My Suggestions For Hockey

[THUNDER HANDS]

I have five suggestions for making the game of hockey more competitive and exciting. They are as follows:

1. To address the issue of competitive balance, which is the most-pressing issue facing the game today, I would institute a three-tiered salary cap and tie it into the amature draft.

$30 million
$40 million
$50 million

The teams in the $30 million cap bracket would be guaranteed to pick in draft spots 1-10 no matter how they finished the year before. The teams in the $40 million cap bracket would get spots 11-20 and the $50 million cap teams would get the 21-30 spots.

This would set up a system where teams that couldn't afford to sign high-priced free agents would be assured of always having a good farm system and capable young players to replace those lost to free agency. The teams that could afford to sign high-priced talent would pay the price of jacking up the market by not having a shot at the best young players.

2. I would contract two teams and go back to a 28 team league. This would even out the talent level throughout the league. There probably needs to be more than two teams contracted, but two is a good start. We don't need a team in Columbus or Carolina or two in Florida.

3. I would outlaw the trap and do away with the red line. Make the game more wide-open and allow the league to actually showcase its star players.

4. Bring back the fighting. The sport lost popularity once the fighting was removed, its part of what makes the sport unique. Also, the chippy, dirty play is a direct result of players not being able to take out their agressions with a good, solid, slobberknocker.

5. Fire Gary Bettman. He is the worst commisoner in pro sports. Makes Bud Selig look like a genius. Hell, makes Bush look like a genius. He's killing the sport.

Do those 5 things and hockey will go a long way towards getting back on track.

[madrchsod]

1. go to minor league hockey games...

although they may not be the best players, the seats are cheap, the beer is cold,and you can take the family without spending a million dollars

[cheezus]

2. my only problem with a salary cap

if there's a salary cap, there needs to be a profit cap too.