Realignment dropped

[Cajanek_Dvacetsest]

I am starting to have Deja Vue again. http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-gmsmeetings NO FRACKIN WAY WOULD THEY HAVE 3 STOPPAGES IN 20 YEARS!!

[fargoblues]

Totally gay. TOTALLY.

[kodos]

There has been a surprisingly small amount of talk about this looming disaster...

[northwest dave]

I didn't like the realignment, honestly. There was one point in this seasons that the Blues would've been out of the playoffs because of the division they were in even though they ranked 4th or 5th in the conference. From my understanding of the new plan, unless they solve the scheduling issue to make it so that team could determine their fate more, it would have been controversial at some point.

[cprice12]

I can't imagine a scenario where either side would actually allow a delay or cancellation of the 2012-2013 season to happen.

That would be beyond insanity and stupidity.
It was bad enough 7 years ago...but to do it again this quick?? It can't happen...can it?

[Winning Unlimited]

I can't imagine a scenario where either side would actually allow a delay or cancellation of the 2012-2013 season to happen.

It has begun.

http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2012/3/14/2 ... nhl_t2_a16

The next NHL season will not start overseas in the fall of 2012, according to a report at the Globe and Mail. The season-opening overseas games have been canceled because of uncertainty over the league's collective bargaining agreement. The NHL has played overseas games to start their season every year since 2007. The current CBA is set to expire on September 15.

[dmiles2186]

I can't imagine a scenario where either side would actually allow a delay or cancellation of the 2012-2013 season to happen.

That would be beyond insanity and stupidity.
It was bad enough 7 years ago...but to do it again this quick?? It can't happen...can it?

The league has done so much and came so far to win people back. They are finally thriving, have a new TV deal, marketable stars....like you said, to do this would be beyond insanity and stupidity.

I get that they all want certain things for their side, but another work stoppage would be the absolute worst thing that could happen to the league.

[STLADOGG]

Bettman has said he wants it to be fast and quiet many times, so maybe its going on but quietly.

[cprice12]

I can't imagine a scenario where either side would actually allow a delay or cancellation of the 2012-2013 season to happen.

It has begun.

http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2012/3/14/2 ... nhl_t2_a16

The next NHL season will not start overseas in the fall of 2012, according to a report at the Globe and Mail. The season-opening overseas games have been canceled because of uncertainty over the league's collective bargaining agreement. The NHL has played overseas games to start their season every year since 2007. The current CBA is set to expire on September 15.

Good...I hate the overseas games.

[WaukeeBlues]

Keep in mind too that it's probably unlikely they'd be negotiating the CBA with the playoffs looming.

Wait until the playoffs start and 14 team's worth of players that (hopefully) include some of the NHLPA leaders can start investing more of their time and energy into it and the ball should get moving then. I wouldn't expect much until then though and I don't think that's out of the ordinary.

[kodos]

Bettman has said he wants it to be fast and quiet many times, so maybe its going on but quietly.

That's what he says to his hooker as well.

I'm not buying it.

[Oz-iz-God]

Eh - this isn't the NFL.

This would nuke the league.

Even Bettman is smart enough to understand that there is no way this league can have another work stoppage so soon after the last one. The fans will absolutely not forgive it. And frankly, the margins for the owners in the NHL aren't so great that the owners will be able to just absorb the hit in fan interest when the league starts back up.

Another work stoppage would create a very real risk of some teams folding, IMO. It would put the NHL right alongside NASCAR and even MMA as a true fringe sport (if it isn't there already).

Who believes they hold the cards right now? Who's driving the stall? Surely both parties recognize how much they have to lose and how little they have to gain here.

I think it will get done.

[cardsfan04]

I can't imagine a scenario where either side would actually allow a delay or cancellation of the 2012-2013 season to happen.

That would be beyond insanity and stupidity.
It was bad enough 7 years ago...but to do it again this quick?? It can't happen...can it?

That's my take too. I've heard they are far apart, but they have 6 months to get a deal done. I think they are smart enough to know how bad it will be for them if they have another work stoppage.

[glen a richter]

As it's evident there's no hope of any return to tradition (see: no hope of losing the shootout), they need to just tweak a few things, really.

1. Bring back the two line pass to decrease concussions
2. Eliminate the instigator
3. Make the nets a tad bigger and the legal pad size for goalies a tad smaller
4. Increase the OT to 10 minutes
5. Decrease the legal curvature on a stick
6. Eliminate the trapazoid

I would like to see, and I'm sure I'm wholly alone in this, a couple of changes pertaining to power plays:

1. In carry-over power plays, the opening faceoff of the next period shouldn't be at center ice. If you were setting up a nice little play there at the end of the period and the only reason you didn't capitalize was because you didn't have a clear lane or the goalie made a save or whatever, the next period should start with an offensive zone faceoff.
2. For major power plays, offsides should be pushed back to center ice. How many times is a great set up thwarted by lousy ice (or more often, I guess, a lousy pass) that just eeks out of the zone? If conditions are made worse for the team on the 5 minute PK, maybe they wouldn't be so reckless with the penalties they take and cut back on a few injuries.

[theohall]

Completely disagree with eliminating the trapezoid. Eliminate that and then we go back to goalies playing the puck in a corner, getting barely bumped when playing the puck in the corner, and drawing completely lame goalie interference calls. Or - we get Patrick Roy-like holding the puck in the corner like a defenseman, a forward pressuring the goalie, but unable to touch the goalie for fear of drawing the lame interference call.

It's bad enough the interference calls being made when goalies are at the friggin' faceoff dots. Allow goalies to play the puck in the corners and it gets worse.

[fargoblues]

As it's evident there's no hope of any return to tradition (see: no hope of losing the shootout), they need to just tweak a few things, really.

