OVERHAULING RULEBOOK TALK OF ALL-STAR TOWN.

Byline: MATT McHALE NHL 

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The All-Star Game usually kicks off NHL hunting season. With a month before the trading deadline March 9, players such as Washington's Robert Lang and Sergei Gonchar unquestionably should hear their ears ringing.

Yet, the overriding conversation last weekend wasn't about trades or even the upcoming battle over the collective bargaining agreement. It was about reshaping the rules of the game to create more speed and movement.

Debates raged over abolishing the red line, prohibiting goaltenders from handling the puck, maintaining a power play even after a goal has been scored.

Perhaps the impending labor dispute, which could result in the cancellation of an entire season, is the reason front-office types are so focused on changing the game. They can't make changes in midseason, but with some time - probably a lot of time - they can come up with practical solutions.

Although there has been a movement to increase ice size to help match the feel of hockey in the Olympics, some European players say those rules won't work in the NHL. Former NHL great Jari Kurri, who played for the Kings, saw how coaches in his native Finland adjusted after the red line was eliminated and the game became even more defensive.

The bigger ice surface also took away the physical elements. The All- Star Game, won 6-4 on Sunday by the Eastern Conference on a regulation rink, was a bore and lack of grit was the reason.

Players didn't want to get hurt and there were no penalties. There also was no passion, which probably is the NHL's greatest asset. The game has to be physical to be effective - and watchable.

``I believe the balance between offense and defense needs to be adjusted,'' league commissioner Gary Bettman said over the weekend. ``I think this is a great game, but I think it would be enhanced with more offense.''

This week, the All-Star party moves to Las Vegas, where general managers hold their annual winter meetings to discuss the league's future. The group meets again in June. Bettman isn't asking for overnight changes but definitely wants the general managers to come up with solutions.

One possible solution is changing the width of goaltender pads from 12 inches to 10. It doesn't seem like a radical shift, but to the NHL it is huge. In the 1970s, goalie equipment was primitive compared to today and there was more scoring.

This plan received a surprising endorsement from Patrick Roy, recently named the NHL's greatest goaltender, who did not like the idea before retiring last offseason. But now he recognizes the importance of putting the puck in the net.

``I'm not going to have a lot of friends after what I'm going to say,'' Roy said, ``but I think the goalies should go back to 10-inch pads. I used to watch Guy Lafleur come down the wing, and take that big shot and score. Everybody would say, 'What a great shot.'

``Today, people would say, 'What a bad goal by the goalie.' ''

The goaltenders could take a second hit if the league adds limits to their puck-handling. The goalies, far more agile than they were a generation ago, now can range far from the crease to break up offensive rushes.

There is growing support for a ``roaming zone'' to be painted on the ice outside the crease. Goalies would be allowed to make passes only from behind the line.

The next few days could be big in the future of a troubled sport. It won't be that simple or dramatic but it will be a start for a game that needs much more than a trade deadline to spark interest.

Certainly, the Ottawa Senators need toughness and might get Edmonton's Georges Laraque as they prepare to make a run at the Stanley Cup.

But more is on the line now.

``By the end of the summer, I will be satisfied,'' Bettman said. ``Our fans will be satisfied. You'll be satisfied that we've taken a comprehensive look at the game and that we can move forward.''

Too bad the lockout will just be starting.

Matt McHale, [phone]

matt.mchale(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 boxes

Box:

(1) FROM THE BLUE LINES

(2) Daily News/CBS 2/KCAL 9 SPORTS CENTRAL POWER RANKINGS

- Matt McHale

(3) WHAT'S ON

Kings at New Jersey