Hokey Hockey Hype

[kipwinger 8,532]

I'm not talking about specific players or teams here, but are there any hockey related things that are completely overblown in hockey fandom? Something that's not nearly as important/cool/valuable as everyone makes it out to be? I've got a few but I'm curious to see what everyone else comes up with.

[Axl Foley 228]

That QC needs/deserves a team more than AZ.

[kipwinger 8,532]

Daaaaang, that's a hot take

 

[Walman6million 250]

39 minutes ago, kipwinger said:

I'm not talking about specific players or teams here, but are there any hockey related things that are completely overblown in hockey fandom? Something that's not nearly as important/cool/valuable as everyone makes it out to be? I've got a few but I'm curious to see what everyone else comes up with.

1. Enforcers (not so much recently) - they're pretty much useless and dead at this point, but I miss that aspect of the game anyway
2. The Michigan - it was cool the first time, but i dont need none stop highlight reels everytime it happens, its not amazing anymore
3. Women's hockey - we don't care, we never cared, women's sports will never be as good or popular as mens but theres an obvious effort to force it
4. Folks being surprised that super rich white guys from families who could afford the time and money to push them in hockey and never bothered to study/learn much else are conservative/religious/dooshbags, we know, and you should have known too.
5. Drugs - a lot of people do drugs
6. Coaching - i think theyre mostly baby sitters - but i like to blame everything on them anyway
7. I could think of more but i got plans tonight and gotta jet
 

[Akakabuto 1,755]

5 hours ago, kipwinger said:

I'm not talking about specific players or teams here, but are there any hockey related things that are completely overblown in hockey fandom? Something that's not nearly as important/cool/valuable as everyone makes it out to be? I've got a few but I'm curious to see what everyone else comes up with.

Canada

[Jonas Mahonas 1,872]

things i can think of right now:

1) stick taping being done by the players.  why wouldnt the stick guy just do this.  If youre McDavid or Ovi, ok.  I get it.  But Joe Veleno and his 17 pts a year?  come on

2) the olympics/worlds - these things are stupid for pros.  kids only and its cool.

3) 3 periods.  Enough is enough already.  Every rink has 2 zambonis that redo the ice in 5 min.  Go to (4) 15 min quarters and resurface the ice 3 times instead of 2.  10 mins between each quarter instead of 15 between each period.  "You cant change the game like that.  That's what makes hockey hockey."  Yup, and thats what keeps hockey in the cellar of sports in the USA.  Want to grow your sport?  Do what football does.  Copy football.  Americans LOVE football.

4) NHL ice surface.  Its too small.  They should have begun transitioning NHL arenas to Olympic sized rinks with HP Pavillion in San Jose in the early 90s.  They'd be close to a league wide completion by now if they did.  That being said, it needs to happen.

[kipwinger 8,532]

1 hour ago, Jonas Mahonas said:

things i can think of right now:

1) stick taping being done by the players.  why wouldnt the stick guy just do this.  If youre McDavid or Ovi, ok.  I get it.  But Joe Veleno and his 17 pts a year?  come on

2) the olympics/worlds - these things are stupid for pros.  kids only and its cool.

3) 3 periods.  Enough is enough already.  Every rink has 2 zambonis that redo the ice in 5 min.  Go to (4) 15 min quarters and resurface the ice 3 times instead of 2.  10 mins between each quarter instead of 15 between each period.  "You cant change the game like that.  That's what makes hockey hockey."  Yup, and thats what keeps hockey in the cellar of sports in the USA.  Want to grow your sport?  Do what football does.  Copy football.  Americans LOVE football.

4) NHL ice surface.  Its too small.  They should have begun transitioning NHL arenas to Olympic sized rinks with HP Pavillion in San Jose in the early 90s.  They'd be close to a league wide completion by now if they did.  That being said, it needs to happen.

Keith Olbermann did a segment on his show years ago to this affect, but he was talking about soccer. The gist was the same, if you want to get Americans excited about international sports you need to make them more "American". He wasn't talking about fundamentally changing the way the game was played as much as changing the names, uniforms, etc. But it's an interesting thought nevertheless.

