4 Olympic policies the NHL should adopt

Germany's Tim Stutzle, left, challenges United States' Clayton Keller during a preliminary round game of men's ice hockey between the United States and Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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Carolyn Kaster

International sports in 2026 — specifically the Winter Olympics and the FIFA World Cup — fostered a type of unity that the world seldom sees in this day and age.

Sports enthusiasts united with the uninitiated for love of country, while fans from different nationalities united over love of sport. Many realized that people from other walks of live aren’t so different from them.

At its core, that’s what sports spectatorship is all about. It gives people a reason to band together. It gives them something to talk about. It gives them something to hope for.

Here are four aspects of this year’s major international sporting events that would make for a better NHL viewing experience, should the league institute them.

Fewer TV timeouts

In the Olympic hockey tournaments, there were only two TV timeouts per period, as opposed to the three that interrupt each period of NHL action.

At the FIFA World Cup, fans were outraged at the stations that showed commercials during the two hydration breaks in each 90-minute match.

The worst part about the NHL’s current setup is the timing.

Commercials come at the first stoppage of play (with some exceptions) after the 14-, 10- and six-minute marks of each period. People’s attention spans are perhaps shorter than they’ve ever been before. If your system causes them to take out their phones every four minutes, there’s a good chance you’ll lose their attention altogether.

Having fewer TV timeouts also helps the flow of the game. Momentum is a major factor in hockey. Fewer interruptions could, in many cases, equate to more action.

The consequence of a change like this would be the finances. Ad space produces a lot of revenue for the league, so to compensate for three fewer commercial breaks in each game, the cost of the streaming services would likely skyrocket.

Games starting on time

Both the Olympic committee and FIFA did a great job at starting their games when they said they would. If it’s scheduled for 7 p.m., the puck drops (or ball is kicked off) at or very close to 7 p.m.

NHL fans have become accustomed to 7 o’clock games beginning closer to 7:20, which extends the time commitment to watch the game. It takes close to three hours to watch a normal NHL game, but a few simple changes could easily drop that number to two and a half hours or less.

Again, attention spans aren’t what they used to be. Any fluff that can be cut out should be.

Proper start times would require attending fans to be in their seats on time, which isn’t always the case even with the current setup. But that would figure itself out over time.

Extra dressed players

As much as possible, the Olympic committee wanted every player to see ice time. Lots of top NHL players were suddenly forced into depth roles with the depth of some of the Olympic teams, and the IOC didn’t want them going home with sour attitudes because they didn’t get to play.

While that was still the case for a handful of players, allowing teams to dress 13 forwards and seven defensemen for each game decreased it significantly.

It also helped maintain the integrity of the game. When mid-game injuries inevitably struck, teams weren’t suddenly forced to play short a man. The extra player simply slotted into a regular line rotation.

In the NHL, teams carry 23 players on the active roster, but only 20 dress for each game. They travel to every away game whether they play or not, so the only cost of having an additional guy or two on the bench as opposed to the press box would be an extra skate sharpening.

This would especially make sense in the playoffs, where games frequently need extended overtime periods. Having more fresh legs would decrease the risk of injury and increase the level of play.

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) and Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) celebrate after the Vegas Golden Knights scored a goal during Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff series at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026.

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Tess Crowley, Deseret News

Mandatory neck guards

Incidents where a player is injured because he didn’t wear a neck guard are few and far between — thank goodness. But they’re entirely preventable, and the equipment required is hardly considered invasive.

A number of professional leagues, including the AHL, made the use of neck guards mandatory after former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Adam Johnson died from a laceration to his neck after taking a skate up high in a game in England.

The Olympic tournaments required all players to wear neck guards.

“At the start, it was kind of annoying,” Boston Bruins forward JJ Peterka, who played for Team Germany at the Games, told the Deseret News after the Olympics. “But I think if you get used to it, it (will be) different. But definitely, it (takes) some time to get used to it.”

The NHL has adjusted its mandatory equipment policies from time to time: It was only in 1997 that the last helmet-less player retired. The league typically grandfathers these changes in, meaning the existing players can choose to play without, but incoming players must comply with the new rule.

Virtually every youth hockey league in the world requires every player to wear neck guards. The CHL does as well, and the NCAA is considering doing the same. A rule change wouldn’t require many players to pivot away from what they’re used to wearing.

United States' Abbey Murphy makes an attempt to score during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between USA and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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Petr David Josek

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