5 NHL rule changes hockey fans want to see implemented in the league

Hockey fans have been hoping for radical changes to the NHL’s rulebook for years. Here are the top five rule changes we want the NHL to add in the future.

Oftentimes when fans criticize the game of hockey, the rulebook is one of the first things to come up in conversation. Over the years, the NHL has had vast, sweeping rule changes to its league. From adding the trapezoid behind nets in 2004 to implementing forward passing in the offensive zone in 1923, the NHL has seen changes to its rulebook that have shaped the way hockey has been played for years to come.

While hockey is in a good place in some respects, there are certain rules that could be tweaked or added to make the game more palatable. Hockey fans spend a lot of time talking about what rule changes would benefit the game the most, often arguing with one another if their vision of what the NHL should be doesn’t line up with another’s.

There are many ways the NHL could change its rulebook in the years to come, but here are the top five rule changes we would like to see the league implement in the years to come.

5. More player customization

One of the more surprising things to come out of the NHL Player Association’s annual player poll this year was the idea that 73 percent of NHL players polled would be in favor of relaxing the game-day dress code. Unlike the NBA or NFL, NHL players often wear suits when entering arenas on game days thanks to a long-standing dress code.

While the dress code offers some ways for a player’s personality to shine through — and suits do look great overall — it’s a very strict mandate that many players seemingly would like to see fall by the wayside. Relaxing the NHL’s dress code would offer players more chances to showcase their personalities in the same way NBA and NFL players can express themselves on game days, and is such a simple change to make in regards to the NHL’s overall rules.

The NHLPA player poll also took a look at if players should be allowed to customize their equipment during games, to which 53 percent of players said yes. Of those polled, customizing skates came out ahead at 40 percent, while sticks and helmets placed second and third respectively.

Allowing players to customize their equipment would be a great way for NHL players to add a bit of themselves to their gear. Hockey culture has always prioritized team over self, but allowing player customization in this way would be a great way to inject a bit of fun into the league with such a small change.