The NHL must evolve to survive

A recurring trend in professional sports is the push to make improvements to the current games. Many traditionalists do not like this. Whether they are veterans of a professional league or fans who have never even competed at any level, there is always somebody objecting proposed changes to the current games.

This will always be the case. But it is essential to make sure the games change for the better. Well, what is "for the better"? The best way to understand improvement is to learn from history.

By looking at the history of professional sports, one can better understand the consequences of change. An example of a successful change is when the NBA adopted the 3-point shooting line from the ABA. This added another dimension to scoring. It changed the defensive philosophies and probably accounted for closer games. Not to mention it made careers for many professionals that otherwise would never had made it. So, in essence, it helped all parties involved: the teams, the players, the fans, and the league.

The NHL has been in the media headlines recently because scoring is down. It is the lowest in forty years. People are talking of change because they want to see more goal scoring. If that's what the people want, then it is important for the game to adapt to what the fans want. Without the fans, there is no professional game.

One way to fuel offense is to do away with the two-line pass infraction. Not only does this rule eliminate a potential fast break (or worse, a breakaway), but it also results in a whistle. There is nothing more aggravating to a fan than the stoppage of play. The fans want to see action. Perhaps a four-on-four format should be implemented for sudden death overtime during the regular season. I do not suggest it for the playoffs because these games cannot end in a tie anyway. One benefit of this change would be a lower amount of tie-games per year. Nobody wants to see a great battle end in draw. Most people want to see a victor and loser. This would also encourage odd man rushes and more offensive play. But best of all, it would make for an exciting finale to an already great contest.

Another idea is to enlarge the ice surfaces. This would be more expensive and not as practical as the other suggestions, but most of the world already skates on the larger Olympic rink anyway. After all, the NHL pros are now playing in the Olympics. Why not globally unify the standards. Recently, many stars have been complaining about the hooking, grabbing, and holding. Maybe the larger surface would allow the faster stars to evade such enemy infractions; thereby resulting in fewer penalty whistles. On the flip side, it may lower power play opportunities, but many of the clutching and grabbing goes unnoticed by the officials today anyway. I say spread the players out. A larger surface would also deter the dreaded neutral-zone trap defensive philosophy. Many people want to stop this altogether. But is there a practical and viable way of eliminating it?

It is obvious NHL fans want change. It is important for the fans to make themselves heard. Write letters or e-mail the league in regard to the changes you would like to see made. It is important for the NHL to evolve into what the fans want it to be. Without the fans, there is no NHL.