Thursday, October 05, 2006

5 Things NHL Should Change

There are a few things that bother me about the NHL, and being a blogger of this great sport, I just can’t let it go. Of course what bugs me, may not bug others so I urge other bloggers to come up with their own list.

These are just 5 things I think should change about the game.

1. Move teams from unpopular cities to metropolitans that actually want a team. If the city of Pittsburgh doesn’t want to buy a new stadium for the Penguins and the team can’t make money at the igloo, move. Simple as that. There are too many markets both in the United States and Canada that would gladly flip the bill and embrace a team.

2. Kill the restricted area for goaltenders. Why do we continue to penalize goaltenders' skill of handling the puck? Allow goaltenders to be apart of their offense.

3. Slim the divisional games to 6 instead of 8. This will open more inter-conference play and every team can play every team.

4. Find a spot in the desert, dig a hole and put Barry Melrose in it (file photo). We are trying to attract fans, not scare them away with a god awful mullet and the cheapest purple pinstripe suit ever constructed.

5. Push for NBC to carry a few games at the beginning of the season instead of waiting until January. What does NBC have to play right now besides Notre Dame games? There is no basketball and they only have Sunday Night Football. Putting the early season games on may push more casual observers to at least start paying attention, and not to Barry.

So those would be the 5 things I wish the NHL would do or change. It’s not much, but it’s a start. What 5 things would you change about the NHL?

5 comments:

The Puck Stops Here said...

Pittsburgh's owners should buy the stadium for the Penguins.

Why is it the taxpayers job to subsidize the NHL?

Pittsburgh has a great fan base - they just need an owner to build them a new stadium (other NHL owners have built stadiums see for example GM Place in Vancouver)

Garrett said...

Believe me, I would love to see the Penguins stay there, I have a few friends that are die-hard Pittsburgh fans. But if the ownership and the NHL draw a solid line in the sand, then they should expect that many markets will wave good-bye to their hockey teams. Which would be messy for the league to clean up.

The Puck Stops Here said...

If the NHL lets the free market contract teams - which is an idea I would not oppose, it should be the teams that cannot draw enough fans to make money that fold not the teams that can make money but haven't been able to blackmail local taxpayers to give them enough gifts like arenas and tax breaks.

Anonymous said...

Pittsburgh outdrew the Capitals in attendance last year. How does a city not wanting to subsidize a new arena with tax money equate to fans not wanting a team? If the Caps threatened to move unless the DC government ponied up $300 million dollars, does anyone here think that this area would care? After the Skins, the Ravens, the Nats, the Wizards, U of MD, and Georgetown, the Capitals fall pretty low on the sporting totem pole--somewhere above the Mystics, near D.C. United. If you want a sense of how bad it is, read Dan Steinberg's sports blog in the Post. He recounts how Brian Sutherby, Steve Eminger and Brooks Laich all were courtside at a Wizards preseason game last week. They were interviewed for TV by a local sports reporter, who DIDN'T REALIZE THEY WERE CAPS PLAYERS! When I visit my relatives in Pittsburgh, Penguins players are on local TV sponsoring car dealerships, restaurants, etc. Alex Ovechkin isn't even recognized in this town.

Fan support is only part of why a hockey team succeeds. That's why teams failed in Winnepeg and Quebec (two cities that care a LOT about hockey) and teams absolutely thrive in Dallas, Tampa Bay and San Jose. Those three cities have good economies, with lots of young people ready to throw down their money at modern entertainment complexes. It has nothing to do with love for hockey.

Garrett said...

I totally agree with you Anon, but it's not like Ted hasn't tried to get those boys recognized. Unfortunately in DC, Hockey is not that important. If you want proof of that watch the local news sports broadcasts, they would rather talk to professional wrestlers than Caps. Thanks for the Comment, keep 'em coming.