HOCKEY

It has been a little while since I've posted so let me just tell you a bit about what is running through my head today... HOCKEY!

I played 3 times on Friday and almost died from being so tired. It is so nice to be back into hockey season again. But I really need to wash my gear. I've been playing for a month now and don't always get the time or weather to air out my gear and I was informed by the guy next to me on the bench that I should seriously consider washing my gear because it was seriously making him sick! So its on the deck right now and I gave it some serious Fabreeze action. I might be playing tonight too... we'll see how I feel, how much money I have, and how much of my paper is done.

Also it is just nice to have NHL hockey back on TV. I love watching it. And the Leafs are on a 3 game winning streak so that is good. Everyone jumped on them right away when they lost a few to start but I knew we'd be fine. So that is good.


But now is my, much anticipated I'm sure, review of the "New NHL" as we know it.
Here is what I like:
I like the 2 line passes. I will tell you right now that in my heart of hearts I am a traditionalist but the no red line game is pretty exciting. I like that players are allowed to move up ice without being hooked or held back but players that are too slow to keep up. It allows skilled players to shine and really show what they can do. I like that Goalies gear is regulated so we don't have Garth Snow in his enormous pads filling the whole net because he isn't that quick. And I love the tag up offside that should never have been messed with in the first place.
But I'm afraid there are a few things I don't care for:
First of all Shoot outs are not hockey. No other sport does them except the oh so exciting game of soccer. Hockey is a team sport and should be won or lost as a team. I don't like that Defencemen can't do their job. Now forwards like 80 pound Martin St. Louis can stand in front of the net and there isn't a thing the defense can do because if they touch him, they will get a penalty. It is going to take the intensity out of the game. I also still don't understand what the point of limiting the goalie's play of the puck is all about. Most goaltenders don't do it well enough to even worry about it. In fact, I bet there are more goals when they do play the puck behind the net and so on.

The thing is, the NHL is trying to get people to watch Hockey after wasting an entire year arguing. So they have frigged with the game so it will be more exciting and people will watch. But in reality there was nothing wrong with the game! Remember the 2004 play-offs? If you didn't like it, you don't like hockey! Why would the NHL disrespect its loyal fans, especially those of us who hung in there from the lock out, by messing with the integrity of the game all to cater to fans who DON'T KNOW THE GAME! That is the new target, they want a new kind of fan I guess. But I'm not sure how they accommodate the "new and improved" fan when the whistle blows and no one in the building or watching at home has a sweet clue why the play stopped. Great move.

But hey, like I said, more than anything I'm just glad the NHL is back. If I can sit home and watch the leafs and Don Cherry's Coaches corner on CBC on a Saturday night. I'm a happy man.