Why the NHL is greatness

I used to be a big NHL fan, but the events of the past few years changed that. A few months ago I posted the reasons why I don't miss the NHL on my sports blog 110 Percent, largely because of inept leadership. However, I have thought quite a bit about hockey over the past few months. Upon further reflection, I have been reminded of the things that attracted me to hockey in the first place. I finally decided that I'm not going to let Bettman rob me of a great game, so I'm back on the bandwagon and excited about the Stanley Cup playoffs. Let me make perfectly clear: I have experienced this shift in spite of Bettman and the NHL leadership (or lack thereof), not because of them. Without further ado, here are five reasons why the NHL is greatness.

The Stanley Cup - In Baseball v Cricket, I said the Ashes urn was a nine. For reference, the Stanley Cup is a ten—it is the hockey icon. Watch the final game of the Stanley Cup Finals this year (even the playoffs are named for the Cup) and witness the winning team pass the Cup around, each player taking their turn hoisting it over their head. And then you get to the off season, when each player on the championship team gets the Cup for one day, and legendary stories emerge. In every other North American sport, you talk of winning a ring. In hockey, it's all about the Cup.

Party crashers - There is almost always a young, low-seeded team that rides a hot goalie deep in the playoffs. They win their first round series and everyone calls it a fluke. But when they reach the conference finals, people take notice. A couple years ago, it was the Calgary Flames and the Sea of Red who were the darlings of the Finals. If you like underdogs, hockey is the sport for you.

Overtime playoff hockey - If you like sudden death overtimes, this is the only place it really happens. The NBA tacks on more minutes, and MLB is only sudden death for the home team. I suppose the NFL has sudden death overtime, but that is negated by the fact that it almost always ends with a couple running plays to center the ball before concluding with another field goal. Where's the tension in that? Nothing beats triple overtime playoff hockey, full of breakaways, odd man rushes and jaw dropping saves. Nothing.

Exciting defense - In most sports, good defense makes for boring games. Not so in hockey, where a goalie standing on his head, particularly in the playoffs, is more exciting than the league leading goal scorer. Picture this: Kobe drives the lane after losing his man with a wicked crossover, then clangs the layup off the front of the rim. Result: you were brought to the edge of your seat, but you feel cheated when it doesn't result in points. Now this: Sidney Crosby dekes two defenders and fires off a shot only to be robbed by a Martin Brodeur glove save. Result: no score here, either, but it's still exciting because one great play is trumped by another.

Team handshakes - Two teams slug it out over seven games—they fight, bleed, hack and generally try to tear each other to pieces in order to advance. So when one team has clinched the series, what do they do? They line up and shake hands, congratulating the winners and appreciating the effort of the defeated. You don't get this in any other major American sport. Pure class.

So there you have it. Over the next two months, you have the chance to see some great hockey. Forget Bettman, strikes, lockouts and all the mess and enjoy the greatness of the Stanley Cup playoffs, because you never know when two goalies are going to go nuts and star in a triple overtime game.

Also published at 110 Percent.

Taytay 24All-American

945 days ago

Score 0

Make that quadruple overtime. Canucks and Stars combine for eight goals in regulation, then go to 4OT to scratch out one more.

Permalink | Reply

Alex HolowczakHall of Famer

945 days ago

Score 2

You are quite right. Ice Hockey is the best sport in North America, and I don't understand why it is so comparitively minor.

Permalink | Reply

False ProphetAll-Star

945 days ago

Score 1

Football is King. Allow me to explain.

First, there is the team aspect. In no other sport that I can think of, does being a team matter so much. If one guy fails to do his job on one play, the entire team sufferes. If you don't have great Wings in Hockey, but your Center and Defenders are top notch, you can still win.

Second, excitement factor. The greatest game ever played in any sports was the 2006 Rose Bowl. You had some of the Worlds Greatest Athelets in the past decade or even longer going head to head. In Football, each play is a set up, each posession is strategic, everything about the game leads to excitement. Even defensive games are exciting. What's more fun then watching Shawn Merriman nail David Carr for the 10th time in the past hour? Not a whole lot. All the Defensive plays can be just as exciting as the offensive ones.

