DO NOT agree with reducing the goalie pads. They did that a few years back and it did not make that much difference. There is not a lot of room left to make them any smaller. I am a goalie and trust me, if they went any smaller there would be guys injured every game. Why is it that when the skill level of goalies goes up, everyone complains. Gaolie from 15 years ago would not make a backup position in todays NHL, with a few exceptions. These guys are a real position now, they are huge, 6' plus, 220lbs, and fast. No longer do you have just a guy standing in front of shots. They are much better style wise, physically better, stronger, faster, more agile.
What needs to be done, but never will happen, is increase the ice size. The average skater in the NHL is probably not far off 6' and 200 lbs. Put 10 of those guys in an end and there is no room to move. The scoring has gone down just as much from no real good scoring chances just as much as from the better goalies.
You see some of the games barely getting into the double digits on the shot clock.
Also, there has to be a culling of the heard here. There are too many teams right now, and the game has suffered for it. More teams means more players needed, and we cam all agree that some of the teams are very under talented. NYI, Edmonton (but they have a bright future if they can keep the kids), most of the southern teams. Take out 6 teams, spread out the to 10 players from each of those teams, and that is another 60 quality players spread out between 26 teams, 2 more "stars" per team, and 2 less slugs per team. Now all the teams will have at least 2 pure scoring lines, some of them will have three. And this is coming from a guy that wants to get NHL back in his town where it belongs.
). Canadiens also went 24 and 21. The Wings have gone 20 twice and there is no end in sight.
