30 Year Perspective From One of the Greats

Vol. I, No. 27

I've been reading (or re-reading) Ken Dryden's book "The Game" from 1983.

Dryden, as some of us "old-timers" may remember, was the sensational Cornell goalie who led the Big Red to multiple national championships between 1965 and 1969.  Moving to the NHL, Dryden joined the Montreal Canadiens and acheived the improbable feat of winning six Stanley Cups in eight playing seasons (1971-79).

He retired at the top of his game and this performance has never been rivaled.  In the modern era of the NHL, where dynasties cannot survive due to free agency, this record is probably unbeatable.

"The Game" was written in early retirement, just at the time when the Islanders had put an end to the Canadiens' dynasty.  It is hard to imagine dynasties like the Canadiens, Isles or Oilers any longer in this or any sport. There are too many teams, and free agency has created more parity.  In the pre-expansion era NHL, historical rivalries existed between Boston and New York, and between Toronto and Montreal. The Canadiens remain one of the premier dynasties in all of sport, having won the Stanley Cup twenty-five times since the formation of the NHA (precursor to the NHL) in 1915.  If you throw in the Canadiens' ancestors (the Montreal Maroons), the dynasty becomes even more impressive.

One of the sections in Dryden's book is about ticket prices.  Dryden wrote an "Overtime" chapter for the book's 2003 reprinting, which discusses, among other things, prices and salaries.  Too soon we forget that seat prices were $12/game, as recently as 1979.  Inflation since that time would account for an increase to $35.  But average ticket prices are now about $50, and so, hockey seems to be leading the inflation curve.  

Think about what that means for a family of four.  $48 in 1979 is equivalent to $140 in today's dollars.  But the family has to fork over $200 just to get four bodies in the seats, and that's before the kids ask for fries and ice cream. Instead, teams focus their marketing efforts on corporate buyers, building arenas with exclusive private suites with rents in the five figures per season. If you are lucky enough to work for a corporate sponsor, or be invited as a guest, the game can be enjoyed from the elite privacy of a booth with its own bar.  It's a far cry from shinny and hot chocolate, if you ask the Tattler.

There's no easy answer to this economic problem, except for minor league hockey which can be enjoyed for half the cost of the NHL product.  That is, if you live near a minor league team.  In the New York metro area, blessed with three professional teams, the closest minor league franchises are the ECHL Trenton Devils (58 miles from Newark) and the AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers  (59 miles from the Big Apple). In Trenton, ticket prices range from $10.50 (per child) to $27.50 (per adult).  Bridgeport's prices are little higher, $18 - $44.

The NY area is not as fortunate as many other NHL cities which are able to maintain pro and minor league franchises side by side.  Such is the fortune of having three pro teams in one place.  But there is an out. On cable TV, college and AHL hockey are occasionally aired. The seat is cheap, but not free. There is that pesky monthly fee paid to the local cable monopoly.  Think of this over one year as paying for 12 seats at a single game. It might go down more easily that way.

Hockey Rules (but it costs).

Road Trip - Ups and Downs

Vol. I, No. 26

Why is it that a team perform well on one night, and then fall apart one night later?

That's what apparently happened to New Jersey's boys on Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday night, playing in Montreal, the Devils beat the Canadiens 4 - 2. One night later, in Philly, the team fell to the Flyers by a score of 1 - 5 (or 5 - 1, if you are on the west side of the Delaware River).

Both Montreal and Philly are comparable in the Conference standings, now tied at 82 points.  Philly is ahead on the basis of one more win (over the Devils of course).  The competition is between 6th and 7th place - and it is a competition.  Why?

Because whichever team winds up in 7th place will play against the 2nd place Conference team in the first round of the Stanley Cup finals. And that means going up against the Penguins or Devils, as things stand now.

There is also the factor of fatigue.  The Devils always get psyched up to play against Montreal. After all, a healthy part of the team's management - and its premier goaltender - all hail from Montreal.  So it comes as no surprise that the Devils spend a lot of energy playing against the Habs (the Canadien Habitants is their proper, complete name).

So, one night later, against the Flyers, the Devils come out flat playing in a back-to-back game.  They   paid the price.  Not surprising.

The next game is at home against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night. Boston is desperate to hang onto 8th place in the Eastern Conference.  They are being chased hard by the Atlanta Thrashers who are only 2 points behind.  The Thrashers are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games. Look for Boston to come out strong tomorrow night in Newark.

Hockey Rules.

NYC (& Pennsy RR) vs. Canada (& the Queen)

Vol. I, No. 25

Saturday night is an evening when all (or most) of Canada tunes into CBC. That's the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.  CBC's most popular program, for decades, has been Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC). Out on the snow swept prairies (or in icy downtown Toronto), people stay indoors to enjoy the national pastime.

For anyone who has seen HNIC, the programs have a festive aura which goes beyond the game. Color commentary by such eminence grises as Don Cherry create an impact and the chance for conversations to go all through the week. Cherry is a celebrity, a Runyonesque character, who makes sense and sensation all in the same diatribes (or whatever one might call them). It is high value entertainment.

The CBC evening program is carried on the NHL Network (a paid subscription down here in the lower 48). Don't ask me about Alaska. Do they have TV up there, or do they just look through their living room windows to see Russia?  Too bad for the Yukon, those Alaska mountains obscure the view. 

But tonight, HNIC cannot be seen in the New York area.  Even though two regional teams are playing in Canada (Devils vs. Montreal, and Rangers vs. Toronto), the NHL Network is black.  Or it was black.  Both games are now finished (Rangers lost in OT, Devils won in OT).  Why black?

Because Madison Square Garden's network (MSG) out-muscles CBS and the NHL Network.  The Rangers and Devils games are carried on MSG (and MSG+). 

MSG is a regional cable network, based only in the New York area. Nobody south of Trenton or north of Hartford really gives a hoot about MSG (other than as an additive in their Chinese food).  MSG Network was owned by Cablevision and ITT, until ITT bowed out and, then last month, Cablevision sold its 50% share to Madison Square Garden, Inc.

CBC is a Canadian crown corporation, which means that it is technically owned by the sovereign of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth.  It is comparable to NPR here in the United States.  CBC competes with CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX and the rest of the private communications industry. 

So, in the corner wearing the Maple Leaf red boxers we have the nation of Canada and her royal highness.  And in the other corner, the challenger wearing blue shorts (get it, Rangers fans?) we have Madison Square Garden. Try to find a square garden on the map, if you will. There was one, once. My grandfather watched fights there.  But no longer.

From 7pm to 10pm on Saturday night, the "Pennsylvania Plaza" crowd turned the lights off on CBC and Hockey Night in Canada.  So there, Canada.  And your royal highness. 

