Comments on: It only took a month

by: Jnacci

Sun, 06 Nov 2005 07:15:54 +0000

Yeah no kidding. I think they teach that boarding move from an early age. If you see a hit coming, turn your back at the last moment and draw the penalty.

I agree, I also like the crackdown on obstruction-holding infractions and I hope they stick with it for the long haul. I like most of the rule changes and still thank God daily they didn’t change the size of the nets.

But the one rule that seems to fly under the radar but really gets under my skin - even worse than the instigator penalty - is that automatic suspension if there is a fight in the last 5 minutes of a game. I HATE that. Now there is no reason to stick around and watch the last five minutes of a blow-out game. When the clock gets to 4:59 I turn the channel.

This rule is VERY dangerous. It’s a slippery slope type of rule. Because the next step is they give out an automatic team fine if a fight happens at ANY time in the game! Then eventually it becomes a suspension. Why not? No one can accuse them of simply outlawing fighting. “We’re not doing that, we’re just making a slight change in the wording of a rule that already exists. Besides, if there is a fight in baseball, basketball or football suspensions are almost automatic. Time for hockey to step out of the dark ages.”

Damn, now I’ve convinced myself that they might have planned it this way. They’re just waiting for Don Cherry to die before they make their move.

by: chris ford

Fri, 04 Nov 2005 19:20:33 +0000

I feel the rule changes have been good for the game.It is great seeing a winger carry the puck over the blueline and unleash a slapshot from the top of the circle(ala Guy LaFleur) But I also agree the instigator rule has got to go.I’m also missing good old fashion bodychecks.Hopefully the NHL brass will tweak the game back where you still have high energy and tough play together.One rule that I hate is boarding.I can see it if you run a guy when he has his back turned, but the refs are calling it when the guy with puck sees his going to get drilled and turns his back real quick and checker has no time to let up and gets the gate.I hate it!!!

by: jnacci

Fri, 04 Nov 2005 17:40:30 +0000

There is a loyal percentage of hockey fans that don’t care if the game is a 2-0 trapfest or a 7-6 shootout … they will loyaly pay the money to watch hockey because of possibility of a good dust-up. Frontier justice. On-ice enforcement of the code. Tempers boiling over. Bitter rivals. Circling dates on the calender. The punishment of the rat. This is what hockey has (or should have) that the other sports (except lacrosse, and occasional baseball) don’t have.

The instigator penalty is in effect against the wishes of the majority of Canadian fans, against the wishes of the majority of American fans, and against the wishes of the players. Fans need to make themselves heard. The NHL is a business. The fans pay the money that makes the NHL happen. Money talks.

What a good fight or brawl brings is emotion. On ice emotion, emotion from the play-by-play guy, the fans perk up and start making noise (”Look, hey look, here we go!”). But not only that … remember the Crowder-Probert fights of the very early 90’s? Detroit and New Jersey weren’t good teams back then but the rematch game in Detroit was sold out weeks in advance. The anticipation of paypack is what gave those home and home series their flavor.

And most importantly, the fear of the beatdown is what deterred the high-sticking pansies from using their sticks (or kevlar elbow pads) as weapons.