ThrasherCub
05-31-2006, 04:25 AM
I wanted to see how everyone feels about the new rules in our good friend Hockey. We've seen their effect this entire season, so let's go over them real quick.
High Standard of Pentalty Enforcement
Gone are the days of the ref looking the other way when one player slashes another and sends him tumbling. The league now has zero tolerance for hooking, holding, tripping, slashing, cross checking and interference.
The two-line pass is legal
A pass from the defensive zone to the opposing blue line is now perfectly legal. While it makes for a more fast paced game players can kind of cheat and use it as a "legal icing" of sorts.
Goaltenders cannot handle the puck behind the goal line, except in a restricted area.
Goalies can no longer molest a local puck until their defensemen arives - only in their specialy desginated areas. The idea here is to encourage forechecking. However, it encourages the "dump-and-chase" play just as much.
Goaltender leg pads, blockers, catching gloves and jerseys are all cut down in size.
While making a goalies leg pads 1 inch smaller (the limit has been brought down to 11 inches from 12 inches) sounds pretty small, consider the size of a puck (one inch tall) that could be a lot. While it can lead to more goals (and theoretically, more excitement then), it can also lead to frustration due to seasoned goaltenders being forced to re-learn their art with new gear.
Tie games are decided by a shootout.
Long story short, no one likes a tie game. Of course, most hockey fans don't like a shootout either - it's looked upon as kind of cheap.
So what do you think? I've seen people from both extremes - from loving the new rules to people who've been in love with hockey all 55 years of their life abandoning it in disgust.
I must say, I'm with that last group. Normaly an intense fan, I've turned down multiple tickets to games, watched no games on TV, bought nothing from the NHL, and have not even worn my favorite jersey.
Personally I think hockey is one of those love-it-or-leave it sports without many half-way fans. Making the game faster and increasing the importance of the powerplay isn't going to rake in a bunch of new fans - it's just going to turn off many of it's fans. It's a conservative game, and yet it is still fast paced and brutal - a lovely balance. All they've done is kill the conservative half, but it was this balance that many of us fell in love with.
New rules; should we take 'em or leave 'em?
High Standard of Pentalty Enforcement
Gone are the days of the ref looking the other way when one player slashes another and sends him tumbling. The league now has zero tolerance for hooking, holding, tripping, slashing, cross checking and interference.
The two-line pass is legal
A pass from the defensive zone to the opposing blue line is now perfectly legal. While it makes for a more fast paced game players can kind of cheat and use it as a "legal icing" of sorts.
Goaltenders cannot handle the puck behind the goal line, except in a restricted area.
Goalies can no longer molest a local puck until their defensemen arives - only in their specialy desginated areas. The idea here is to encourage forechecking. However, it encourages the "dump-and-chase" play just as much.
Goaltender leg pads, blockers, catching gloves and jerseys are all cut down in size.
While making a goalies leg pads 1 inch smaller (the limit has been brought down to 11 inches from 12 inches) sounds pretty small, consider the size of a puck (one inch tall) that could be a lot. While it can lead to more goals (and theoretically, more excitement then), it can also lead to frustration due to seasoned goaltenders being forced to re-learn their art with new gear.
Tie games are decided by a shootout.
Long story short, no one likes a tie game. Of course, most hockey fans don't like a shootout either - it's looked upon as kind of cheap.
So what do you think? I've seen people from both extremes - from loving the new rules to people who've been in love with hockey all 55 years of their life abandoning it in disgust.
I must say, I'm with that last group. Normaly an intense fan, I've turned down multiple tickets to games, watched no games on TV, bought nothing from the NHL, and have not even worn my favorite jersey.
Personally I think hockey is one of those love-it-or-leave it sports without many half-way fans. Making the game faster and increasing the importance of the powerplay isn't going to rake in a bunch of new fans - it's just going to turn off many of it's fans. It's a conservative game, and yet it is still fast paced and brutal - a lovely balance. All they've done is kill the conservative half, but it was this balance that many of us fell in love with.
New rules; should we take 'em or leave 'em?