Pennsylvania?  Is this confusing or what? MSG lives atop Pennsylvania Station, which was at one time the hub of the Pennsylvania RR, the arch-rival of the New York Central, whose hub was Grand Central Station. So the real New Yorkers aren't really responsible. It is the invaders from Pennsylvania, combined with some deep pockets.  They wrote contracts with Cablevision and Canada loses.

Few care about the loss, except for hockey buffs who love the game and the CBC tradition.  So, just imagine. If the Devils or Rangers ever meet Calgary, Edmonton or Vancouver in the Stanley Cup Finals, we will watch on MSG, NBC or FOX. CBC won't stand a chance.  Our poor Canadian cousins will watch on CBC. 

At the moment, Vancouver and the Devils are looking strong.  Think about it. Robert Luongo vs. Martin Brodeur.  The first string Olympic goalie against the second string Olympic goalie, benched after his first game.  If it happens, fans in the New York area won't be able to tune in Don Cherry.  Calisse!

Oh, lest we forget. The back-up Olympic goalie just posted his 41st season victory and 598th career win.    The team that he plays on, the ones who wear Devil red, clinched a playoff spot and preserved their lead in the Atlantic Division over Pittsburgh.  The Devils are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games, the Penguins are 4-3-3 in the same period, and the Devils have one game in hand. The race for the finish is getting warm.

Hockey Rules!

Hockey Rules - A New Twist

Vol. I, No. 24

The NHL has gone and done it now. The sport will be a game of sissies afraid to hit. No, I take it back. 

Tuesday, the League approved a head-shot rule proposed at last month's General Managers meeting.  Thursday, the players association accepted the rule change. And the same day, Thursday morning, every NHL team had to watch a DVD showing the difference between legal and illegal hits.  An abbreviated video is now on the NHL website.

Check it out at:

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=618&id=63737

So what will Matt Cooke, the Pittsburgh Penguin wrecking ball, do now?

Suspended for two games in January 2009 for a devastating hit on Scott Walker of the Carolina Hurricanes. Suspended for two games in November 2009 for running New York Ranger Artem Anisimov. And then, NOT suspended this month for his felony-on-ice against Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins.  I guess one thing Matt can count on is a suspension every time he levels someone else.  And, when you get to three in one season, it's 8 games out and forfeit 10% of your salary. Cooke might have to give some back. Unless he can restrain himself.

To most people, head shots and intent to injure are obviously wrong. Some in the world of hockey have said that the new rule will disembowel the essential nature of the game.  Hits are part of hockey. How can a player make a decision while violence surrounds him, at breakneck speed? It's a tough call.

The good news is that the players are speaking out in support. Nobody wants their career to end prematurely.  Nobody wants a concussion.   So, many are now coming out of the woodwork declaring their support. It's about time.  

NHL's new rule, changes the game. Time will tell how it affects the play. Of course, we still have boxing on ice, almost every game.  But what's a shiner, in comparison to a concussed brain?

Hockey Rules - just a little different after this week's events.

PS Hot news. Marc Savard, Cooke's victim, will speak to the media at noon on Sunday. His recovery is reported to be going slowly.

Red, White and Blue Again

Vol. I,  No. 23

    VERSUS  

An intense rivalry is underway again tonight in Newark. It's another Battle of the Hudson (or Newark Bay).

The New York Rangers are on a road trip, playing against the New Jersey Devils.  The two teams are meeting for the sixth time this season. The team that plays on the west bank of the Hudson (and the Passaic River for that matter) has won 3 out of 5. The team that plays on the east bank of the Hudson is struggling to overcome a 5 point deficit, behind 8th place Boston in the Eastern Conference standings.

If the Blue Shirts wind up in ninth place, their season ends on April 11. If they can pull out a win tonight, they go into the final eight games of the season with more confidence.  5 points in 9 games is not an impossible margin to make up, if the Rangers get hot and the Bruins cool off (along with the Atlanta Thrashers and Florida Panthers, who are also in contention for the last playoff spot).

Beyond the importance of one game, is the peculiar nature of the competition. In a league with 30 teams, no other "market" has three teams in one place. New York and its surroundings enjoy the distinction of being swamped with professional hockey teams. Two have been phenomenally successful in the past three decades. One has not.

In the five years between 1979 and 1984, the New York Islanders competed in five Stanley Cup finals  and won four.  Founded in 1972, the Isles are an expansion club.  The 1980s Islanders are considered to be a dynasty, along with the likes of the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers.

To the west and in another state, the expansion New Jersey Devils arrived in 1981 (in the midst of the Isles heyday).  Between 1994 and 2003, the Devils have appeared in four Stanley Cup finals and won three times.

In between these two franchises are the New York Rangers, one of the NHL original six.  In the 72 years since 1938, the Rangers have appeared in four Stanley Cup finals, and won only two times (1940 and 1994).  They have had a long time to suffer in the shadow of the newer, more successful clubs nearby.  

The Isles - Rangers rivalry has subsided over time, since the days of strong Islander teams are 30 years past.  But the Devils are another story.  Their success is recent.  They have been in the NHL playoffs twenty times since 1988, including the past twelve consecutive seasons. So the Blue Shirts always have a thing to prove when they play the team in red.

This rivalry plays out in the stands at the Prudential Center.  The crowd is mix of red and blue.  The blues are concentrated in the upper balconies, and at the ends of the rink, where lower level tickets are available each game.  Crowds from New York get on the train and come accross (or under) the river.  

So, it is a patriotic occasion. The Reds of Newark, the Blues of New York and the White of the ice.  No matter what the standings are, it is always an intense contest.  The Rangers demolished the Islanders last night, 5 - 0.  Can they repeat the same performance?  By 9:30pm or so, the New York area will know which team comes out on top.

P.S. 10pm game review.  A closer contest is hard to imagine.  After 3 - 3 in regular time, overtime ended in a stalemate.  Henrik Lundqvist then out-dueled Martin Brodeur, blanking three Devils in the shootout.  Brodeur let in an amazing shot which hit two goalposts and crossed the line. The Devils emerge with 1 point, tied for the lead in the Atlantic Division (with a game in hand on the Penguins).  The Rangers emerge with 2 points, trail 8th place Boston by 3 points.  The race is on.

Hockey Rules.

Floodgates Opened at The Rock

Vol. I, No. 22

Tuesday night was different. 

The Devils put six goals into the opposing net.  Columbus scored three times, but it was not enough to overcome the onslaught.

The home team went from one goal in two games, to six goals in one game. After a drought of 0 for 17 on the power play, New Jersey's team managed to score three power play goals, out of six man-advantage opportunities. That's 50% production on the power play. Not too shabby.

