Wondering if there will be hockey this year? Doesn't look like it.

 

I hope so.

 

It's looking highly unlikely.

 

It doesn't look like its gonna happen.

It will do some damage, but nothing serious up in Canada. The real damage will be in hockey markets in the southern US. They have never been strong markets and the fan base will be shot.

Baseball is America's pastime and it took 10 years for it to recover from the strike in '94. I doubt that hockey can make that kind of comeback.

What I would like to see is some real fundamental changes to the game. They need to change the rules to elimiate the trap and open up the game. That way it will appeal to a broader audience and maybe recover.

 

I would definitely say that's true, I think at least half of Tampa doesn't know that they won the Stanley Cup last year.

 

i agree with ya, Steve
I love hockey, and hate to see it in this state

 

Hey Galaxie,

You guys in the great white north must be really taking this hard, But don't you guys still see alot of minor leauge hockey on TV?

I agrree with your changes but they also have to get those salaries down. I thought I read somewhere that NHL players were the highest paid athletes per game. With most Arenea's only holding about 20 thousand people the prices have skyrocketed. I make pretty good money and I cannot afford a partial game plan for the Caps. And that stinks because I used to love to go to the games. But to get the same seats I used to have at the old Cap center, I would have to take out a second mortgage LOL.

I have been playing online games to make up for lack of hockey. Poker mostly.

 

Mike,

Leaf games are expensive and hard to get, the best seats in the house are over $150.

The thing is, because the TV deals are so bad, hockey teams rely mostly on ticket sales for their payrolls. Just to put this in perspective, the NFL TV deals are so strong, once each team gets their cut, they have enough to cover payroll to the salary cap. Their 8 home games are nothing but profit.

We have minor hockey on TV, but I haven't really gotten into it. The minor hockey teams have profited greatly from the lockout though. Attendance is higher overall and I will bet a lot of the fans will stick around. Season tickets for a minor hockey team are peanuts compared to maybe 2 or 3 big-league games.

I personally think the NHL needs a fundamental shift in philosophy, they need to get rid of bettman. I think the best person to lead hockey and to fix the game would be Gretzky. He is greatly respected by owners and players.

 

Regarding TV . . in some cases (Chicago Blackhawks) home games are NOT even televised . . .because of poor ownership.

 

darn Jason thats harsh, at least 95% of the Caps games are on Comcast.

Steve, I also think Gretzky would be a good commish, but I wonder how he would handle the salary and TV issues. It's a vary interesting delima from a business standpoint.

Mike

 

Jason, the Wirtz family is just as bad as the Harold Ballard era in Toronto.

Here's the thing, if the game was opened-up and exciting, then there would surely be more fan interest and with that comes more TV revenue, etc. etc.

They have to fix the game so it is more wide-open and exciting, like in the 80's. There have been plenty of games I can't stomach to watch in the past few years.

 

So what rules do you think should change, Steve?
I'm all for that lame offside (two lane pass) rule to leave, and maybe even the offside rule also
maybe changing the size of the rink?

 

There is no way the rink size will be changed, that would mean a few rows of the most expensive seats removed.

Changes I would like to see
-get rid of the 2-line offside pass in the neutral zone. It does encourage "cherry picking" but it will kill the trap.

-No touch icing, chasing the puck is usually pretty lame, sometimes you get a dogfight, but quite a few guys have gotten seriously hurt running into the end boards.

-move the nets back to where they were before. I don't like the cycling of the puck down low, and this increases the size of the neutral zone. The most exciting part about hockey are to open ice rushes for me.

-Reduce the size of goaltender equipment. The equipment is just too big, and you can't say it is used for protecting the goalie. If you look at hockey footage from 20 years ago, the equipment sizes were much smaller and no one was seriously hurt.

-Get rid of the instigator rule, while on the surface it looks like it encourages fighting, it will cut down on all the cheap shots in hockey. Back in the day, no one ever dared touch Gretzky, because the next shift Dave Semeko would go and kick the poo out of you.

One idea that would definitely build interest in the game, is at the end of 4-minute overtime, have a shootout with the winning team getting an extra point. Hockey purists hate it, but it would definitely build some serious drama and excitement.

 

I agree, except in the playoffs.

 

You are right about that icing, I was first row in the corner behind the goal a couple of times and those guys touching up have a tendency to get creamed. I mean those donkeys have a half a rink of steam going in there. With the sizes of todays athletes it's like a mack truck hitting a yugo.

All great idea's. I doubt you get those goalies to give up the pads though.

 

Well they could expand the net 4-6 inches on either side from the center. That might help.

 

I know not a lot of people would agree with me, but I love it when goaltenders get shutouts... the only problem I have is that half of the saves arent REAL saves, it was just the puck hitting the goaltender... I know goaltending is a game of angles, and positioning, but there is just too much equipment on these guys! I agree with ya Steve
imo, goaltending is probably the hardest position to play in any sport. these guys lose over 20 pounds a season, and go through so many injuries. If their head isnt in the game, they are gonna get burned bad, big equipment or not.
Before:


After: (this is Dominik Hasek, a 6'0, 160lb guy... he looks huge!)

 

Jason, I don't think the majority of hockey fans would support the size of the net growing, I would prefer the goalies wear smaller equipment and rely on acrobatics for great saves.

I do agree, hockey goalies do have a tough job though, no wonder they are all a little "crazy" At the same time the amount of equipment they wear is ridiculous. There are very few goals like the ones Guy Lafluer used to to where he would break down the wing and wire a slapshot and beat a goalie on the short side.

 

Your right about that, the clean shorty sider is all but extinct. Seems to me that most are deflections or wrap arounds.

 

would be interesting to me to see some stats on deflections. Pucks hiiting a skates in the crease especially. I know it's always happened but like I said it would be interesting to see.