Dead Puck Era has Returned- New NHL Exposed As BS.

[Konnan511 1,736]

Also to add to this topic. I read last year I believe, that no matter what we do offenseivly, defense will always be able to catch back up. More wide open play and smaller goalie equipment lead to more blocked shots. Expect the same with whatever new rules are made to make offense more potent.

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

Please tell me you are joking. You must be reading the Bettman Guide to Foolery.

The NHL Went from a top tier sport in USA to being dropped by ESPN, hardly mentioned my sports associated press groups (outside of hockey), and now Versus was dropped by the 2nd largest carrier of television- DirectTV. The NHL has taken the worst nosedive in popularity in its sport history.

If you are referring to Bettman putting the games overseas to start the season, then that's a joke. You're a hockey fan; outside the hockey realm, the NHL has become a joke. It saddens me to even type that, but it's true. Look up Nielsen ratings if you'd like... if not, I'll do it for you.

Please read my sig.

[Konnan511 1,736]

Please read my sig.

Plus, you have to remember also why we went with Versus. They offered the most money and ESPN didn't offer anything because of the lock-out and the uncertainty between the greedy players and neanderthal owners and their CBA.

[lomekian 201]

Please tell me you are joking. You must be reading the Bettman Guide to Foolery.

The NHL Went from a top tier sport in USA to being dropped by ESPN, hardly mentioned my sports associated press groups (outside of hockey), and now Versus was dropped by the 2nd largest carrier of television- DirectTV. The NHL has taken the worst nosedive in popularity in its sport history.

If you are referring to Bettman putting the games overseas to start the season, then that's a joke. You're a hockey fan; outside the hockey realm, the NHL has become a joke. It saddens me to even type that, but it's true. Look up Nielsen ratings if you'd like... if not, I'll do it for you.

YOu do realise you've totally missed the point of the original post you are repsonding too and are in fact agreeing with that poster in every way...

On the general issue, my take as a brit who has started watching the game as of mid 90s......

1) As with all high profile sports the levels of professionalism are much much greater across the board than say 80s and early-mid 90s, which creates far more parity, less goals, better defence etc...as the standards increase so does tactical nullifying of other teams and the players ability to achieve this, allowing less room for individuals to shine.

2) Fight instigator rule adds nothing to the NHL at all...

3) More recently...salary cap = more parity = less stacked teams = less exhibition hockey. Not a bad thing, but its a difference

4) removing clutching is a good thing, but the rules need to be more definitive one way or another. And this applies to a range of calls, and tv replays need to be available for all major calls, not just some. Inconsitant refs make the game less enjoyable to the fan and less decipherable to the uninitiated (at the moment its a bit like rugby scrums at times where one team is penalised and even after a reply you don;t know why)

5) More speed + hard pads + insufficient punishments for certain players = more injuries to star players. This is obviously bad. Speed is good, but the NHL needs to make it harder for s***ty players to just go out to hurt opponents without consequences (maybe related to fight instigator).

6) NHL has totally failed to globally market in the way it should. This is the era of globally televised sport, yet in the uK it s basically impossible without dodgy fan made streams to watch a team in the world's premiere league to play except once every 2 or 3 weeks one 1 channel. Sure ice hockey's popularity is not so great in the Uk, but how is it expected to grow if people can't even see it if they want to. in fact, I didn't even know ice hockey existed as a sport until 1987 when a friend got given 'blades of steel' on his nintendo, and i didn't know more about the NHL other than it existed until NHL hockey on the sega megadrive (though i knew about Gretzky being the best player!)...and i've always been a sports nut. Most people over here still know no more than that. If you don't extend an olive branch to a potential consumer base, how will that base ever form and grow. Although almost equally rare over here the NBA, NFL and MLB have all done so much much much more effectively in the last 20 years, so there is a real (albeit still minority) fanbase over here. And American football and baseball are 2 sports that virtually no country outside of North America actually plays or gives a s*** about...by contrast, ice-hockey is played throughout europe and some of the best players ever are european.

I can't comment on domestic NA distribution issues other than its clear the current model is a shambles.

7) Gary Bettman is anti-charisma and looks like a 2nd rate goblin from lord of the rings (not to mention his awful voice). He shouldn't ever be let near a camera or a mic as his mere existence undermines the credibility of the NHL. And this would even be the case if he knew his s***. I mean he makes Ross Perot look sexy...

[jollymania 162]

I don't think hitting has gone down, jsut the supermassive hits, mainly because most guys skate with their heads up nowadays, and more guys are showing mercy. That being said it makes the Kronwalian hits seem more special. Besides come playoffs it returns to normal hit wise. As for the scoring, I thought the game the other night was exciting despite the low score. And if you want goal scoring up brain wash the goalies and give them small pads and tell them just to watch pucks fly in the net like the old days.

Edited January 9, 2010 by jollymania

[zettie85 106]

3) More recently...salary cap = more parity = less stacked teams = less exhibition hockey. Not a bad thing, but its a difference

If you look at the numbers, team salaries are higher now then pre-lock out. When it comes to Canada at least, the rise of the Cdn. $ is what made the difference for teams here.

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

Goodbye all, off to a hockey game. It's hockey night in Canaaaaada!

I swear you must be a modern version of Reggie freaking Dunlop.

[Guest E_S_A_D]

I swear you must be a modern version of Reggie freaking Dunlop.

Who, Uncle Dunlop?

[zettie85 106]

Who, Uncle Dunlop?

Reg is the man!

[lomekian 201]

If you look at the numbers, team salaries are higher now then pre-lock out. When it comes to Canada at least, the rise of the Cdn. $ is what made the difference for teams here.

Across the board, yes, but the days of the wings etc able to make stacked rosters of $80m salary compared to other teams with $35m have gone, which creates greater parity across the league, and possibly less high scoring games and definitely lesser point totals for league leading scorers...