Newz Forum: HOCKEY: NHL rules changes put on ice by CBA talks.

The NHL is currently hampered by politics. With scoring average down and salaries rising, CBA talks and rules changes are going to be the big thing, and maybe the only thing, in the NHL this season. Player salaries are the most talked about item in major sports today, and its no different in hockey. The players want higher salaries and the owners want a salary cap. Neither side can agree. The rules changes were to improve the game for the American fans who don't seem to enjoy 1-0 hockey games.

ESPN.com
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Radical rule changes designed to improve the flow of National Hockey League games are, like the game itself, now marked by uncertainty.

League general managers were scheduled to vote on several proposed rules changes on Friday, but grievances filed by the NHL Players' Association have put the process on indefinite hold, NHL executive vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell said.

"I was hoping a lot of these things would have been separate from the economic issues that are going on right now," a frustrated Campbell said. "Unfortunately it's been merged, washed in."

Comments:
I have no problems with the scores in hockey games. I don't have a problem with a salary cap. I don't have a problem with paying a good player a little more.

To increase scoring, here is what you do. Don't make any rule changes. Just inforce the rules. Call interference, hooking, holding. Call the extremely minor infractions, let the skaters skate.

Hopefully everyone will come to their senses before it is too late. As Tampa Bay and Calgary proved, you do not need a high payroll to be a sucessful team, but all the same, it would be nice to see all of the teams on a fairly even level. I think the NBA was right by putting the luxury tax on teams that have too high of a payroll, not a real salary cap, but something that the teams don't really want to cross.

I don't really have a problem with the way that people are held up or with the scores of the games. Personally, a hard fought 1-0 or 2-1 game, with lots of hitting, and emotions running high is far more exciting than a total shootout. However if the NHL wants to increase scoring they should either take away the red line, not allow goalies to go behing the nets, change the dimensions of the rink to a European size, or enforce all of the penalties, nomatter how severe.

Look at the teams with high payrolls that got bounced early in the playoffs, or didn't make them at all. Looking in the New York Ranger's direction. BTW Sniper, I got it by the 3rd Mike Oxlong.