Obscured by this offensive surge was the fact that in the 72nd regular season game, Martin Brodeur earned his 40th win.  This makes eight seasons in his career that Brodeur has eclipsed the 40 wins mark.  No other goaltender in NHL history has done this more than three times. The next record for Brodeur is the 600 career wins mark.  He is three games shy of the mark, with another ten regular season games left. Odds are good that he will surpass yet another record before the playoffs roll around.

But back to offense.  How does a team go from night to day?  What can explain such variations in scoring?  I think we can break the answer down into three areas:

Special Teams Play

The Devils power play has been sputtering for months.  There is no lack of goal scoring skill among the forwards, with the likes of Elias, Kovalchuk and Parise.  But for some reason, things were not clicking. So the Devils coaching staff resorted to Hockey 101.  The team practiced the power play.  And, even in the 0-1 loss to St. Louis, the man advantage situations looked better, with more shots and better positioning.  But Saturday night, the bounces went the wrong way and Ty Conklin managed to stop everything with the assistance of a goalpost.  Finally, on Tuesday night, the practice paid off and the power play shots went in.

Energy

The team had been drained by the Olympic layover, and by a long West Coast trip.  Being away from home ice, home practice environment for 25 days takes a toll on mental focus and awareness.  All of the leading scorers were involved in the Olympics.  I don't know of another team in the league that coupled that break with a long, opposite coast road trip.

Life

One of the newest sparkplugs on the Devils' roster is Ilya Kovalchuk. He is one of the premier scorers in the entire NHL, with 631 points earned in 611 NHL games. Last night, he had a four point game, the 21st time in his career that he has been able to achieve that. Ilya scored a goal and assisted on three others.

Not many players can boast this kind of scoring production.  For comparison, here are a few measuring sticks:

Wayne Gretzky - 1.92 (with the Edmonton Oiler dynasty)

Mario Lemieux - 1.88 (with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Jaromir Jagr)

Mike Bossy - 1.50 (with the NY Islanders SC cup winning dynasty)

Bobby Orr - 1.39 (with the Boston Bruins in Cup-winning times)

Sidney Crosby - 1.34 (with the current Penguins and Evgeny Malkin)

Alex Ovechkin - 1.34 (with highly competitive Washington Capitals)

Marcel Dionne - 1.31 (with the Detroit Red Wings and LA Kings)

Peter Stastny - 1.27 (with the Quebec Nordiques and NJ Devils)

Jaromir Jagr - 1.26 (see the Mario Lemieux line above)

Evgeny Malkin - 1.26 (see the Sidney Crosby line above)

Peter Forsberg - 1.25 (with the Colorado Avalanche, Quebec Nordiques)

Ilya Kovalchuk - 1.03 (with the Atlanta Thrashers)

Zach Parise - 0.82 (with the Devils in his 5th season)

Now why the reference to life made above?  Because life extends beyond hockey.  Ilya has been in a comparative slump, since coming to New Jersey on February 4th.  It's possible that he was slightly distracted by the move, new linemates and his VERY pregnant wife Nicole, who was about to give birth to their third child.  Fortunately, the baby was born on Sunday night.   Son Artem and Nicole are now back home. And Ilya is back to his scoring ways again.

Congratulations to the Kovalchuk family on their newest arrival, and to the team for a decent wake up call at the Rock on Tuesday March 23rd.

Hockey Rules.

Team USA Strikes Gold in Vancouver! No Kidding!

Vol. I, No. 21

After two silver medals at the 2010 Olympics, Team USA Hockey has finally brought home the gold.

On Saturday March 20, Team USA defeated Japan in the final game, by a score of 2 - 0.

US goalie Steve Cash  did not allow one goal in five games.  Imagine that, a perfect string of shutouts. A goals against average of 0.00 - unheard of!

Oh by the way, Japan had beaten Canada in a semi-final game. Japan? Really? Are we talking hockey?  In fact, the sport is sled hockey (or ice sledge hockey, if you are Canadian).

These games were the Vancouver Paralympics which closed last night after a week of international competition. The Olympics are now, finally, over, until the London summer games in July 2012.

For Olympic hockey fans, there's no event on ice in the summer events, at least not since 1920, when the sport was first introduced to the Olympics.  Four years later, the first winter games were held in 1924. For hockey, we will have to wait until 2014 for the next winter games in Sochi (the Black Sea, the Crimea, in Russia).  Russia ought to be formidable, in four more years.

Congratulations to Team USA and to the para-athletes who set such inspiring examples every day!

Go USA!

Hockey Rules!

Epic Battles at The Rock

Vol. I, No. 20

Last night's score:

Ty Conklin - 29 saves

Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond - 3 minutes, "the champ"

Cam Janssens - 3 minutes, "the chump"

St. Louis Blues - 1 goal, win (and two points in the standings)

New Jersey Devils - 0 (goals, points, anything)

The pundits said that the highlight of last night's game in Newark was a first period three minute fight between Devils tough guy Leblond and ex-Devils tough guy Cam Janssens.  It seems that they politely asked each other if it was time to go at it - or to delay a fight.

Janssens said bring it on and so play stopped for three minutes as the two sparred.  Even the refs were told by Janssens to not intervene.  So who was in charge?  As the fight ended, it seemed that Leblond got the better of Janssens, even though the St. Louis enforcer has the edge in experience. Janssens has been in boxing matches 24 (now 25) times this year.  But his helmet flew off, and Leblond finally wrestled him to the ice.  They both went off with 5 minute major penalties.  

Fights are supposed to energize a team.  The Devils were so energized that they gave up a late period goal in the 1st, a clean shot without any screen that Brodeur knew he should have stopped.  He kicked the puck out in disgust afterwards.

One goal was all it took for St. Louis to prevail.  It was the first shutout at the Rock since January 8, 2009.  The Blues are now 9-3 in their last 12 games.  It is shades of last year's regular season, when St. Louis went 9-1 to get into 8th place in the Western Conference, to make the 2009 playoffs.

The real story of the game was Ty Conklin's shutout.  The Devils threw 29 shots on goal, and had three power play opportunities.  The Devs are 0-17 in one man advantage situations over the past 6 games.  They know there is a problem and are working on it in practice.  But the Blues netminder was giving up nothing.  Travis Zajac came close, hitting the pipe in the third period, but that was the closest the Devils came all night to getting a puck in the net.

Meanwhile, #17, Ilya Kovalchuk tried a fast wraparound but was denied. Poor Ilya is scoreless in his last 4 games.  He has one point in the last 5 games.  His shooting percentage is 7.2%, compared to a career stat of 14.8%.  The only good news is that he is learning the Devils defensive system; has stopped giving up opposing team breakaways and is only -1 (plus/minus) in his last 5 games.  In other words, Ilya is not yet contributing to success.  

