OPINION: One Easy Change to Improve the NHL

I'm not the biggest hockey guy in the world, but I do like to tune in to the Bruins and the playoffs. It's probably the least popular major four sport right now, likely due to how few people grow up playing it. Hockey fans love hockey, and probably will tell me to kick rocks, but I do have one change that would instantly improve the game, without making too much of a difference. I've held this opinion for years, and it's always met with strong positive feedback. So, here it is:

If a penalty spans two periods, the player should have to stay in the box for intermission.

For example, a player gets called for a minor penalty with a minute left in the second period. They go to the box, and when the period ends, they still have a minute left of time in the box. With my new rule, the player has to stay in the box throughout intermission and can't return to the locker room. Let's take a look at some of the implications this would have.

Home Ice Advantage

This is the biggest one for me. Nowadays, in all sports, the rivalries don't feel as real. So many of the players grow up playing with each other due to travel teams and all of that, so they're friends by the time they get to the league. Most players aren't going to truly hate each other and we can't artificially create that, but we can make them hate the fans. We can make it so they dread going to certain arenas, on the off chance they get a late period penalty. Imagine a Penguins player has to sit in the penalty box for about 15 minutes between periods in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is as rowdy as it gets, and those fans have nothing else to do during intermission. While many fans will flock to the concourse to use the bathroom and get their ninth bud light, the fans around the penalty box aren't going anywhere. Those lucky scumbags are staying right where they are, and yelling the meanest things they can at the unfortunate offender. Hockey players are the best shit talkers in the world, so maybe mic up the penalty box and see what type of chirps are thrown around. Put out an R-rated "mic'd up video" after the game. The verbal war would be must watch stuff.

Fan Engagement

Having the players sit in the box during intermission would also add a level of fan engagement to the game. If you're going to the game and sitting by the penalty box, you better be doing your research about the players to hit them where it hurts. If noted scumbag Tom Wilson ends up in the box for intermission, you have to come prepared. You can't be fumbling around on Wikipedia right in front of the guy, because by then it's already over. Having the players stay on the ice forces the fans who can afford those seats to be invested in the team and really know their stuff. You can't be stumbling over yourself in a war of words with a hockey player; if you're buying the good seats, you better come with ammo.

It's not just the away team that can get stuck in the box, too. A player on the home team could end up there, in which case fans will want to be ready to keep him company. Find out where the players are from, what their other interests are and be prepared to chat it up for fifteen minutes or so. They quite literally can't leave, so might as well try to pass the time. I'm sure some players will want to sit and be quiet, but if you've got a talker in the box, you better be ready for some conversation. Maybe a chat about their golf game, or a quick update on other local sports scores. Whatever it takes to keep morale high for your guy.

Strategy

The change I'm suggesting mostly keeps the game the same way, but it does have a small effect on strategy. If you're playing on the road in Boston and you know Sully from Dorchester is sitting by the penalty box waiting to yell about your mother and your sister, maybe you'll think twice about sticking your stick in between a guys legs. Maybe you won't hit a guy up high if you see Tony from Delco holding a couple D batteries a few rows back. Maybe you'll gamble that Tony can't hit you anyways because he's had a few too many tailgate beers, but it's something to consider. If you're playing in Arizona, it probably doesn't matter because nobody is there anyways, but there could be some retired guy who's just waiting to call you names that haven't been okay to say since before 1980. The game is mostly the same, but it's another factor to think about.