Hockey's Back!!!

[KMacT]

The big difference is that the talent pool in the NHL is such that there are not the number of breakaway skaters on each team. This means that the modern trap will frustrate teams into breaking it with mis-directed, long passes.

I agree that the talent pool is greatly diluted. Hockey is the worst by far of all the major North American sports. I think you understate, however, the effective use of holding and hooking by trapping teams. If the offensive player gets a step on you, just reach around and slow him down. Use your arms. Use your stick. Don't pull him to the ice - just slow him down and "interfere" with him. It's an infraction of the rules; a penalty should be called; they refuse to call it.

Kevin

[Jimmy Carbomb]

I agree that the talent pool is greatly diluted. Hockey is the worst by far of all the major North American sports. I think you understate, however, the effective use of holding and hooking by trapping teams. If the offensive player gets a step on you, just reach around and slow him down. Use your arms. Use your stick. Don't pull him to the ice - just slow him down and "interfere" with him. It's an infraction of the rules; a penalty should be called; they refuse to call it.

Kevin

I KNOW that Mario Lemieux agrees entirely with that one! It's a little harder for me to see since the team that I follow is a bunch of slow, large men. A hook is usually shrugged... then they go in all alone on the net... and miss everything.

Teams like the Flames, Sharks, Oilers, Lightning, and Canucks will GREATLY benefit from the no-redline. Since their speed will put them in the "clear", the hooks and holds will be so obvious that even Koharsky could have seen them. This will present a wonderful opportunity for the refs to see what they've been missing.

Wanna bet that the theatrics of Mark Recchi (shot by a mortar) and Vincent Lecavalier (hit with a 20,000 volt charge) gets called equally too? They say that they're going to speed-up the game... but until now, I hadn't thought about the penalties!

[KMacT]

They say that they're going to speed-up the game... but until now, I hadn't thought about the penalties!

Every year they say they are going to speed up the game. All they need to do is call the penalties. New rules are not needed. The game is a naturally fast game when the penalties are called. What is the difference between NHL hockey and Olympic hockey? Is it the two line passes in the Olympics? No. They hardly ever occur. In my opinion it's the fact that penalties are called. It opens up the game. And of course it does. It's just so simple. The fact that those boneheads refuse to call the penalties vexes me to no end.

And a little known fact. The centre line was *introduced* to the game of hockey many decades ago for one purpose - to speed up the game. Removing it (for off-side purposes) will not speed up the game, in my opinion. It will have the opposite effect. Skilled players may be skating at the other teams blue line expecting a pass, but will anyone be able to consistently make such a long pass connect on a regular basis? Not with today's NHL skill level.

Kevin

[jfellrath]

The other reason that the international game is faster is that the ice is bigger and there's more room to move around. But that's a change you'll NEVER see in North America because it'd be too expensive for the arenas to change.

[Mr. Kilt]

Well, since someone else did a bit of name dropping in this thread, I suppose I can add mine.

Back in the 70's I went to school with Barry Trotz (head coach of Nashville Predators), as well as Denise, the wife of Wendl Clark. We were in the same classe from grades 4 through 10. Based on a pic of Denise I saw in the paper a few of years ago, she's aged rather well. Too bad Barry hasn't. He looks like he's 20 years older than me right now.

As for the game itself...never really liked it. I can't understand how a bunch of overpaid "entertainers" can get away with beating the crap out of each other night after night. Anyone from the public sector would be thrown in jail for the same thing. Todd Bertuzzi (sp?) should be locked up, among others. Just my NSHO. (I'll don my flame-resistant kilt now, LOL)

[Colin]

Duke Asmondson (one of the original Winnipeg Jets- WHA) was my hockey coach for a few years as a child.

Al G. Bertuzzi locked up?? Come on, we have seen way worse (including Moore's cheapshot check against Naslund) before and after the Bertuzzi hit. Let's also be honest, in that Steve Moore was a two bit player that was trying to make a name for himself with an illegal check on a top rated player. Since that failed, he is now pushing the limits of the suspension for Bertuzzi to help with his civil suit. Heck, the guy didn't even get his contract renewed by the team that "supported' him. He is a hack looking to cash in.

The same week that the Bertuzzi gong show took place, there were two cases of people using their sticks to hit one another, or throw in the crowd. No suspensions there.

Yes it was a cheap shot and I don't support it, but by the instegator rule is horrid. No buddy would have done that to Gretzky in his hay day, because they knew they would be pummeled by McSorely or Anderson.

You're just getting cocky because if your captain got hit, he is likely to take the guy out himself

[KMacT]

Al G. Bertuzzi locked up?? Come on, we have seen way worse (including Moore's cheapshot check against Naslund) before and after the Bertuzzi hit. Let's also be honest, in that Steve Moore was a two bit player that was trying to make a name for himself with an illegal check on a top rated player.

Canucks fan?

Kevin

[Colin]

Canucks fan?

Kevin

Jets fan, but living in Canucks territory.

[KMacT]

The other reason that the international game is faster is that the ice is bigger and there's more room to move around. But that's a change you'll NEVER see in North America because it'd be too expensive for the arenas to change.

When the Canada Cup or World Cup of Hockey tournaments are played, they are played on North American rinks. But those games are considerably faster than those played in the NHL. It's not the size of the rink that makes the difference, it's the quality of the play in the rink. It's a poor workman who blames his tools. There are just too many limited-skill players in the NHL, and those limited-skill players are permitted to hook and hold and otherwise interfere with the truly skilled players.

Kevin

[KMacT]

Jets fan, but living in Canucks territory.

I have family in Winnipeg, always hoping that (for example) the Penguins will move to Winnipeg. I feel for you. But I also fear that you are drinking the same water that Canucks fans are drinking. I can see no other explanation. Unless maybe it's because people so rarely see a good hit these days that they can't appreciate one when they see it. Good hits can be devastating, and Naslund now knows that. Bertuzzi? He snapped. Good player. Terrible terrible thing he did. There is no place for that in hockey. None at all. Not even close. Gutless. Cowardly. To favourably compare what Bertuzzi did with what Steve Moore did, is in my opinion quite outrageous and unsupported by any reasonable view of the two incidents.

Kevin