It wasn’t long ago that the American Hockey League was the league the NHL used to experiment with and test new ideas. It was a plus to the league being the wild west in some ways, as the AHL provided insight for the NHL to follow suit. 

With the way the AHL has changed in recent years, it’s no longer the league of innovation. Instead, the Professional Women’s Hockey League has been the bold, daring, and forward-thinking league willing to try out new things with hopes of catching on. From on-the-ice rule changes to off-the-ice promotion, the PWHL has brought new ideas to hockey, some of which the AHL and, eventually, the NHL can adapt. 

The PWHL implemented a few rule changes from the start with the hopes of making the game more exciting. The “No Escape Rule” forces penalty killers to remain on the ice until the subsequent face-off, while any puck out of play in the offensive zone results in an offensive zone face-off, two rules that promote offense. 

The biggest or most prominent rule difference is the “Jailbreak” rule. When a team scored a shorthanded goal, the penalty is immediately killed, and both teams are back to playing five-on-five hockey. It makes the power play more exciting, where the momentum of the game can shift in either direction depending on how it plays out.

The AHL, more so than the NHL, should adopt the jailbreak rule because it changes the way prospects play while also changing the way teams are built. This rule change prompts teams to put penalty killers who can score on the ice. For AHL teams, that usually means prospects who are skilled but don’t play the complete game are playing in more shorthanded situations. From a team-building perspective, there’s an added motivation to have players who can turn defense into rush chances the other way.

There’s also the change in how a team plays, knowing that a penalty isn’t as costly when there’s a jailbreak opportunity. Sure, teams won’t want to take penalties but they’ll have a more aggressive mindset knowing that a player in the box doesn’t punish the team the same way a traditional power play does. Conversely, a power play isn’t as rewarding, and it’s probably why the AHL and NHL won’t adopt the new rule. 

The big difference between this system and the NHL’s is that it punishes both teams for playing into overtime while rewarding regulation wins. A regulation win is worth three points, while an overtime win is worth two, and an overtime loss is only worth one. In the NHL, a win is worth two points, and an overtime loss is worth one, which particularly upsets the fans when the playoffs roll around, and a team with 15 or more overtime losses sneaks in. 

Of course, the other extreme is for a loss, regardless of the situation, to remain a loss where no point is awarded. This is how the other major sports operate, with hockey being the only one that rewards teams for forcing overtime. 

The middle ground is the 3-2-1 system. Yes, it still gives teams points for losing in overtime but it also makes a regulation win all the more valuable. So, the final few minutes of games are more chaotic with both teams looking for that game-winning goal, and it’s something the AHL should consider, especially as teams sit on a lead in the final minute and burn the clock. This season, it resulted in one of the more bizarre scenes on the final day of the regular season as the Rochester Americans bench celebrated when they forced the game against the Hershey Bears into overtime to clinch a playoff spot. 

A big credit to the PWHL is its promotion of its star players. By the time Caroline Harvey, Abbey Murphy, and Laila Edwards were drafted, they were already household names. This is in part because of their branding and marketing. It’s also because all three players were part of the USA Olympic team that won the Gold Medal.

Many teams around the AHL have done an excellent job of promoting their best players and turning them into stars before they are household NHL names. The marketing and social media teams are always producing content that allows their fans to see different sides of their stars (albeit some teams do a better job of this than others).  

The big difference and the advantage that the PWHL has in promoting its star players is international competition from the Olympics to the Rivalry Series between Canada and the USA. The NHL is starting to recognize the significance of international competition and the stage it puts its best players on. The AHL is still a step behind. 

The best way to change that is by changing up the All-Star Game and making it meaningful to the players. A Four-Nations format would do that. As would a Rivalry Series between the American and Canadian All-Stars. These games bring out the most in the players and produce great games and iconic moments.

The same might happen if the AHL tries it out. After all, a golden goal in an All-Star Game would bring a lot of buzz midseason to the league, especially if it’s scored by an up-and-coming prospect who is sure to make an impact at the next level.