But let's give Ilya a chance.  He's only played 16 games for New Jersey, interrupted by the Olympics.  He broke his foot on October 24th.  His young family is in Florida and his wife is expecting their first child any day now.  Reports indicate that he wanted to stay with the Thrashers through the end of the season, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.  But most importantly, the Russian pro league has offered Ilya $20 million a year to come back to Mother Russia, where his freinds and relatives reside.  His marriage in 2008 occurred in Russia.  Some have called the Kovalchuk trade a rental.  The hockey world will know in three months where Ilya really wants to live.  The man has a lot of distractions in his life at the moment.

Hockey Rules (the world).

Suspensions and Such

Vol. I, No. 19

Just three factoids for today:

1.  Matt Cooke was NOT suspended for his March 7 massacre on ice, perpetrated against Marc Savard.

2.  Alex Ovechkin has been put out to pasture for two games, for the March 14 boarding of Brian Campbell.

3.  And, last night, James Wisniewski was suspended for eight games, in exchange for his run on Glen Seabrook (a former teammate and friend).  Seabrook did not have the puck, got smashed into the boards and came up with stars circling his helmet.  But, he is practicing again.  Wisniewski will also forfeit more than $250,000 in salary, 10% of what he earns in a year, to be donated to the NHL Players Association.  The NHLPA socks away money to help players who are disabled.

Does anyone see a trend here?  Is the league trying to play catchup from the March 7th felony-on-ice?  If you look at all of these plays, the Cooke hit stands out with an intent to attack Savard's head.  And Savard's season is OVER.  Even so, Cooke is skating around free as a bird.  Last night, he was able to fight Joe Thornton in Boston.  

James Wisniewski had it coming.  Any player who runs someone into the boards - or who decks another player who is not playing the puck - better fear the big bad wolf. Colin Campbell is meting out suspensions and it is high time.

Or as Paul Kariya just stated, this policy is "years and  years" overdue.  That's the same Kariya who has just scored his 400th NHL goal.  The same guy who was leveled by Gary Suter in 1998 (concussion #1) and then wiped out by Scott Stevens in the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals.  On that second occasion, Kariya got even, returning to the game after 11 minutes to score a goal.  But the Ducks lost to the Devils that year.

And guess what?  Kariya will be in New Jersey on Saturday night, as the St. Louis Blues visit town.  Stevens is an assistant coach on the Devils bench nowadays.  That's lucky for him, because as far as I am aware, the NHL cannot suspend coaches for on-ice hits.

Hockey Rules.

Brick Beats Iron

Vol. I, No. 18

Brick City 6.  Iron City 0.

Newark beats Pittsburgh in the NHL regular season series.  Here's how it happened.

October 24, NJD 4 - PIT 1 (Away)
November 12, NJD 4 - PIT 1 (Home)
December 21, NJD 4 - PIT 0 (Home)
December 30, NJD 2 - PIT 0 (Away)
March 12, NJD 3 0 PIT 1 (Home)

And last but not least...

St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, in Newark saw the Devils finish off the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5 - 2, in front of a sellout crowd at the Prudential Center.  It was a night filled with red and green, the original "retro" colors of the Devils, which the team wore from 1982 to 1992.

Highlights of the game included Paul Martin's first goal in a year, in his first appearance since an injury-ending game against Pittsburgh on October 24th.  Zach Parise scored a goal, on his knees, beating Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and defenseman Mark Eaton, in a scrum right in front of the goal.  The picture of that shot went up immediately on NHL Frozen Moments.

The game was the final time these teams will have played each other during the 2009-10 regular season.  Over six games, the Devils have a perfect record against the Stanley Cup Champions.  In other words, the Devs have owned the Penguins this year.  And with last night's victory, the Devils regained possession of the Atlantic Division lead, with 87 points. 

The division lead is an important step for New Jersey's team.  For the first part of the season, the Devs had a commanding edge.  But in January and February, their play deteriorated with a two-month record of 9 wins and 12 losses.  In a slump, the Devils lost the lead as the Penguins continued to get wins and points, against every other division team (except for the Devils).

After last night's St. Patrick's Day massacre, the Devs are now tied with the Pens on points but have one more victory and that makes the difference.  The Devils also have a game in hand, having played one fewer game than the Penguins.  So, if the Devils can continue their high level of play, the Division is truly up for grabs.  Whichever team wins the Division gains home ice advantage in the playoffs.

There are 13 games left for the Devils to play.  The Penguins have 12 left, and are missing #71, Evgeny Malkin, out with a sore foot.  Tonight, the Penguins face the Boston Bruins.  The whole hockey world is likely to be watching, as the Bruins seek revenge for the "Matt Cooke felony-on-ice" incident, two Sundays ago.  If the Penguins emerge with a victory, and without any injuries, it may well be another miracle on ice.

Hockey Rules.

Puckhandling Beats the Rules

Vol. I, No. 17

March 16, 2010

The Devils bettered the Boston Bruins by a score of 3 - 2 on Monday night (about 12 hours ago).  It was an important game, going up against a team struggling to get into the playoffs, tied for 8th place in the Eastern Conference.  Boston has been playing hard hockey for the past week, ever since the Penguin's "Matt Cooke felony-on-ice" incident which happened last Sunday.

Monday night was an intense game. The Devils won the first period, chasing Boston's goalie Tim Thomas from the net.  The Bruins outplayed the Devils in the next two periods, with two unanswered goals and the replacement goaltender (Tuuka Rask) shutting out the home team.  But the Bruins could not overcome the 3-goal hole that had been dug in the first period.

One of the Devil's goals was unusual.  Marty Brodeur threaded a pass up ice to forward David Clarkson, who went in on a breakaway, scoring the second goal of the evening with a neat backhand flip which beat Thomas.  It was Brodeur's 34th career assist.

What makes this remarkable is that Brodeur got an assist at all.  They are harder to come by these days.  He did it by making an instant, accurate, up ice pass.  Other goalies (Tom Barrasso and Grant Fuhr) have had higher lifetime assists (48 and 46 respectively). But most have gotten assists by passing to a defenseman behind the goal, who then rushes up the ice and scores or assists on another goal.  And in the past, it was easier to do this than today.

Since the 2004-05 non-season, the ability of goaltenders to play the puck has been restricted by the trapezoid rule.  Before 2004, goalies could play the puck anywhere behind the goal line.  After 2005, they were restricted to playing the puck only in a trapezoidal area behind the goal line. No more venturing into the corners to pass the puck to another player. 

