Speeding up the game

[Bob]

There has been some talk on another thread about speeding up the game. Here's a few ideas:

1. Eliminate the red line for two line passes AND for icings.
2. Move the bluelines about 5' farther from the net
3. Bring in no touch icings
4. Make it illegal for the goaltender to play the puck behind the icing line unless he has one foot in the crease.

[blaise]

#2 doesn't sound like a good idea. With 10 feet less space between the blue lines, there'd be less time to form plays and passes would have to be more accurate to avoid offsides. Also, I think it'd be tougher to get past a neutral zone trap.

[Bob]

Blaise said:

#2 doesn't sound like a good idea. With 10 feet less space between the blue lines, there'd be less time to form plays and passes would have to be more accurate to avoid offsides. Also, I think it'd be tougher to get past a neutral zone trap.

You might be right... but as it stands now, the defensive team can stack up the zone between the blueline and the center redline and make it difficult to pass it out from your defensive zone. Without the redline, they would have to defend the entire zone between the bluelines when the offensive team has the puck in their own end.

[Disgruntled70sHab]

Here's what I'd like to try if only in the preseason to gauge feedback.

• I'd like to see them try a game without a centre red line. I'm sure there are some cons to it, but it's worth a try I think. At least it would alleviate the costs of going to a European-sized rink. I think the larger ice surface gives players much more mobility.
  
  
• I like the 30-second faceoff rule we saw in the last Olympics. It doesn't matter what causes the stoppage; the game starts, it moves on quickly. The main thing for a fan to consider is whether that smoked meat sandwich and beer is really worth getting up for; you'd miss quite a bit. For the players it means, the puck will be dropped with or without you there.
  
  
• I also agree with the no-touch icing idea. Granted it would have be a shot from inside one's blueline, but consider this; if the puck didn't make it to the end red line, teams would have to wind back up for the transition. The speed of that transition would be facilitated by removing the centre red line. Leaving the speed of the game out for a second, removing the touch-icing currently being used would alleviate some serious injuries.
  
  
• I don't have the solution to this, but there has to be a way to cut down on television timeouts. Unfortuantely, the more TV timeouts, the more the revenues. Like I said, I don't have a solution; any ideas for that one?
  
  Cheers.

[Bob]

Disgruntled70sHab said:

[/li][li]I don't have the solution to this, but there has to be a way to cut down on television timeouts. Unfortuantely, the more TV timeouts, the more the revenues. Like I said, I don't have a solution; any ideas for that one?
[/quote]

How about a small ad banner that streams across the bottom of the screen, in much the same way they do with stock quotes on CNBC... or would that be too distracting.

[Disgruntled70sHab]

I remember some news channels having the main picture moved to the top left "quaderant" of the screen. The remainder of the space was cluttered with weather and stock market information.

I don't know if sponsors would accept that kind of advertising considering the money they would be pumping out. A banner or a temporarily cluttered screen probably wouldn't go over too well.

However, if they were to try it, say, again during predetermined games, the league could gauge the feedback. If it's unacceptable then revert back to the norm without any questions asked. Heck, we'd have to start somewhere.

Cheers.

[hab1fan]

The AHL will be experimenting with adding width to the Blue and Red lines in some upcoming games. Hamilton will be playing in 3 of them. The Manitoba and Toronto game on January 24 is to be televised on Rogers Sportsnet (I hope NHL Center Ice picks it up).

Here's the details: nhl.com/intheslot/read/ahl/ice_test121703.html

This idea was first proposed by former player and GM Bobby Smith in an aritcle he wrote for The Hockey News earlier this year. This was how the NHL first tested moving the nets farther away from the boards a few years ago.

[BCHab]

I'm curious to see how the experiment will pan out. I think 30 second faceoffs, no touch icing and calling all obstruction penalties are all you need really but this could help.

Cheers,

[Strummerman]

You know what, I think it more or less depends on talent. I rememeber the Avalanche Stars series of a few years back was probably the most entertaining hockey I have seen in years. Let us not forget we have been watching a rather listless team the last few years in the Habs. This year the Habs have become more entertaining on the ice rather than behind the bench. You know that dynasty of the Habs in the late seventies produced a lot of dull games cause the Habs were so much superior to most teams. For me teams of equal talent will produce great hockey. However, the trap style of play is deadly dull. Let us not forget the Stanley CUp champ Flyers of the 70's played a real dull game if you exclude the fights. When they had the lead in the 3rd period they may have iced the puck numeorous times. I think the fact that the superstars that were supposed to be Lindros and Kariya and even Jagr have fizzled lends itself to mediocre talent trying to clutch and grab to win.