02/23 Hockey Notes

There was a lot of discussion at the GM meeting Wednesday. Goalie gear changes were discussed. A changes to the kicking rule was actually instituted. As long as the skate does not leave the ice, any goal scored counts now. I’m not in favor of 1 minute penalties in overtime, though. 2 minutes makes penalties more severe in OT, where the point is to settle the tie. And, no surprise, I’m not alone in that opinion.


More season changes coming? In two years, say NHLers, teams will go to a home and home format, letting teams in other conferences finally get to play each other again. All I can say is it’s about time!

(…who knows…maybe this will bring an audience increase…either way, it can’t hurt…can it?...)


Speaking of generating audience appeal, do you want a way to drive up scoring? Here’s one: eliminate the point for overtime losses. Now, this argument has been going on since the overtime tie/point rule came into effect. Take away the incentive to play for the tie and get that extra point, teams would have to change their game play. The number of ties would decrease, and real play to win hockey would return. I think they’re right. I’ve coached and played youth hockey. You do it differently when there are points on the line.

(…one more way the Lords of Hockey can create a better product…if they really want to…)


Pittsburgh! Pittsburgh! Rah! Rah! Rah! At least that’s what sports beat writer’s seem to think, call Ovechkin the best player right now. Go check out the list of their picks. It’s a bit surprising.


And, the Forsberg saga has finally come to a close, at least for this year.

Peter Forsberg has informed NHL teams, through his agent Don Baizley, that his troublesome foot problem will prevent him from playing in the league this season.

And that means…what…for next year?


The GM Meetings were rampant with fan expectations of trade fodder, given the looming trade deadline. No trades so far, which isn’t necessarily bad news. But there was a lot of talk.

02/14 Hockey Notes

(…school has kept me out of touch for a week or so on the subject of hockey, so here is trip through some recent headlines…just to bring things up to date…)

Monday‘s article by Matt Johnson may seem like just another rant on NHL officiating. But, the truth is, he highlights a growing problem—inconsistent officiating. That’s a really nice way of saying the refs kind of make some stuff up as they go along. If the NHL Lords have any desire to see the status of the League improve…well…there are some simple things they can do to bring that about…

Speaking of improving the game…Hard to believe it’s been 3 years since the lockout. But, even so, the salary cap hit a new high, at $53 million. Remember all the fanfare when the lockout ended of the cap being $35 million? And the brouhaha leading to the lockout about teams going broke because of salary escalations? My how times don’t change…

Good news on Richard Zednik, though. Despite losing 5 units of blood, and an hour of surgery, Zednik will be OK after having his carotid artery severed in a freak accident. Despite the high speed, rough and tumble play, there have really been few bad incidents involving skates in the NHL. Here is a summary of the major skating accidents in the last ten years or so.

And, then there is the continuing Return of Forsberg Saga”. Honestly, this guy has more press that says nothing new than anyone outside of Hollywood. It just seems to be a never ending stream of “He will,” followed by “He won’t.” Having traded him to Nashville, it does seem fitting that the flyers would want him back, though. GM Paul Holmgren, said,

"Other than the fact that we have not gotten a call and other teams did (that Forsberg isn't interested in playing for them), well, that leaves us in the game, I guess.”

Of course, now that Simon Gagne is out with his third concussion this season, the Flyers could use the help, if he is honestly over the foot troubles. I wonder if it will make a difference to Forsberg?

I have to admit I liked the idea behind John Buccigross’s column Tuesday: What if the NHL started over from scratch next season?

What if the NHL started from scratch?

What if every player's contract was shredded and we started all over?

What if the NHL restocked all 30 teams through a league-wide draft in which every player was available?

What would the first round look like?

Pure fantasy, of course, but it was an amusing read all the same. MVN posted an alternative view of how the draft would go. Personally it strikes me as a little more reality based…but still pure fantasy.

(…I won’t even try to think mine out…)

01/27 Hockey Notes

Well, the NHL decided to extend the broadcast contract with Versus. One of the better analyses of the NHL/Versus broadcast deal came out the other day at Sports Business News. Living in one of those areas where I can’t get Versus, as an old time hockey fan, is really bad. What would be nice is to believe the league will come to it’s senses and get a new deal—even if it’s crawling to ESPN.

(…I suspect that is something along the lines of pigs growing wings, though…)


The NHL also announced next season would open with two games in Europe. But, as usual, the Lords of the Rink didn’t involve everyone in the discussions. The NHLPA is pretty hot about being left out.

Paul Kelly, the NHLPA’s executive director, said he was aware of the European games but warned the league not to make a firm announcement until the two sides worked out all details.

“If they want the Players’ Association to be a true business partner, then they have to include us in discussions about these matters at the earliest stages,” Kelly said. “We shouldn’t read about it in the press and we shouldn’t find about it after the fact.”

Bettman, it seems, still deserves his place on Forbes list of worst managers.


Cheers! The League seems to have awakened from their slumber last year—scheduling the All Star game for a week night. Jeers! This year’s game will be televised on Versus, instead of a network.

(…but, I digress, and repeat myself…)


The Rangers will retired Brian Leetch’s No. 2 before Thursday’s game. He played a long career, quietly, and deserves the honor.

"I always say, if anybody remembers me as years go by, if they say, 'Didn't you play for the Rangers?' That's good enough for me. If I played long enough and had enough of an impact that someone can at least remember that I wore the uniform that I played in for all those years."

(…a great statement on what sportsmanship and teamwork should be…)

01/01 Hockey News

Happy New Year, everyone. And, as much as I like poking fun at the media, this year I have ignored my real passion…Ice Hockey!

For me, yesterday’s highlight was the NHL Classic. It’s been years since I have seen an outdoor game. I loved it. For me the best part was seeing all the finesse players struggle through the puck through the snow! Over 70,000 fans showed up to watch! It even ended with a great shoot out! How cool is that?

Actually…most of the time…I’m not a real fan of shootouts. I think they artificially change the standings. They can put teams in the playoffs that don’t really belong there…like the Dallas Stars last season, where 20 games went to OT and 12 of those were decided by a shoot out. You can’t make it in the playoffs if you can’t finish a game in real play, as Dallas proved against the Vancouver Canucks who had 24 games go to OT, but only 9 end in shoot outs.

(…I did notice that the NHL Stats Machine doesn’t track shootout games…if you know someplace that does, let me know…)


A lot of folks, my self included, would like to see the outdoor game become a regular event. But, not Scott Burnside at ESPN. I have to admit, I agree with his comment these events should not be entered into lightly. And, I don’t think there should be a lot of outdoor games. That is an invitation to injuries that could cripple the sport. On the other hand, I think the challenge players face from outdoor conditions would increase the interest in the sport. A good thing since the NHL is still trying to recover fan appeal after the lockout.

Meanwhile, the NHL announced the three stars of the week. More surprising, though, was the announcement the Darren McCarty wants to make a comeback—in the IHL. Not many who weren’t picked up after the lockout have returned to the game. Maybe McCarty will be successful.