys than we can count.
Basketball can have 15(?) in a night
Baseball can use guys not in the lineup
Soccer has multiple guys ready to play
So on and so on…

Could the NHL, and hockey as a whole, benefit from having two active backup slots? I imagine teams would carry one F one D, unless strategizing otherwise.

Double Edit: this would be treated as an injury relacement. These players do not activey play unless needed. Ejection could be included or excluded, and treated as a red card (from soccer)

This would also include raising the roster limit by two; would have positive effects on the ability to fight through injuries, as well as make the trade market more active

Edit: could also save the two extra roster spots by having the current healthy scratches dress

Things like a shortened bench and 11/7 would become a thing of the past.. but is that a relic or simply a challenging byproduct?

What are yall’s thoughts? Fun idea I thought

 

[jigglysquishy]

Roster is too big as it is.

No one is paying to watch 4th liners play.

 

[Time Skip]

Roster is too big as it is.

No one is paying to watch 4th liners play.

These players would likely play very little or not at all; similar to basketball backups and football third stringers

It’s for insurance purposes. The roster being too big is a fair criticism, however

 

[SEALBound]

And the guys that don't get into game would be what? Like...a scratch? Not a sick or ill scratch. They are healthy. A healthy scratch?

 

[NYRnine94]

No thanks

 

[Time Skip]

And the guys that don't get into game would be what? Like...a scratch? Not a sick or ill scratch. They are healthy. A healthy scratch?

You’d still have scratches all the same. Youd simply have two extra players on the bench, ready to play if needed.

Reason I bring this up is because hockey is rare in the concept of playing a man or more down for an entire game (outside of a red card in soccer, which is a penalty). This even applies to referees; when one is injured, the other rides solo

the scratches in the box can’t suit up to play; these two extra skaters would.

 

[SEALBound]

You’d still have scratches all the same. Youd simply have two extra players on the bench, ready to play if needed.

Reason I bring this up is because hockey is rare in the concept of playing a man or more down for an entire game (outside of a red card in soccer, which is a penalty). This even applies to referees; when one is injured, the other rides solo

the scratches in the box can’t suit up to play; these two extra skaters would.

So a 5th line and a 4th pairing? (read: one 5th line player and one 4th pairing dman).

If you go down a forward, what's wrong with the other 11?

If it's a concern, I could run a training camp by running these NHL whimps through my local adult league where I regularly play games with 4-5 forwards.

 

[Time Skip]

Either that or you make two of the healthy scratches the active backups on the bench? Saves two roster spots @jigglysquishy @SEALBound

 

[Time Skip]

So a 5th line and a 4th pairing? (read: one 5th line player and one 4th pairing dman).

If you go down a forward, what's wrong with the other 11?

If it's a concern, I could run a training camp by running these NHL whimps through my local adult league where I regularly play games with 4-5 forwards.

It’d allow a team to not be down a forward or defenseman after one injury. Thats double the protection currently, which is none and double shifting a guy lol

The roster spots being added isn’t necessary if you just run the scratches on the bench. But I do think hockey could stand to add a way to not be a man down after one injury, like every other team sport allows

 

[SEALBound]

It’d allow a team to not be down a forward or defenseman after one injury. Thats double the protection currently, which is none and double shifting a guy lol

The roster spots being added isn’t necessary if you just run the scratches on the bench. But I do think hockey could stand to add a way to not be a man down after one injury, like every other team sport allows

In effect, the current HS would dress for warms ups and then just hang out wherever. If someone gets hurt, they make their way to the bench.

 

[Time Skip]

In effect, the current HS would dress for warms ups and then just hang out wherever. If someone gets hurt, they make their way to the bench.

Essentially, yes. They wouldn’t be allowed to play except for injury or sickness.

Ejection would not allow them to come in, however. Treat it like a red card; thatd be fun, right? Lol

Edit: in theory you could run them on the bench, and let them play. But that seems.. extra lol, and would lead to teams simply loading at deadlines as contenders

 

[NYRnine94]

It’d allow a team to not be down a forward or defenseman after one injury. Thats double the protection currently, which is none and double shifting a guy lol

The roster spots being added isn’t necessary if you just run the scratches on the bench. But I do think hockey could stand to add a way to not be a man down after one injury, like every other team sport allows

Having to plan around an injury adds to the drama of a hockey game. It can make or break a team

 

[Sanderson]

Hockey already uses 20 players, there is no need for replacements because the replacements already participate. That's the point of having four lines.

You are creating differences were there are none. Basketball uses 5 players on the field, the rest can come in if needed. Soccer uses 11 players on the field, the others can be brought on if needed, though limited in the number of substitutions a team can use. Hockey has 6 players on the ice, the rest can be brought on whenever it is needed. Football doesn't compare, because they use different players for offense and defense.

The difference in use stems from what offers the most benefit regarding the players on the field.
Hockey has evolved towards a situation in which short shifts and quick changes offer the best results, as players tire out quickly. Basketball and soccer have a completely different style and tempo, it would be useless to constantly change the lineup in either of the two. Football and Baseball have individual moments of actions, followed by a break, that's something else entirely.

Hockey teams are free to use their players like teams from other sports do. They just don't, because it would put them at a disadvantage.