Third, physicality. You like jaw dropping hits? It's the norm in the NFL. There's at least a dozen of hard hits in each game. There is contact and smashing on every play. In Hockey, you punch a guy you sit out. In football, you might get a penalty, but if it's done right, you won't see any flags whatsoever.

Finally, tradition. There is so much great history in Football. Kids all over the U.S. and Canada see the players take the field on Sundays, and then go outside and pretend like they're pros. Its been done for generations, and will continue to. There are some amazing rivalries. Michigan OSU, USC-UCLA, Texas-texas A&M. Cowboys 49ers, cowboys redskins, Vikings Packers, and Pats Colts. Football rocks

Permalink

ChristofMVP

945 days ago

Score 3

Hockey is the best sport, if it i played right. The problem with the NHL is that from the mid-90's through the lock-ou, the game was not played properly. Instead of speed and skill, we got clutch and grab and hold.

Also, the NHL is run by a bunch of clowns. The marketing department must be filled with college rejects. The PR is just horrible for this league. Hence, hockey is small time.

If / when the rights folks come into the NHL office and the style of play remains open, then hockey will see a massive growth sprit.

Football is king now. But kings do not live forever. Just ask baseball....

Permalink

Alex HolowczakHall of Famer

945 days ago

Score 1

I think that football (from a neutral perspective, you understand) is too egotisitic. The same applies to the NBA. It's all about ego. So are the big hits in football. I've never seen a hockey player taunt another one. Okay, there have been disagreements, but you never get the players saying "Ooh, I'm the best" etc.

I do like the team aspect and the strategy in the NFL, but Ice Hockey is much more spectacular to watch. If LT gets the ball, you know chances are he'll run it. If Jaromir Jagr gets the puck on a breakaway, there are a merriad of skills he can try.

On an international stage aswell, hockey is more played - and I prefer games where countries can pit their best players against those from another country. As far as I can tell, the Olympic Ice Hockey tournament is cared about moreso than the World Baseball Classic, the American Football World Championship and the World Basketball Championship. You never hear players saying they can't be bothered in the NHL to play for their country - okay, sometimes NHL playoff commitments come first, but often players play for their country in the offseason. The players are more endearing to the public.

And Christof, the NHL has got some good PA. Free radio for games and free YouTube highlights for games is brilliant marketing. Okay, the rest is awful, and I hate the way the NHL plays different Ice Hockey to everywhere else, but it's still a more endearing game in my opinion.

Permalink

Taytay 24All-American

945 days ago

Score 0

Good points all.

FP, football is king, and you are right on all points. But hockey is physical, too. It's got plenty of game play hits—you only mention fights. You fight in football and your gone, too. And as for defensive play, as I said and Christof mentioned, if defense is played right (read: not clutch and grab), it's fantastic. Football may be king, but that doesn't mean hockey isn't a great game, too.

Alex is absolutely right about ego in football and basketball. This is why my wife can't stand to watch football. I also think it is a factor in the trouble that players have gotten into recently in these two leagues. That doesn't happen in baseball or hockey.

Finally, Christof is on the mark regarding PR/marketing. The NHL made a decision a few years ago to market its teams, not individual players. They need to reverse this decision immediately with all the young stars who have come into the league the past couple years. And Alex, I don't regard free radio and YouTube highlights to be brilliant marketing—this should be bare minimum. Their games are on a joke of a cable channel, ticket prices are too high and their games are on a joke of a cable channel. And to draw in the average fan, scoring needs to go up. This would also help the team play factor that FP mentioned—goalies count for too much as it is. And their games are on a joke of a cable channel. But another problem impeding the NHL's success that hasn't been mentioned yet is the fact that the game doesn't translate to TV very well. But if you could get someone to see a game live, they would be hooked.

Permalink

UNT66JV Squad

944 days ago

Score 1

If the NHL had more Americans playing and more American Born Superstar, the marketing would be much easier.... Imagine every team with a Mike Modano type of player.... Now that's my NHL!

Permalink | Reply