The vast majority of players have very clear opinions about what could be done to improve the show and protect players a little more. On the occasion of the Player Media Tour, a 48-hour event that allows broadcasters like TVASPORTS to conduct interviews and sales tours with players, we were able to survey the opinions of those who keep hockey fans at the limit of their seats. Here’s a sample of their answers to the following question: You’re NHL commissioner for a day, what change would you like to make?
Cole Caufield
“I would like goals scored with a high stick to be awarded now. The other thing I would do is allow teams to have a third goalie at all times, giving players the option to always have at least one goalie on the ice during practice.
Archive photo, Martin Chevalier
Connor McDavid
“To be honest, I like the way things are done in the NHL, so I wouldn’t make many changes. Nevertheless, we definitely need more international events.”
Archive photo, AFP
John Tavares
“The calendar would be a priority for me. I would suspend all four games in seven days. We often don’t have enough time to recover and this would allow us to do so. On the other hand, there is no question of touching the 82-game schedule, which is part of the difficulty of playing in this league. By reducing the number of games a team has to play per week, players would be healthier and that would lead to better games.
Archive photo, AFP
Filip Forberg
“Without a doubt, the schedule would be my priority. I would ban the two games on so many nights and in return I would forego the five consecutive days we sometimes have without playing. That would save us by far the most strenuous two games on two evenings.”
Archive photo, AFP
Adam Fox
“I think if we reduced the number of games we play in a season it would be much better for the level of competition. Let’s imagine a schedule with 70 games. And the second thing I would do, of course, would be to abolish the salary cap!”
Archive photo, Martin Chevalier
Dylan Larkin
“In my case, no salary cap would be a priority. But I would also like to make changes for the extension period. We have to eliminate the shootout and at the same time teams often take too long to shoot at the opponent’s net. I would set a 24 second timer, like in basketball, to force teams to shoot. If you do not return the puck to the opponent after 24 seconds, you will be penalized.
Archive photo, AFP
Johnny Gaudreau
“My priority would be to prevent the shooting. We play three against three until there is a winner. It would be much better for the players and the fans.
Archive photo, AFP
Jack Eichel
“Me too, my priority would be for the games to end three against three if there is extra time. It’s so exciting. But I would also force teams to use more players. In my opinion, the games could end faster this way.
Archive photo, AFP
Nick Suzuki
“We need to increase the extra time to 10 minutes. Five minutes is far too short. My other priority would be to limit the number of preseason games to a maximum of four. Training camps are too long.”
Photo Martin Chevalier
Sidney Crosby
“Two points are important for me. First, you have to go back to what I knew early in my career for the playoffs, when the first team in the conference was playing the eighth overall team and so on. It’s so close that we need to be rewarded if we dominate during the season, which is not the case at the moment. The other point is the blows to the head. You have to be more consistent. When I arrived in 2005, anything was allowed. Today it is more serious, but there is a gray area. We often see headbutts between teammates and no one agrees on how long the suspension should last. This is not normal and something needs to be cleaned up on this site.”
Archive photo, AFP
Charlie McAvoy
“I would also return to the formula of one against eight in a row. I’ve never experienced it as a player, but I think it would be fairer. My other priority would be to force the NHL to allow players to compete in the Olympics every four years. It should be a commitment.”
Archive photo, AFP
Leon Draisaitl
“My priority would be to abolish the salary cap. I would also like to organize a tournament during the season where the best players have to compete against each other. “It would be very good for the popularity of ice hockey.”
Archive photo, AFP