The real reason for the goal change was to reduce the effectiveness of goaltenders like Marty Turco (Dallas) and Marty Brodeur (New Jersey). Remember that the Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils won three Cups in the six years from 1998 through 2004.  It seemed that puckhandling goaltenders like Brodeur and Turco were able to have an impact.  So the league fixed their wagon.  Since that time, the Stars and Devils have been competitive, but never Stanley Cup finalists.

That's why Monday March 15 was such a sweet game for Marty Brodeur and the Devils. He played the puck in front of the goal line (legal) and made a letter-perfect pass to his teammate.  The video clip is bound to be featured in NHL week highlights.

It may be impossible for Brodeur to catch the old records set in pre-trapezoid times, but at least for one night, puck handling skills outshone the regulations.  That's the way hockey is supposed to be.

Hockey Rules.

Horse Races and Hockey

The Hockey Tattler
Vol. I, No. 16
March 14, 2010

Daylight savings time has caused some mental fatigue.  One hour of sleep deprivation is all it takes.

Last night, before the DST transition, Don Cherry weighed in on Hockey Night in Canada.  He laced into the NHL and the GM meeting with its pass-the-buck decision on head shots.  Cherry was incensed.  

Scroll forward about 15 hours.

On NBC, the Hockey Game of the Week is on.  Mike Milbury (just like Cherry, an ex-head coach of the Boston Bruins) has defended the NHL. He believes that hard hits, even the kind that are premeditated head shots, are simply part of the sport.  Milbury thinks hockey is in danger of being softened to the point of being like squash (the racket sport).   Mike has apparently never played squash.

Cherry vs Milbury.  This is what makes horse races.  Shown below is the text of a letter just sent to the New England Sports Network.  Milbury is a sportscaster for NESN.   Maybe with another good night's rest, Mike will come to his senses.

Hockey Rules!  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Mike:

I am a hockey fan, ex-amateur/hobby hockey player, attended Bowdoin College and still love to skate, even though I’m about a year older than you.  I liked your commentary during the Olympics.  Right now, I am watching the NBC Game of the Week.  I just heard your comments during the 1st intermission.

Last night, on Hockey Night in Canada, Don Cherry roundly criticized the NHL and Colin Campbell.  He did not try to defend them.  For once in my life, I am in Cherry’s corner.  I just don’t agree with you.

There is a difference between headshots with intent to injure, and what Alex Ovechkin just did to Brian Campbell.  I think the league can get its act together and have a firm guideline.  Hit all you want (you are right, physical play is part of the game).  But don’t run a player from behind and aim for the noggin.

Brian Campbell will be OK.  Marc Savard is in for a rough go.  Matt Cooke deserved a suspension, or more.  I anticipate a war at the Fleet Center on Wednesday, and hope that someone does not try to eliminate Sidney Crosby. 

On one thing we both agree. The league’s rule-setting process should be given an ejection.  If the owners/GMs won’t police themselves (and I think they can’t), then the league must empower itself to make decisions to protect the players.

Oh and by the way, from my days at Bowdoin with equal time on the ice and squash court,  SQUASH is not beach volleyball.  Injuries are common.  Headgear is a good idea.  In hockey, full-face protection with cages (just like in college hockey and pro football, that other pansy sport) ought to be mandated. 


Hockey Rules!

Nasty Newark on Friday Night

The Hockey Tattler

March 13, 2010

Vol I. No. 15

The thugs were out in force last night. On the ice, that is.

In a high intensity game between the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Jersey Devils, 21 penalties were handed out with a total of 63 penalty infraction minutes, including two 10 minute misconducts and one game misconduct.

In between all the interruptions, the Devils managed to best the Penguins by a score of 3 - 1. The third goal , scored by Ilya Kovalchuk, was disputed by the Pens. It seems that Travis Zajac might have interfered with Marc-Andre Fleury's glove, but the referees did not see the problem. All the crowd saw was a distraught Fleury whacking his stick over the goalpost in frustration.

The Devils have owned the Cup champs this year. Pittsburgh has lost a perfect 5 out of 5 games against New Jersey since October 24th. In that time, New Jersey has outscored the Penguins with a total of 17 goals for, and 3 goals against. They have been able to shut down the likes of Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Ponikarovsky, Gonchar and Dupuis. That is just not normal. It defies reality. Pittsburgh averages 3.06 goals per game. Somehow, the Devils have whittled their offense down by 80%.

The season series between these two teams is not over. An encore performance is scheduled for Wednesday March 17 in Newark. The Pens will be working with two days of rest. On Friday, they were coming off a Thursday night OT loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Expect the sixth and final regular season game on St. Patrick's Day to be a real doozy. You have to wonder if the refs will try to make a statement and contain the non-hockey activities early. If they don't, the evening will be long and the penalty box will again be stuffed with occupants.

But the Penguins cannot afford to waste their energies fighting the Devils that night. Why? Because the very next day, on Thursday March 18th, the Pens visit Boston's TD Garden. Last Sunday was the game that saw Boston's Marc Savard "eliminated" by Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke. The Thursday game in Boston is likely to make Newark look like a ladies tea party.

Hockey Rules.

The Hitting Game

The Hockey Tattler

Vol. I, No. 14

March 11, 2010

The hockey world is agog at the NHL Governing Board (the General Managers of each team) meeting just concluded in sunny Florida. The sun must have baked some brains down there, because the hockey ruling powers have decided that decapitation is now to be frowned upon just a wee little bit. What will this sport become? Fans won't get to see players laid out on the ice, with potential life-threatening injuries.

If you don't know what this is all about, try googling Matt Cooke and Marc Savard. They collided on Sunday March 7. Savard lost. Consciousness, that is, and maybe the rest of the season with a Grade 2 concussion. It's not the first time that Cooke has leveled another player, aiming for the head. When you do that, there is intent to injure. It's not a hip check, a body check or a stick check. It's a crazy head check, in more ways than one.

There is supposed to be no such thing in hockey as a head check. The head has nothing directly to do with puck control. Unlike soccer, heading the puck is generally reserved only for goalies, when their mask gets in the way of a high shot. Of course, in Old Tyme hockey, Terry Sawchuck and Jacques Plante were proud of the hundreds of stitches obtained from stopping pucks with their noggin. But players don't direct the puck with their heads, unless they get unlucky.

Don't tell that to Matt Cooke, who seems to like launching

upwards with a shoulder to the chin, jaw, temple, whatever. Hey, it works. The Penguins won the game 2-1. And what does the NHL do for this amazing infraction? Cooke gets a NO game suspension. That's right, no suspension at all. Most of the hockey world wonders what it will take for Colin Campbell and the gang to mete out a season suspension. Will someone have to be murdered on the ice?

