Some GMs unhappy with NHL committee

All of the general managers of the NHL used to be responsible for overseeing the rules of the NHL, including recommending changes. Now they no longer have that responsibility. Now its a small team of four players, four GMs, and one owner.

If the GMs are unhappy with this, then they have themselves to blame. Everyone knows that the popularity of the NHL is decreasing and that the game has become somewhat boring at times. In the last year, there was pressure to adjust the rules of the game to make it more interesting. The most significant change the GMs suggested was to disallow goaltenders from playing the puck outside of the goal crease. Exactly how is that supposed to make the game more exciting?

It appears that the NHL is being run by stubborn traditionalists who are afraid of changing the game. In this day and age, sports have to be flexible and adapt their rules for today's athletes. Today, athletes are much bigger, faster, stronger, and smarter [1] than they were years ago. The NHL is an example of a sport that suffers when its rules do not change to accommodate the changes in the athletes.

Take the NFL for example. Almost every year they tweak their rules. Last year there were significant rule changes with respect to catching passes (e.g. rules about a defender making contact with a receiver). A few years back they introduced the "coach's challenge". The NFL continuously adapts itself to balance the game and accommodate the changing athlete.

What has the NHL done? It has sat on the bench and done nothing. Pro hockey players have grown in ability such that it too easy to lock other players down with quick and strong defensive play and prevent creative and graceful offense. The rules haven't addressed that shift in ability. As a result the popularity of the sport has decayed because the game has become less exciting.

In addition, defensive-minded coaches have proven that a defensive strategy in hockey almost always wins games. Almost every other NHL team has picked up on this and employs a defensive style [2]. Teams aren't rewarded for taking chances and winning. Instead, teams try hard not to lose than to win. Anti-climactic ties are frequent. This decrease in offense has been in effect for 10 years in the NHL.

Somebody in the NHL recognized that it was time for a change and replaced the decision makers who control the rules. The NHL is interested in re-inventing (and possibly re-branding) itself, and changing the rule-makers was essential to that goal.

[1] Smarter, meaning they can draw from the experiences of past players and teams. Effective winning strategies are re-used effectively.

[2] ...except the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mario Lemieux (the Penguins owner and star player) denounces defensive strategies and criticizes other coaches for using them. He says it hurts the game. Well, yeah Mario, but your team has finished at the bottom of the league standings for years... Your attendence is awful because your fans would rather see your team win with a defensive style than get pwned every night trying to just play creative offense.