1. Bring back the two line pass to decrease concussions
2. Eliminate the instigator
3. Make the nets a tad bigger and the legal pad size for goalies a tad smaller
4. Increase the OT to 10 minutes
5. Decrease the legal curvature on a stick
6. Eliminate the trapazoid

I would like to see, and I'm sure I'm wholly alone in this, a couple of changes pertaining to power plays:

1. In carry-over power plays, the opening faceoff of the next period shouldn't be at center ice. If you were setting up a nice little play there at the end of the period and the only reason you didn't capitalize was because you didn't have a clear lane or the goalie made a save or whatever, the next period should start with an offensive zone faceoff.
2. For major power plays, offsides should be pushed back to center ice. How many times is a great set up thwarted by lousy ice (or more often, I guess, a lousy pass) that just eeks out of the zone? If conditions are made worse for the team on the 5 minute PK, maybe they wouldn't be so reckless with the penalties they take and cut back on a few injuries.

OK, here's my $0.02:

1) I hate the two-line pass. HATE. I hear you with concussions but I remember the league before this rule was eliminated and it was a clogged-up boring mess in between the blue lines. Many more stoppages in play. No flow.
2) Amen brother. AMEN. Bring back the Code. Let players police the game.
3) Legal pad size for goalies, check. bigger nets, no me likey
4) Agreed, but don't stop there. Make every game worth three points. 3 for a win in regulation. 2 for a win in OT/Shootout, 1 for OTL, 0 for loss in reg. Also consider 5 minutes of 4-4 and 5 minutes of 3-3. Now that shit would be exciting.
5) I'll buy it.
6) Agreed, but don't stop there. Keep (and maybe expand) the blue crease. If the goalie leaves the crease, he's fair game. Period. Someone wants to play the puck in the corner or at the faceoff dot? Fine, but don't come bitching to me when he gets checked. Period.

[glen a richter]

Without going all nba on the nhl, if they want to avoid clogging it up at center ice and having a boring brand of hockey, just make trapping styles an illegal defense. The game was plenty exciting before Lemaire went and screwed it all up with his neutral zone crap in NJ and then later in Minnesota. To address Theo's concerns, it's pretty simple... goalie leaves his crease, he's fair game. Goaltender interference should only exist as a penalty in and in the immediate area nearby the crease. Otherwise unless it's blatant intent to injure the goalie, you know what? He's got more equipment on than anyone else, that's the chance he takes by venturing too far from the net.

[fargoblues]

Without going all nba on the nhl, if they want to avoid clogging it up at center ice and having a boring brand of hockey, just make trapping styles an illegal defense.

Yes, because there is a surplus of competent officiating that can apply this rule fairly. Oh, wait.

[theohall]

Without going all nba on the nhl, if they want to avoid clogging it up at center ice and having a boring brand of hockey, just make trapping styles an illegal defense. The game was plenty exciting before Lemaire went and screwed it all up with his neutral zone crap in NJ and then later in Minnesota. To address Theo's concerns, it's pretty simple... goalie leaves his crease, he's fair game. Goaltender interference should only exist as a penalty in and in the immediate area nearby the crease. Otherwise unless it's blatant intent to injure the goalie, you know what? He's got more equipment on than anyone else, that's the chance he takes by venturing too far from the net.

Back in the day, the rules indicated goalie interference should only be called when the goalie was in the crease. The oh-so-competent NHL officials never enforced it that way, though. Hit the goalie and they would make an interference call, instead of a "goalie" interference call. Didn't matter where the goalie was. The refs were "protecting" the goalie, just like they "protected" Ryan Miller when he was playing a puck at a friggin' faceoff dot.

[sseagle]

As it's evident there's no hope of any return to tradition (see: no hope of losing the shootout), they need to just tweak a few things, really.

1. Bring back the two line pass to decrease concussions
2. Eliminate the instigator
3. Make the nets a tad bigger and the legal pad size for goalies a tad smaller
4. Increase the OT to 10 minutes
5. Decrease the legal curvature on a stick
6. Eliminate the trapazoid

I would like to see, and I'm sure I'm wholly alone in this, a couple of changes pertaining to power plays:

1. In carry-over power plays, the opening faceoff of the next period shouldn't be at center ice. If you were setting up a nice little play there at the end of the period and the only reason you didn't capitalize was because you didn't have a clear lane or the goalie made a save or whatever, the next period should start with an offensive zone faceoff.
2. For major power plays, offsides should be pushed back to center ice. How many times is a great set up thwarted by lousy ice (or more often, I guess, a lousy pass) that just eeks out of the zone? If conditions are made worse for the team on the 5 minute PK, maybe they wouldn't be so reckless with the penalties they take and cut back on a few injuries.

OK, here's my $0.02:

1) I hate the two-line pass. HATE. I hear you with concussions but I remember the league before this rule was eliminated and it was a clogged-up boring mess in between the blue lines. Many more stoppages in play. No flow.
2) Amen brother. AMEN. Bring back the Code. Let players police the game.
3) Legal pad size for goalies, check. bigger nets, no me likey
4) Agreed, but don't stop there. Make every game worth three points. 3 for a win in regulation. 2 for a win in OT/Shootout, 1 for OTL, 0 for loss in reg. Also consider 5 minutes of 4-4 and 5 minutes of 3-3. Now that shit would be exciting.
5) I'll buy it.
6) Agreed, but don't stop there. Keep (and maybe expand) the blue crease. If the goalie leaves the crease, he's fair game. Period. Someone wants to play the puck in the corner or at the faceoff dot? Fine, but don't come bitching to me when he gets checked. Period.

That might help make goalie equipment smaller.. they either have huge pads and play goalie, or have smaller, better gear and play like an extra D-man