The rink is the number one area that the SHL is going to have to change to get fan intrigue to increase and get viewership against the NHL. As a premier hockey league, the NHL has done very little to change the rink over its entire existence. So, how can the SHL change its rink in a way that makes it more extreme and more fun to watch. The answer is really simple, add slopes. By creating a small grade of downhill skating toward each goal, the pace of offensive play and forechecking will be increasingly devastating.

So, center ice will be raised about three feet above the level of each goal. The ice will be curved from that level toward each end of the ice. Players skating out of their offensive zone are going to be more likely to get crushed by a open ice forechecker. And players in on the breakaway are going to have the benefit of blazing fast speed like they have never been able to produce on your standard North American or Olympic rink. With some harder hits and more high-flying offensive action, the SHL is soon to overtake the NHL in TV viewership.