The National Hockey League has been trying out some possible rule changes this week. Dubbed the 2010 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp, general managers across the league have helped shape the tests to evaluate the effectiveness of various aspects of NHL hockey. The NHL has acknowledged that players are faster, stronger and more skilled than ever before, so they want to see if any subtle improvements could be made to the game while still maintaining its integrity and not confusing fans.

Some of the things they tested were overtime format, net sizes and making it easier for goal judges to determine goals. Having teams change sides in overtime will create long line changes, which could open up scoring opportunities and give teams a chance to actually end games before going to a shootout. Right now it just looks like teams try to hold their ground in order to get to the shootout instead of trying to win the game.

Changing the format of overtime is probably the thing that they should focus on most. Four on four sounded like a good idea at the beginning, but now teams simply wait out the five minutes and let three guys per side decide the game instead of the whole team. Penalty shots have lost their cache and playoff overtime pits five against five and goes on forever. Shootouts may be exciting, but they’re not professional hockey.

It’s good that the NHL is trying to improve its product, but committing to only making small changes in order to not confuse fans? That’s ridiculous. A significant number of significant changes were made after the lockout, and other sports can change major rules and still maintain its fan base. Yet the NHL hasn’t even been willing to switch to no-touch icing. The league is taking a step in the right direction, but hopefully it doesn’t take 10 years to reach the finish line.