Retired NHLer Mike Johnson Speaks Up: The NHL and Gary Bettman Need to Listen to His Rule Change Ideas
Every year the NHL's board of governors meets to discuss the rules, and often rule changes are proposed. Though often minor in nature, it's at this meeting where the game has the potential to change forever.
Johnson's Changes
Former NHLer Mike Johnson recently discussed some major potential rule changes he would like to see for the NHL. He started by discussing the hand-pass rule, calling for a major revision to when players are allowed to make a hand pass.
"From now on going forward, we're going to allow hand passes from every player in every zone," said Johnson. "There's no reason why a defensive team if the puck's in there I can grab it and give it and break it out, but as an offensive player I can't. Why would I not have the same rules for the offensive team as the defensive team?"
This would be a huge change to how offensive play could work, with players being able to make offensive plays by using their hands. But this wasn't the only offensive change he proposed:
"The other... any goal off a skate counts," said Johnson. "Here's my safety amendment.... except in the blue paint."
Kicked-in goals are always controversial, though while this seems like a huge change, it wouldn't amount to much, as most goals that go in off skates occur within the crease anyway.
High Sticking?
Johnson offered this solution to high-sticking goals as well:
"There is no high stick rules for goals," added Johnson. "People don't swing their stick at pucks, and if they do and they hit you in the head, you go to the box and you don't get to come out when they score two goals."
This would be a potential solution to controversial high-sticking goals that are hard to determine. However, on the flip side, this could certainly increase the amount of stick-waiving that Johnson alludes to.
Either way, the NHL is evolving. While these rules aren't likely to be implemented, the NHL will certainly change as time goes on.
As read on Hockey Feed - "Former NHLer Mike Johnson proposes some big rule changes."
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 2 | 158 ANSWERS Retired NHLer Mike Johnson Speaks Up: The NHL and Gary Bettman Need to Listen to His Rule Change Ideas Should the NHL adopt Johnson's proposed rule changes? | ||
| Yes | 62 | 39.2 % |
| No | 54 | 34.2 % |
| Some, but not all. | 42 | 26.6 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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