Well, fans should not worry about the future. The NHL Governing Board has now adopted a new rule about head hits. Here it is, from NHL.com:

The following language was agreed to unanimously by the group: "A lateral, back pressure or blindside hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact is not permitted. A violation of the above will result in a minor or major penalty and shall be reviewed for possible supplemental discipline."

So, aiming for the brain will result in a minor or major penalty. I can just see that stopping Matt Cooke now. 2 or 5 minutes, in exchange for eliminating another player on the opposing side for the period, game or season. And the supplemental discipline? Colin Campbell will look at precedent and decide again to forget about the suspension.

Yes, the NHL sure is committed to its players' safety. The next time that Gary Bettman talks about the Olympics and the danger of players getting injured - just keep in mind what the NHL permits right in its own house. Maybe the players association will try to do some self-policing. The owners don't seem to give a damn, so long as the seats get filled.

Hockey Rules (but sometimes the rules just don't seem right).

Birds and Street Hockey

The Hockey Tattler

Volume I, No. 13

March 10, 2010

The Ducks were competing with the Ravens on the ice today.

I mean the real ducks and blackbirds, doing their thing on a pond still ice covered in parts. The ravens stood on the ice, feeding on whatever it is that they eat. The ducks paddled in the open water at the edge of the ice, dabbling below the surface for their food too. A month ago, humans occupied the same place, skating and shooting pucks into the evening hours.

So where have the humans migrated? Driveways are starting to become shooting galleries. The nets are out. The kids are fooling around, shooting balls at garage doors. My garage doors still show the nicks and dents from years of target practice.

It's an annual ritual. As the weather warms, the natural ice disappears and hockey players seek the next best thing. A street or driveway will do. The ice rinks are fine, except that you need an organized team and reserved ice time. Sometimes at 2am. And you need all the equipment. Unlike pond hockey, you don't just go out in a rink with blue jeans and a jacket. So, street hockey is the natural escape.

Meanwhile, at the upper end of the hockey world, the NHL season is in full swing again. A battle of the Hudson is raging in Newark right now. Hockey is a game of chances and breaks. Henrik Lundqvist of the NY Rangers had stopped 86 of 87 shots on net by the Devils in the past two games. Tonight, a couple of bad bounces and Ranger sticks made him give up 5 goals in 2 periods. Henrik has retired for the evening.

In two more nights, the Atlantic Conference leaders will visit Newark. Sid the Kid gets to face off against Zach Parise. It will be their first meeting since Sunday February 28th, on the opposite coast of North America. The game that 50 million North Americans watched. Zach scored the last regular time goal. Sid scored the game-winner in OT and goes down in history as the youngest ice hockey Gold Medalist game-winning goal scorer.

Hockey Rules!

P.S Devils 6. Blue Shirts 3. Next up Pittsburgh.

Hockey Returns to the Eastern Thaw

The Hockey Tattler

Volume I, No. 12

March 9, 2010

The Devils are back in New Jersey after a 25-day absence. It's the longest time away for this team, ever. Combine the Olympics and a Western Conference road trip, and it made for three and 1/2 weeks away from home ice, home practice and home.

If you travel on business, try living in a hotel for this period of time, changing hotels, packing, unpacking, adjusting, a different bed every couple of days. It takes its toll. Maybe that explains the last game in Edmonton. The boys had just run out of gas.

And what are the Devils coming back to? When the team last played here, New Jersey was gripped in the jaws of winter. The Olympics maintained that atmosphere, even if Vancouver was its normal temperate environment with rain, and not snow. But yesterday, the mercury hit 64F in Newark; today it was only 61F. Friday, when the Penguins come to town, rain is in the forecast. The snow is melting. Winter is vanishing quickly. Shoots are popping out of the earth. Flowers are not far off.

Meanwhile, the college hockey season is wrapping up. This coming weekend, the NCAA Hockey Tournament happens on the shores of Lake Ontario, in Oswego New York. There is still ice up north. But soon, it too will recede as the spring sunshine warms the earth. For these amateur players, ice hockey will soon be done until next November rolls around.

The NHL is of course impervious to Mother Nature. Regular season games are scheduled up to Sunday April 11, with eight games that day to decide final season standings and playoff berths. Then, the second season begins. And the refrigeration plants will be working hard to keep the ice cold.

In July, after the NHL is finally taking a snooze, the only ice will be in our glasses. But for now, we get to enjoy another Battle of the Hudson tomorrow night in Newark. The Blue Shirts are crossing the Hudson. Game on.

Hockey Rules!

Small (?) College Hockey in the Northeast

The Hockey Tattler

Volume I, No.11

March 8, 2010

College hockey is alive and well. Unless you are a Bowdoin College fan, that is. The Bowdoin Polar Bears fell to Middlebury College yesterday, in a penalty-filled underachieving game.

They wound up on the losing side, 3 - 2, in front of a home town crowd at the Sidney Watson Arena. The Bears were favored, going into the tournament with a NESCAC league-leading record of 19-6-1.

As everyone in hockey knows, regular season records are often not a good predictor of tournament play. But the Polar Bears are not done playing hockey this year. Why?

There is another college league, the grandaddy of them all. The NCAA has invited Bowdoin to its annual tournament. Next week, the Bears will travel across the mountains and rivers to Oswego, New York.

On Saturday March 13, they get to play Oswego State (SUNY), a powerhouse hockey school with a student enrollment about six times bigger than small, private, liberal arts Bowdoin. It will be a quarterfinal game, and Oswego has to be heavily favored. David vs. Goliath. Anything is possible when a Polar Bear gets out on the ice.

GO YOU BEARS!

Sunday Games Again, With A Difference

The Hockey Tattler, Vol. I, No. 10

Sunday March 7, 2010

Sunday’s Games, Coast to Coast

It was only seven short days ago that the hockey world was going bonkers over the Olympic gold medal game. Canadians were and remain delirious over the outcome. The Americans, at first despondent, seem to be gaining a sense of composure at having come so far with a youthful team. The Russians, meanwhile, sacked one of their sports czars.

So today’s games come as a bit of a consolation, against the backdrop of last week’s nirvana. Even so, three games caught my attention.

NBC’s Game of the Week aired midday at 12:30pm. It was an all Midwest tilt, with the Detroit Red Wings pitted against an emergent (Western Conference 2^nd place) Chicago Blackhawks team. But think about that start time. These guys had to be out on the ice, playing at 11:30am Central time. And yet, when they talk about the game in interviews, everybody always talks about “tonight”.

The early game might have caught Chicago off guard. In a spotty second period, two Hawks goaltenders allowed five unanswered goals. The Wings emerged with a 5 – 3 win.

