The Ugly, The Bad, and The Good
By Mike Haggett
Published October 3, 2005

The Lost Season, a Reflection

One season without Lord Stanley was enough. Actually, it was more than enough. For us diehard hockey fans, “Movie Night in Canada” was nothing short of the biggest joke of the winter. Not to discredit Ron MacLean’s avid knowledge of the silver screen, but it was not the Blackhawks and Red Wings, or the Bruins and Rangers, and it certainly was not the Habs and Leafs. Many arenas around the league fell silent. There was no smell of popcorn, no smell of the frozen ice. The hustle and bustle of the crowd working their way to their seats was absent. The noise of pucks being hammered off the glass and the taps of sticks on the ice for warm ups was nowhere to be heard.

Last season forced us diehards to find other ways to get our fix. I hope that you had the chance to enjoy a different level of hockey through the lost season, as I did by seeking refuge with my local Major Junior team. It helped pass the time with the bickering between NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and former NHLPA Executive Director Bob Goodenow over the collective bargaining agreement. Eventually the ultimate insult happened of the cancellation of the season. By April, Major Junior was over, and there were no Stanley Cup Playoffs to follow. There was no news of when the league owners and players would even meet again. Talk was going on that not only was the 2004-05 campaign lost, but 2005-06 was in jeopardy as well. Nothing but bitterness expressed by the fans, players and owners, and hope was as dim as the exit signs lighting uninhabited NHL arenas.

I rehash through these unhealed wounds because the NHL wants us to forget the past, turn the page and look ahead to the future. As in Bettman’s own words from his remarks upon the announcement of the agreement:

"We will return with a modified shield, with a new 'look' on the ice and a new outlook off it, and we will return this game to our fans with a promise: We will do everything in our power to be the best we can be and to earn your continued devotion. This was a terrible time for everyone associated with the game. We will do everything we can to make it up to you."
- Gary Bettman, July 22, 2005

I sat in my office and listened to that statement with mixed emotions. I was relieved that the impasse was over. I was still hurt that the game I love had to succumb to the level that went to in order to get the deal done. Sure, the NHL is a business, first. That has been scorched in the back of our minds now, no matter if the fans are eight years old or eighty. However, for this diehard it is not about the business aspect of it… it is about the game. It is about the world’s greatest hockey players battling it out on the ultimate stage on Earth. All I can hope for as fan that the game is fixed, and that the fans of the NHL in Canada, United States and around the world will never have to go through something like this again. I am going to hold you to your word, Mr. Bettman, and I am going to pass along this to you: Now build it back up, and don’t forget about us fans who are paying the bills along the way, and most importantly, don’t ever let the game fall to this level again.

Please Shut Up, JR

If it wasn’t bad enough that lockout went on as long as it did, then Los Angeles Kings center Jeremy Roenick started running his mouth about the way that some fans blamed the players for the lost season. In that cute little tirade, he said:

"We're going to try to make it better for everybody, period, end of subject. And if you don't realize that, then don't come. We don't want you at the rink, we don't want you in the stadium, we don't want you to watch hockey,"
– Associated Press, June 27, 2005

With all due respect, Jeremy, the players union rejected an offer in February that would have saved the season, and because of not taking that offer, the season was cancelled. It led to the offer that was agreed upon, that was worth much less than the season saving deal. Of which you said:

"I know we are going to give up probably more than any union has ever given up in the history of (professional) sports and, to me, I think that's enough to bring the fans back - to know what their players are going to give up as much as they have in the last year,"- same interview.

You think that is going to be enough to bring the fans back. All the concessions the NHLPA made is all of a sudden going to make you ride your white horse out in the middle of the rink and become a hero?  Hello! Earth to Jeremy: if your union approved the deal in February, the playoffs happen, Lord Stanley is hoisted in June and the fans would have nothing to be upset over, outside of losing half the season. The fans have a right to be mad. You had a better offer, refused it, held out, settled for less, and the whole mess backfired on you, big time. So much so that after accepting the terms on the bargaining agreement, the union fired Goodenow because of the error in judgment. Yep, you look like a saint to me Jeremy. Do me a favor and save your thoughts, and be prepared to get booed out of every arena this season.

To add insult to injury, Roenick recently took a legal shoulder check from Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Denis Gauthier in a preseason game, which led to a concussion. His comment on this was just as comical:

''I think it indicates the state of our game, the lack of respect - especially in pre-season,'' Roenick said. ''It is uncalled for. It is ridiculous - one of the reasons our game isn't as good as it once was. There is no respect for people in this league. It was not a cheap hit, it was a good solid hit. But you don't do that in pre-season.''
–Associated Press, September 26, 2005

I have not seen anything so ridiculous in my life. As you put it, JR, a good solid hit that put you out of the game, yet you are going to blame Gauthier, who the only thing he’s guilty of  is busting his tail, and doing what he is supposed to do to earn roster spot on Wayne Gretzky’s club. I am sure Jeremy that all The Great One wants is a bunch of Lady Bing players on his blue line. Hey Jeremy… at last check this is hockey, not shuffleboard. Do yourself a favor: keep your head up, and zip your mouth shut while you are at it.

The Revised Rules

The new rule changes appear interesting, with the omission of the red line freeing up the neutral zone being a long awaited favorite of mine. The trap needed to go away, and it did, not to mention the offensive spoiling two-line pass. This change also allows for the long lead out pass, which adds another exciting element to the game that was nullified under the old rules. Along that same line, the tag up offside rule is another great change that will keep the game moving at a faster pace. The no-line change icing could change the game dramatically in the final minutes. With all the changes to the rules, defensemen are going to get the work out of their lives this year, and the GM’s and scouts will be looking for a different breed of defenseman in the future, with speed and sense being the keys, followed by physical presence.

I like the new trapezoid configuration for the goaltenders to keep them contained in the area behind the net. For too long, goaltenders have wandered on dump-ins and this change will keep them where they belong. The dimension of goaltender equipment has been reduced in size by 11%. The league just recently sent all goaltenders new style jerseys that will reduce the amount of upper body padding. With all of these changes, it will certainly take time for the netminders to get used to, all in the while the defenseman figuring out how to defend all over again. I expect offense to increase dramatically as a result. Any goaltender with a GAA under two this year may be subject to criminal investigation.

Here is to hoping that the league office stays true to it word about eliminating the clutch, grab, hooking and obstruction, and that the officials continue to call every infraction, no matter what time of year it is. Consistency from the officials and out of the league office is paramount for this whole thing to work. The days of tough at the beginning of the season and loosening up as time goes along has to end. A hook should be hook regardless if it is the home opener for the regular season, or game seven of the Stanley Cup finals.

 The only rule that is going to drive me insane is the shootout and the four column standings that go along with it. In many ways, I respect tradition. Ties can be well earned or a savior pending on the situation. I understand that passive fans want to see a conclusion to the game, and the exciting element that the shootout brings. I am of the logic that three columns is a good read in the newspaper for wins, losses and ties, and the new format of wins, losses, overtime losses and shootout losses is enough to cause a brain seizure when I try to figure it out. If the game is tied at the end of regulation, go right for the shootout. The five minute extra session of 4 on 4 is a waste of time under the rule change, and it would make deciphering the standings much easier.

The best off-season change yet is the new CBA and the action about to commence on the 2005-06 campaign. There will be many storylines to follow this season, and I look forward to getting the season underway.