As much as I hate to admit it, it’s hard to disagree with MSNBC’s assertion that the NHL “isn’t popular enough to be on par with the other three major leagues.” However, the article does offer up a good list of 10 ways to help hockey return to “the fast-paced, highly-skilled, physically-demanding sport that is used to be.” Although many disagree, my favorite suggestion is to resolve regular-season tie games with shootouts after a scoreless overtime period. It would definitely add to the excitement of the game, and as the article points out would help keep attendance up if fans “knew there was a chance they were going to see Mario Lemieux and Dominik Hasek going one-on-one,” for example. Barring that, play overtime periods until someone wins outright, like in the playoff games. I think that rewarding teams with one point for a loss in overtime is total bullshit; play until someone wins, and then that team earns its points.
The other suggestions were a mixed bag, but in the end, I think that the last one might be the best one:
Stop playing Russian Roulette with the rules and regulations of hockey. The solution isn’t all that complicated. Enforce the laws already in place to the letter and that will take care of most of what ails the game today.
Amen. Finally, make sure and visit the Fark forum on this story to see some great suggestions for an eleventh item. 🙂