The second game of the day was a small college contest in Brunswick Maine. I can’t help it. My own college, the Bowdoin "Polar Bears", made it into the NESCAC finals as the top seed. Bowdoin played Middlebury in a game that the hockey world will little note. Penalties did the Polar Bears in, and Middlebury emerged on top, 3 – 2. NESCAC has a new league champion. The Polar Bears will regroup and try again next year.

The third game will be played later tonight, at 8pm East Coast time. It will happen out on the Alberta plains, in Edmonton. The New Jersey Devils face the Oilers. On paper, it should be no contest. The Devils are in second place in the Atlantic Division. The Oilers are in last place in the Northwest Division. The Oilers have something to prove.

Ordinarily, very few people in New Jersey would be watching an evening game on the same night as the Oscars. But good fortune has struck the local Devils TV network. Due to a dispute between Disney/ABC and Cablevision, the Oscars have been blacked out in the New York metropolitan area. What timing.

Hockey Rules.

Hockey Night in America

The Hockey Tattler, Vol. I, No. 9

Saturday March 6, 2010

Canada’s Weekend Culture Invades US

Monday nights in the fall are times when American men hibernate in front of their TV screens, watching weeknight pro football. The tradition started in 1970. But four decades earlier, the Canadians invented the idea. Hockey Night in Canada dates back to 1936, and has roots as far back as 1931.

Not many Americans south of the 49^th parallel know about HNIC, unless they are total and confirmed hockey fan(atics). But every Canadian knows about, and has probably seen, a HNC game. Saturday nights in Canada are not complete without HNIC. The events are nearly always two Canadian teams facing off for provincial bragging rights.

The event has been broadcast on CBC since Jurassic times. Due to the idiosyncrasies of North American broadcasting rules, CBC has no affiliates south of the 49^th. If you live in Buffalo, Minneapolis or Seattle, hockey games can be pulled in on the CBC channels (assuming you still have rabbit ears). But for the rest of us, CBC remains as distant as Radio Rangoon.

Fortunately, the NHL recognizes a moneymaking opportunity when it sees one. Hockey Night in Canada has made it to the NHL network. So, if one subscribes (for $79), the cable channels can light up with the Canadian game of the week.

One of the highlights of HNIC is the color commentary by Don Cherry. A former NHL Coach of the Year (and Stanley Cup winner), Cherry has become the Casey Stengel/Yogi Berra of hockey.

Just before the final Olympics game, he predicted a Canadian win by three goals over TeamUSA. So much for his clairvoyance. But he did hit the nail on the head when he said that American goaltender Ryan Miller would face more rubber (pucks) than “a dead skunk on the New Jersey Turnpike in the middle of a summer rush hour”.

The Leafs visit Ottawa tonight for a Battle of Ontario (and one of the teams sport redcoat colors). Cellar-dwelling Toronto will be playing for pride. Ottawa is in 2^nd place in the Northeast Division. Go Leafs. Later on, the Canadiens play in Los Angeles. It will be a good warm-up for the Oscars. Just a week ago, some of the Canadiens were on the west coast, a bit father north in Hockey Heaven.

Speaking of hockey heaven, Sid the Kid scored again today – 43 goals on the year, leading the league. The Penguins are opening up their lead in the Atlantic division.

Hockey Rules.

Devils In the Wild West

The Hockey Tattler, Vol. I, No. 8

Friday March 5, 2010

Thoughts on New Jersey’s Road Trip

Tonight, the Atlantic Division lead will be decided in Calgary. Alberta. The Atlantic Ocean is about 2040 miles away from the Pengrowth Saddledome. The New Jersey Devils visit Calgary tonight, facing the leading team in the NHL Northwest Division.

It’s an interesting match up just in terms of the coaching. New Jersey was piloted by Brent Sutter until last year. He left the Garden State, avowing his simple interest in returning to family roots in Alberta. But it was not long after that Coach Brent decided to join the Flames. Did the man speaketh with forked tongue? Or did he simply not have the strength to resist the lure of NHL coaching – and his own brother?

Yes, this is a case of brotherly love. Big brother Darryl Sutter is the General Manager of the Flames. So, your big bro asks you to be his coach? How do you say no to that? Wouldn’t want to get on Mom’s wrong side. And, the family ranch does need money for upkeep. Gotta keep those dogies happy.

In the other corner is Jacques Lemaire, owner of aboot sixteen zillion Stanley Cup rings (eleven to be exact)…eight as a player with the Montreal Canadiens, two with Montreal in coaching, and one with the 1995 New Jersey Devils). Lemaire might also deserve two honorary rings for other Cups won by the Devils, based on the system that he built.

So, Lemaire and Sutter face-off tonight. The number 18 team in the league against the number 8 team. On paper, the Devils are favored. On the ice, Sutter is at home. They are really even. Over the past 10 games (including the Olympic break), one team is 4-4-2 and the other is 4-5-1. It will be a good game.

And tomorrow night is Hockey Night in Canada. Let the good times roll. But we need to temper that with real world news. Today was the day that Therese Rochette was buried. She was Joannie Rochette’s mother. That is one part of the Olympics too, the bitter mixed with the sweet. May the Rochette family find peace.

Hockey Rules!

Post Script:

By 12 midnight east coast time or so, the Penguins remain atop the Atlantic Division, thanks to Ilya Kovalchuk. IK laid an egg in Calgary. The Devils had a strong first period and were leading 1 – 0. But during a Devils power play early in the 2^nd period, IK made a mistake and allowed Calgary a breakaway. The Flames scored a shorthanded goal, and the mo’ shifted. After four unanswered goals, the Flames had a commanding lead and wound up winning 5 – 3. Ilya has some hard practices coming in his future.

March Comes In and Ice Goes Out

The Hockey Tattler, Vol. I, No. 7

Thursday March 4, 2010

I drove past Edgemont Pond today. There’s a thin coat of ice in the southern end, but the western part is open water with geese doing their thing. At the northern end, the small brick house is still standing. It is a place of memories.

In that house, thousands or maybe even millions of people over the years have donned skates, trudged over the grass and dirt to the edge of the pond, and then gone skating in the shadow of the first Appalachian ridge. After skating, there used to be hot chocolate made available by someone. Who exactly? Volunteers. The ice skating ladies auxiliary. Hot chocolate somehow goes hand in hand with this sport, like none other.

It was on Edgemont pond one starry night that I learned how to kick a puck from behind my skates out onto the stick ahead. A neat trick. There were pickup games, mostly at night. I’m not sure they happen there anymore, since there are now two rinks in the same town. The old one, and then a new arena built several years ago.

