NHL lacks class.

[evilmrt 636]

"Class" is way overused. I think what people really mean is respect - you can respect the guy you're trying to make a permanent part of the boards by making a clean, hard hit and not trying to take his head off, or not attempting to render him unable to reproduce. Mr. Hockey was the toughest SOB of his time, but he had respect for the game and those that played it. I think that's the big thing that's lacking now. The retirement of players like Sakic and Yzerman has leeched that element from the game.

You hit the nail on the head, absolutely what I was trying to get at in my post.

[WingsAlways 486]

Our 4th line played really well yesterday...really well. As a part of the normal flow of the game, fighting is gone...forget about it. If you want to waste a roster spot on some 6-5 250lb numbskull who's going to square off with the other team's numbskull, go ahead. That isn't going to effect the outcome of the game.

I see where you're coming from, but not everybody that's willing to square off to defend a teammate is a "numbskull". As a Wings fan, did you look at McCarty, Probert, or Kocur with the same outlook?

On the contrary It affects the outcome quite a bit, either by momentum or by having a star player left alone because someone stood up to someone who was messing with them and made a statement.

[Dabura 12,207]

Malik with a good rant about all the blatant assholery we've seen in just the first round:

http://kuklaskorner.com/tmr/comments/georges-rant-what-the-hell-is-going-on-spearing-and-kneeing-old-time-hockey

I think this is what happens when you set a ridiculous precedent, namely $5,000. If you asked a hockey-savvy middle-income family if they'd be willing to shell out $5,000 for a chance at having their family name on the Cup, they'd probably consider it. If you asked a better-than-average National Hockey League player, who makes $5,000 every time he blinks, if he'd pay that price for a 50-50 shot at injuring a key opposing player in the playoffs, he might not think, "Hey, that's a great deal!" But he probably wouldn't think, "Wow, I really can't afford to do that."

[Dabura 12,207]

I blame the Owners for all the violence, cheap shots, and head hits. They could get rid of it by tomorrow, but they either don't want to or they're scared to make changes. I'm convinced they don't want to, and that they're trying to tap into the UFC market to generate more fans and revenue. With all the changes the NFL is making to clean up their game, hockey is now the most dangerous sport to play due to the speed and the lack of discipline and respect by some of the players.

Nothing's going to change until someone is either paralyzed or killed, or the league loses big in one of the upcoming lawsuits.

To be fair, ice hockey has always been one of the more dangerous pro team sports, for a variety of reasons. Blocking shots, for example. That's ludicrously dangerous, but it really is just part of the game.

I see an osteopathic doc, largely for hockey-related issues. He's hardcore Canadian, but he feels the game - even the cleanest check - is profoundly damaging to the body. Slip on the ice and fall on your ass, that could cause you problems in the long run. Someone whacks you in the head with a high stick, that could be a lot more than "Yeah, he kinda clipped me a bit. But my head is still attached to my body, so it's all good."

It's a brutal, brutal, brutal, brutal sport. Beautiful and awesome and at times even artistic, yes. But, without question, brutal.

[Dabura 12,207]

I see where you're coming from, but not everybody that's willing to square off to defend a teammate is a "numbskull". As a Wings fan, did you look at McCarty, Probert, or Kocur with the same outlook?

On the contrary It affects the outcome quite a bit, either by momentum or by having a star player left alone because someone stood up to someone who was messing with them and made a statement.

I think we have to realize it's not the '80s anymore. The (Chuck) Norris Division, where all you had to was look at a guy the wrong way and you'd have an epic line brawl - those days are long gone. You see it resurface now and then, here and there - but, for the most part, Jungle Law doesn't govern like it used to. The game has changed. Speed and skill and depth and cerebral line matchups and efficient, controlled, effective physicality are the new school. Standards have changed. The societal landscape has changed. Moral and ethical lines have shifted. We are, for better or for worse (for better), more informed, more careful, more politically correct. Also, today's average NHLer is bigger, stronger, faster, more physically imposing than he's ever been.

The biggest thing, though? I think it's simply the heightened pressure to win. It's the parity.

Which is better: Having a protector, or not having a protector? If it were that simple, we'd all take the protector. But in the age of parity and the cap, the question tends to be something closer to "Do I want a defensively responsible guy who can kill penalties and maybe take that faceoff in our end when we're up a goal with 30 seconds left and the other team has pulled the goalie and we just iced the puck - or do I want a guy who you know what never mind I want the guy who's killing penalties and taking that d-zone faceoff." Parity means two points are never free. You have to bring your A game every night and ice the roster that gives you the best chance of securing those two points or taking a game in a playoff series. If your judgment as a coach or general manager slips even a little, it can be a five-game losing streak, which might cost you a playoff berth. Because it's that competitive now.

[Firefighter4WingedWheel 12]

Going in the same vein of "what sells tickets" I really get tired of hearing non-hockey enthusists say "I only watch for the fights." It is this type of audience that is pushing the NHL in this direction of "do whatever it takes to sell tickets." To those people I just shake my head and walk away. Or if I'm feeling really hockey-like, I grab their shirt and punch them in the head.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

I think we have to realize it's not the '80s anymore. The (Chuck) Norris Division, where all you had to was look at a guy the wrong way and you'd have an epic line brawl - those days are long gone. You see it resurface now and then, here and there - but, for the most part, Jungle Law doesn't govern like it used to. The game has changed. Speed and skill and depth and cerebral line matchups and efficient, controlled, effective physicality are the new school. Standards have changed. The societal landscape has changed. Moral and ethical lines have shifted. We are, for better or for worse (for better), more informed, more careful, more politically correct. Also, today's average NHLer is bigger, stronger, faster, more physically imposing than he's ever been.

The biggest thing, though? I think it's simply the heightened pressure to win. It's the parity.

Which is better: Having a protector, or not having a protector? If it were that simple, we'd all take the protector. But in the age of parity and the cap, the question tends to be something closer to "Do I want a defensively responsible guy who can kill penalties and maybe take that faceoff in our end when we're up a goal with 30 seconds left and the other team has pulled the goalie and we just iced the puck - or do I want a guy who you know what never mind I want the guy who's killing penalties and taking that d-zone faceoff." Parity means two points are never free. You have to bring your A game every night and ice the roster that gives you the best chance of securing those two points or taking a game in a playoff series. If your judgment as a coach or general manager slips even a little, it can be a five-game losing streak, which might cost you a playoff berth. Because it's that competitive now.

We need a protector