Smokescreens

Gimme a big trade. A nasty suspension. A team on the move or falling into bankruptcy. Some real controversy.

Otherwise, what's passing for stories of significance in the NHL these days is putting everyone's feet to sleep.

First, there was this stormy debate over the schedule, an "issue" that now appears to be petering out with no major chances on the way.

But this business of new uniforms really takes the cake.

It's a merchandising venture disguised as physics, an attempt by a major sports clothing outfit to make every current NHL jersey obsolete by next season and to make every minor hockey team in North American believe they have to have these new outfits so their players can skate faster.

What a load.

But hockey people believe anything. Dave Dryden did a study several years ago that proved composite sticks don't allow players to shoot the puck any harder than wood sticks, but people believe they do and are buying 'em up in huge numbers.

When it comes to jerseys, first the NHL should explain what happened to the plan to force goaltenders to wear much tighter sweaters and thus reduce their size in the net.

It was supposed to happen for last season, then got delayed and delayed, apparently because the uniform manufacturers couldn't match the dye color on every team's uniforms.

Uh-huh.

See, these new jerseys to be unveiled next week in Dallas won't make the slightest impact on the game.

But make the goalies a little smaller, and now you're on to something.

This is all typical NHL, focusing on schedules and laundry rather than the real issues that continue to dog the league.

Attendance, for starters. The low quality of many local TV game broadcasts. Quality of play, still hindered by the fact there are too many teams. An unnecessarily long schedule and playoffs that end in June. Declining offensive numbers. The future of the World Cup and Olympic participation. The pointless presence of fighting. Declining media coverage, particularly in the United States. The absence of good teams in the biggest markets.

Not schedules and uniforms.

The league's New York office was undoubtedly thrilled, meanwhile, with the leadup to first weekend of NBC games and all the hype surrounding Brett Hull.

But Hull, ladies and gentleman, isn't going to be controversial in the slightest. For starters, he works for the Dallas Stars, so do you think he'll have anything critical or negative to say about Tom Hicks, Doug Armstrong, Marty Turco or Eric Lindros?

And if he rips the league, well presumably he'll be fined just as any other NHL exec would be fined.

So he won't touch the team he works for and can't touch the league.

How controversial and flamboyant can he possibly be?

Comments

[Gary Robinson]

re: Composite stick--Only in Hockey--imagine a ball player walking up to the plate with a titanium bat, or football players lining up with different helmets?? Although I still remember the plastic blades you could buy when I was a kid and warp the crap outa them!! Wasnt' long before they were nixed tho....

re: Hockey fights?? for every fan that stands up and leaves their seat during a fight--there's 1000 rushing back. If they had them at intermission, maybe we wouldn't see all those empty platinum seats at the AC for the first 10 minutes of the 2nd and 3rd...

[Edward Franko]

Wouldn't it be refreshing if a couple of NHL managers got together and made a blockbuster deal or at least a large deal like the one the other day in the NBA?

It brings back memories of the Giilmour trade? Are NHL managers to afraid to take a chance that maybe such a trade will blow up in their face?

Come JFJ! Lead the pack. Be creative. Set a trend. Stir the pot. Just signing minor leaguers for the league minimum is boring. Use the cap to your advantage. Matching players dollar for dollar shouldn't be that difficult. We need something to talk about, scream about...well Damien you know what I mean.

[Maelstrom Kiewiet]

First, I'd like to say that I don't believe fighting is a "pointless" part of hockey. Second, I'd like to say that I agree with you about Reebok doing nothing more than trying to make every other jersey obsolete.

And to make matters worse, NHL.com has a link to the new jerseys for sale on-line. Pardon the hell outta me, but I find $349.99 for a plain jersey a little ridiculous.

[Darryl]

Ahh, actually composite sticks do increase the velocity of wrist and snap shots. Dave Dryden's study, of which you refrence, showed that (link below). They do not however improve slap shots. As most forwards have little time to take slap shots they do in fact provide a significant advantage over wood. Any person who has actually used a composite stick can tell you this (without a study). The one disadvantage is there is less "feel" with a composite over a wood stick.

http://www.njdevs.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t9328.html

[Steve Barnett]

The composites are here to stay, unfortunatly they break at the first sign of fatigue. The sweaters?...What a load...this is a marketing strategy and nothing else.It is typical of the new NHL and will accomplish zilch.Now, Damian, I don't know what happened to you...Were you punched out in a pick up game?..Your sudden passive tones are disturbing. Why do you think the old Wide World of Sports opened every week with that poor skier almost killing himself? Because people want it, that's why. Nascar accidents are the same. How long do you think it would last if they scrapped the race after the fist wipeout?..About a week maybe. Why not have an on-line poll and see what the readers think?...I am sure you will voted down big time..The scraps are actually one of the best parts of this new power play game we have had shoved down our throats.Sweaters, nets, the red line etc....How about just leaving the damn game alone instead of every alleged hockey expert telling us how to change it...If it's a penalty call it, plain and simple..And if you put your stick in my gut Im gonna pound you comrade...got it?

[Andrew Spencer]

All good points Damien, but ask yourself: How controversial and flamboyant are you when on the telly?

It seems to me all the talking head types are more concerned w/ losing the free media pass into hockey rinks to actually do their jobs. You're all guilty of taking the "j" out of "journalism". That makes no sense. That's my point.

Most hockey 'analysts' have nil to say anyhow. Its hour after hour of sports cliche and kissing the bums of Leafs Inc. and little else.

Lest we forget, the old man with the coke bottle glasses (mis)calling the games on CBC every weekend and the inexplicable hiring of Tie Domi for anything beyond sweeping up the TV studios after everyone has gone home.

I agree with you on the uniforms issue however. But I guess if that's what's important to the league: Distractions and trying to make the players look gay or sexy or something, ah whatever. It is fun watching Bettman and his merry band of lawyers sink the game and the league.

C'mon summer!

[Jim Boyd]

Finally Mr. Cox - I agreee with everything you said.

The league just doesn't get it and is going nowhere.

Pity.