Over 100 NHLers Call on the League and Gary Bettman to Make Major Rule Change

The results of the NHLPA's annual Players Poll have now come out, and while it brings us intriguing insights about fellow players, it also reveals potential rule changes that players would like to see implemented in the NHL.

Perhaps the most interesting this year has been the revelation that 30% of players in the league would be in support of the NHL adopting the 'jailbreak goal' rule, one that has been introduced by the PWHL since their inception last year.

That rule states that on a minor penalty, if the team on the penalty kill is able to score a short-handed goal, then the powerplay for the opposing team officially comes to an end, allowing for major rewards if you are able to score at 5-on-4 or even 5-on-3.

This does not however apply on a major penalty, but it has been a major success for the PWHL, and with teams looking to get rewarded for succeeding despite being undermanned, it's got some clear support from the league.

It's unclear if the results of this poll are ever brought to Commissioner Gary Bettman about potential implementation, but this is certainly an intriguing rule that would shake up the league without having to make major changes that fans wouldn't be in support of.

As for the jailbreak goal, most fans on social media seem to be in support of the idea, and while it's unlikely to change anytime soon, it would be a fun way to change an already existing rule.

Ultimately, there are many ways for the NHL to improve under Gary Bettman, with fans having some major criticism, and while most would prefer to see the playoffs go back to 1v8 seeding or a potential change in scoring (also used in the PWHL with the 3-2-1 scoring method), this would definitely be something the league should look into.