In my current occupational capacity, I have had the opportunity to sit in on more than a few hockey operations meetings and discuss potential rule changes, some good, some bad. The league I work in has instituted an ingenius icing rule and is generally very open to new ideas that somewhat buck the hockey establishment. As such, I thought I could gain some traction for a 3-2-1 system of points. Since I am now a lame duck, I doubt this idea will go anywhere but thought I should share it with readers to get some feedback.
The idea is certainly not new or original by any means, but merely stems by the growing dislike of the “loser point”. My proposal was to change the points system for wins to a 3-2-1 system. 3 points for a regulation win, 2 points for an overtime win and 1 point for a shootout win. Losing teams would be awarded no points. The idea behind this is to not only eliminate the loser point, but to give teams incentives to win games in regulation. I believe this was the NHL’s original intent when it instituted the shootout and the loser point.
I personally don’t buy into the arguments that a 3 point system would ruin historical records. The NHL hasn’t had any kind of stability in that regards anyways. The increased number of teams and their loser point mean that you cannot compare records from different eras, as it becomes an apples to oranges type of deal. I realize that coaches might not like it (as was the case in my situation) because it ruins stability in the standings. If you are clinging to a slim lead in a points race, those loser points can be very valuable.
What do IC readers think? Lets hear your thoughts or alternatives in the comments.