When the new facility was built, there were predictions that the rink in the middle of town would lose business and fold up. It had a 35-year run. The place smells of hockey sweat, soaked into the seats, the locker rooms, the walls. It’s small, and the parking is hard. The concession stand, where the smells of dogs and hot chocolate, ketchup and fries all mingle in the air, has always been too small.

The rink didn’t close shop. It is as busy as ever. But there are fewer ice skaters out on Edgemont Pond. And today, with the zephyrs of March blowing above 32°F, the water was open and the NO SKATING signs were posted.

It is still hockey season. A college championship series will be held this weekend in Brunswick Maine. The next NESCAC champion will be crowned. One small college in New England will have a title for a year. And, soon, the lacrosse and baseball teams will get out their gear and find the green grass, which lies beneath the melting snow.

And in the indoor rinks, the professional hockey players will continue to do battle. Tonight, the Penguins overcame the Rangers in a 5-4-overtime win. The intensity escalates now that the regular season has only 5 weeks left.

Hockey Rules.

Just After the Olympics

The Hockey Tattler, Vol. I, No. 6

Tuesday March 2, 2010

Game on. Hockey’s back, the real world kind, with salaries, arbitration, franchises, player associations, farm teams, minor leagues, the “bigs”, fighting, local media and radio personalities, cheerleaders and mascots. NHL teams are shaking off the rust and welcoming their Olympic gladiators back into the fold.

This transition happens once every four years in the afterglow of the Olympic movement. Winter games have been held ever since 1924. Ice hockey’s place at the games actually started at the Antwerp summer games held in 1920. Canada’s Winnipeg Falcons took a gold medal, beating Sweden 12 – 1 in the final. The games were held in April with seven nations participating – Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Sweden, Switzerland and the original Team USA.

So, as the players reunite with their pro league employers, you get the melting pot mixture of players from all over the world sitting on the same bench. Their common language is English, although trash talk in any language can happen between players on opposite teams. What other sport on earth has this international dimension?

The adjustment, for the players, happens overnight. Friends on NHL teams become foes in the Olympics. And then, two weeks later, they become friends again. How do they integrate that kind of change, turning emotions on and off again? When careers are over, players tend to remember their shared experiences, but the transition time for that is months, if not years. No matter what, the NHL show must go on.

Meanwhile, hockey’s new hero now admits that he cannot go incognito anywhere in Canada. If there was a Canadian hibernating in a snowdrift somewhere who did not know about Sid the Kid, the snow has melted. Crosby is now a national treasure. Will he get a Mountie security detail? No way – the RCMP has no jurisdiction in Pittsburgh.

Sidney might still be able to walk down the street in a steel city suburb without paparazzi popping out and surrounding him. For the moment, he is content to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated. All doubt has been removed. Sidney Crosby, at age 22, is now the face of hockey. The Great One can now move over.

Last night, interviewed before a the first Penguins-Sabres game after Vancouver, Sidney said that the Olympics were like playing Game Sevens over and over again. Can this storybook peak ever be reached again? Who knows? But one thing is certain.

Fifty million North Americans had their televisions tuned into the final game on Sunday February 28, 2010. Two-thirds of Canada (some say 85% of the entire population) was following the game. 28 million Americans south of the 49^th parallel watched the game, the biggest audience since the 1980 Miracle on Ice. With these kinds of numbers, it was a great day for hockey. Popularity is bound to increase in coming years. I can see the kids asking parents for skates and sticks already.

On an even higher level, about ice, there was different news at the cusp of February and March 2010. NASA announced this week that the presence of water ice has been confirmed on the moon. There is a lot of ice up there.

The scientific and human exploration ramifications are mind-boggling. Water ice changes everything, in terms of propulsion and survival. The moon will be visited, explored and probably inhabited. It is no longer a question of if, but when.

Now, think of this. Astronauts have already golfed on the moon. So now we can add a new sport, lunar ice hockey. Take a puck and a stick up there, and see how far a slap shot can go. The puck won’t be blasted out into space, since an object needs 5000 mph to escape lunar gravity. But in the absence of any atmosphere, the path of a shot above the surface is likely to be very long – perhaps miles. A new skill contest can be added to an all-star game.

If lunar hockey ever really happens, my guess is that goalies will have a hard time. You cannot move quickly in low G environments. Expect some high scoring games. And, if the puck gets away, I doubt that players will be chasing shots for miles.

What a time for hockey, at the start of the 10^th year of the third millennium. Time to get back down to earth. The NHL regular season has only five more weeks to run, from March 3^rd to April 11th, roughly 20 games per team.

After that, it’s off to the races again. Will Sidney and friends three-peat?

Hockey Rules.

Some More Nutty Ideas for Hockey

Just off the top of my head…really!!!

1. Expanding the fan base

Hockey is a net sport. An object is sent towards a goal, which is defended. It gets past the defender, goes in the net and a score results.

There are three nearly identical sports. One is the most popular in the world. It is called football in most places. In North America, the term is soccer. Then there is lacrosse, which is very nearly hockey on land. No skates, but the principles are the same. The sticks are in the air.

What if pro soccer, pro hockey and pro lacrosse (is there a pro lacrosse league) came together in an alliance? The fan bases overlap but are not identical. Hockey might be able to draw in the soccer crowd. The seasons do not overlap.

Minor league hockey and soccer franchises might be able to pair, and save administrative overhead expense. Imagine playing field complexes, with parking and indoor recreation centers (ice rinks for winter hockey league play). They might be called Net Sports Centers or complexes.

2. Increased viewing access

For whatever reason, NHL games are generally not available to the viewing public. NBC shows one game a week (and for only part of the season). The NHL network requires a subscription ($80 US, at the present time). Local channels on cable carry local games, but if you want to follow the league leaders, good luck.

Games need to be web cast to mobile viewing devices such as I Phone, Android, Samsung etc. Attract the next generation. Ad revenue can come from pop ups. Maybe cable subscription services can include minor league hockey, college hockey and so forth. Big games (NHL rivalries, playoffs) could be put on movie screens in theatres. Sell licenses to theatres and collect royalty revenues.

3. Ice technology & temperature control

Use infrared (IR) thermal imaging cameras to identify irregularities on the surface – places where brine systems might have obstructions, or where light reflections may be heating up small spots. Temperature uniformity is the key.

Develop “chiller-radiator” boards, with cooling inside the boards or dashers. Allow the boards to radiate coolness to the ice surface. Cool air will lower ice temperature by convection. Establish high-emissive surfaces on the outside, for efficient radiation. Selection of paints and surface advertisement materials could have an impact. Dark ads may soak up heat from lights, and re-radiate warmness to the ice.

Cool lighting technology may exist. LEDs are probably cooler than tungsten. Lamp surfaces might need to be cooled. Eliminate sources of heat that do not contribute to lighting.