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Around the League 2019-2024 Edition

One of teeds’ hobby horses was that the NHL should switch to 4-on-4.

I also remember him at one point claiming that he and his financial backers were looking into starting a 4-on-4 league to compete with the NHL, because of course.

Don’t remember if he ever went all the way down to 3-on-3, though.
 
Count me in as a 3 on 3 guy. 5 on 5 certainly hasn't attracted enough fans. And it certainly hasn't convinced me to regularly watch non Leafs games. 3 on 3 has a shot. It has declined in quality as coaching has ruined it to some degree, but the xgf is still through the roof and that makes for a lot of fun. Seeing skill shine = fun. Not enough of that at 5 on 5.
 
I see it differently, like the all star game I think it will just get boring after the novelty wears off.
 
Possibly. But I don't really watch hockey anyway. I "like" 5 on 5 Leafs because it's all I know. That hasn't been enough to grasp the attention of potential new fans. Would 3 on 3 help? Probably not, but it's better than status quo. If they can barely even keep my attention they're gonna have a hard time growing the game.

3 on 3 would increase the gap between the haves and the have nots and natural talent immediately becomes the most important thing to have, not unlike Basketball, for example. At the moment, a casual fan watches Crosby, Matthews, etc. and you don't really get that WOW factor like you did with Lebron or MJ. Some blame the NHLs lack of marketing of their top players, but it's also the nature of the sport in its current state. 3 on 3 changes that.

They'd never do it because it's way too risky of course. But I'd be all for it and it would re-ignite my passion for the sport.
 
Honestly, I think 3-on-3 hockey kind of sucks. It was great at first, when it was constant action and teams trading odd-man rushes, 2 on 1’s and breakaways.

But once NHL coaches sank their teeth into it, they very quickly made it almost unwatchable. Now it’s mostly just one team floating lazily around on their own side of the ice and hanging on to the puck.
 
It has gone downhill slowly but that sorta plateaued. There is objectively way more action, way more skill showcased, and as the stats show, way more chances per minute than 5 on 5. That's why I watch hockey really so I'm not sure I have anything to complain abotu when watching the product.

Granted, I'm not much of a traditionalist with anything and always prefer thinking of how to improve things rather than maintaining rules that were set 100+ years ago when the game was completely different.
 
A lot of the development leagues run 3on3 leagues/scrimmages in the summers, it's an awesome way to stay in shape and work on your offensive creativity.

Have to agree though that NHL coaches have made it worse - but given the skill and speed on display, it generally ends when one player gets out of position.
 
I could care less about growing the fanbase. I want the best product on the ice for me, and that's 5v5. The only thing hampering the game is piss poor officiating most of the time, especially when we get to the playoffs. Call it by the book, players will adapt over time to clean up their games, and the game will open up a bit more gradually.

I like 4v4 and 3v3, but they're gimmicks, and they're misused. OT should have 4 minutes of 4v4 and then 3 minutes of 3v3, imo. And they should eliminate the loser point altogether. Win or go home. Every year the standings are skewed by some teams picking up like 10-15 loser points. To hell with that. Keep the compete level high by making only 2 points available in each game.
 
Yeah they're gay and have been since year 2. 3 on 3 is still can't miss hockey. I try to watch as much of that as I can. It symbolizes what hockey should be but just isn't.
 
If hockey was only offense, sure, but 3v3 only showcases offense.

Fun, but silly in the end. The meaningless one night stand of hockey.
 
Well I watch 3 on 3 happily for every team and actively seek it out. Can't say the same about 5 on 5. The only reason I would think it's silly is because it's different and I'm not used to it. But if I enjoy it way the fuck more, I'm not gonna pretend otherwise cuz of traditions/nostalgia!
 
Yeah, I'm all about traditions and nostalgia! And substantial consistency between eras.

Turn the full 60 minutes into 4v4 or 3v3 and the game will turn into a circus attraction and die out over time because it won't be able to make anyone happy, not the traditionalists nor the new fans with ADD who will find it interesting for 5 minutes and then go practice a tiktok dance routine.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
Yeah, I'm all about traditions and nostalgia! And substantial consistency between eras.

Turn the full 60 minutes into 4v4 or 3v3 and the game will turn into a circus attraction and die out over time because it won't be able to make anyone happy, not the traditionalists nor the new fans with ADD who will find it interesting for 5 minutes and then go practice a tiktok dance routine.
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Yeah and I'm saying that I'll take an action packed game over boring, unwatchable garbage any day. One of the biggest reasons why hockey isn't popular worldwide is well... Because it's shit. But for me the 3 on 3 thing is just a personal preference. I simply enjoy it because it gives me a glimpse of why leagues like the NBA are so fun and successful.
 
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