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COLUMNS ON THE BALL OCTOBER 2005

The NHL is back in business with some new rules, exciting signings and a wealth of young talent.
October 2005

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WORDS BY KEVIN SNOW

BREAKING THE ICE

While the National Hockey League desperately needed to rework its economic framework, from a practical standpoint, shutting down for a year probably wasn’t the wisest move. Already struggling to maintain its identity in numerous American markets, this was a league regularly getting trumped in the TV ratings by the likes of bowling, wrestling and “SpongeBob SquarePants.” Now, with the dubious distinction of being the only major pro sports league to ever cancel an entire season, can the NHL rebound and win back its fans?

We’ll start to find out for real on Wednesday October 5, when the “new” NHL drops the puck with a full slate of 15 opening night games. Thanks to several rule changes implemented by the NHL, these games should be faster and more offensive than we were used to before the lockout. Pushed-back nets, wider blue lines, two-line passes and an obstruction crackdown should help open up the game. These changes will also make the skilled players the real stars of the show.

In addition, the league has adopted shoot-outs for regular season games that remain tied following the four-on-four overtime period. This will guarantee a winner for each game and add tremendous excitement for fans in the arena and watching at home on television. Goalies will also be wearing smaller equipment, theoretically giving players more net to shoot at.

With a renewed emphasis on offense and a new salary cap that should level the playing field, teams like the Atlanta Thrashers and Columbus Blue Jackets should thrive in the NHL’s brave new world. Thrashers’ forward Ilya Kovalchuk is a goal-scoring machine (41 in 2003-04) with speed to burn—look for him to dominate this year. Rick Nash of Columbus tied Kovalchuk for the goal-scoring title, and the 21-year-old bruiser has quickly developed into one of the league’s best power forwards.

And don’t count out the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers got faster with the addition of youngsters Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, while discarding aging veterans Tony Amonte and John LeClair.

One player you’ll be seeing a lot of is Sidney Crosby. At the tender age of 18, Crosby is the new face of the NHL. The first overall selection by the Pittsburgh Penguins in this year’s Entry Draft, Crosby was a scoring machine in Canadian junior hockey, amassing 303 points over two seasons. Already dubbed the “savior” of the floundering franchise, Crosby’s eagerly anticipated arrival in Steeltown generated immediate season ticket sales and will likely go a long way to securing funding for a much-needed downtown arena.

Ironically, Crosby’s expected line mate is Mario Lemieux, who had a similar effect on the city when he was the number one pick in 1984. Off the ice, Crosby has already secured lucrative endorsement deals with Gatorade and Reebok. He is handsome with matinée idol looks and displays poise and maturity beyond his teenage years. With one of the greatest players in hockey history riding shotgun, Crosby should be well-suited for his new role in professional hockey, as the NHL attempts to rebuild its tarnished image.

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