12 hours ago, Walman6million said:

1. Enforcers (not so much recently) - they're pretty much useless and dead at this point, but I miss that aspect of the game anyway
2. The Michigan - it was cool the first time, but i dont need none stop highlight reels everytime it happens, its not amazing anymore
3. Women's hockey - we don't care, we never cared, women's sports will never be as good or popular as mens but theres an obvious effort to force it
4. Folks being surprised that super rich white guys from families who could afford the time and money to push them in hockey and never bothered to study/learn much else are conservative/religious/dooshbags, we know, and you should have known too.
5. Drugs - a lot of people do drugs
6. Coaching - i think theyre mostly baby sitters - but i like to blame everything on them anyway
7. I could think of more but i got plans tonight and gotta jet
 

This was on my list. The Michigan is SOOOOOOOO lame. Youtube is full of videos of literal children doing it. It's neither difficult nor unique. It's like a "complete game" by a pitcher in baseball, it happens constantly and isn't all that hard to do. Yet whenever it happens in the NHL the media collectively lose their minds like they just discovered how to harness fusion energy or something.

[Walman6million 250]

11 hours ago, Akakabuto said:

Canada

BREAKING: Jimmy Howard hired to Red Wings broadcast team - how this effects the Maple Leafs shot at the cup

[Axl Foley 228]

I like the idea of 4 15 min quarters. Then you can have an actual 20 min halftime. Like every other major sport. Except baseball.

Also, get rid of four 8-team divisions and instead do eight 4-team divisions to Bring rivalries back. Top 2 finishers in each division make the playoffs and play each other in the first round. Way simpler playoffs.

Edited February 2, 2023 by Axl Foley

[kipwinger 8,532]

Two others:

1. The Original Six. I do not care about this at all. I'm literally never excited to see the Wings play the Rangers just because they're both "Original Six" franchises. I'm excited to watch A) rivalry games, or B) opposing teams with marquee players. Watching the Wings vs. Blackhawks right now is the opposite of must see tv, irrespective of how old the franchises are. Be honest, if Montreal is playing Chicago and Edmonton is playing Calgary at the same time which game are you watching?  It's a no-brainer.

2. Gordie Howe Hat tricks: Hey guys, what if we named a solid, if unspectacular, performance after one of the most spectacular players in history despite the fact that he almost never did the thing in question? I remember last year when Givani Smith did it and then had no idea it was called the Gordie Howe hat trick when asked about it immediately afterward. That just about sums it up. Something inconsequential that only matters to dingbat sportscasters because they need to fill airtime.

[Axl Foley 228]

I am actually more ashamed of Givani Smith for being a Red Wing and not knowing what that is.

[Jonas Mahonas 1,872]

On 2/2/2023 at 1:54 PM, Axl Foley said:

I like the idea of 4 15 min quarters. Then you can have an actual 20 min halftime. Like every other major sport. Except baseball.

Also, get rid of four 8-team divisions and instead do eight 4-team divisions to Bring rivalries back. Top 2 finishers in each division make the playoffs and play each other in the first round. Way simpler playoffs.

your idea of the 8 groups of 4 is sound.  Would like to use that to have the travel simplified as well.  Detroit shouldnt go to Florida twice in a season.  Play AT Florida/Tampa/Carolina/Capitals 2 back-to-back games each.  Play AT Montreal/Toronto/Ottawa/Buffalo and AT NYR/NYI/New Jersey/Boston the same.  That's 24 games.  Play AT Columbus/Philadelphia/Pittsburgh 4 games in a row each.  Thats 12 games.  Do the same for the other divisions coming to your home games.  Thats 36 more games and a total of 64.  Afted game 32, open up interleague play.  16 games that alternate divisions home and away every other year - you only see western conference teams at home once every 2 years.  Thats 16 more games.  80 game season.  So in summary.

8 games against division teams - (2) 4 game series home and away

4 games against non-division conference teams - (2) 2 game series home and away

1 game against each non-conference team - (8) home against 2 divisions, (8) away against the other 2 divisions

 

You're welcome, NHL.