Like Tina Turner, I’m back for more

It only took a year and a half, but the National Hockey League is back.

Yep, after becoming the first major professional sports league in North American history to miss an entire season because of a labor dispute, the NHL has returned with a product that will be far different than previous versions.

Commissioner Gary Bettman and the owners hope that the time away from the ice will eventually be seen as a positive, and not the final straw that made average Joe Public give up on hockey.

Let’s say this up front – before the lock out, hockey was behind football, baseball and basketball in the pecking order of pro sports. Now NASCAR, and probably golf, garner more interest than the coolest game on ice. If not for punchlines like the WNBA or Major League Soccer, hockey would be in danger of falling off of the landscape all together.

Before the lock out, players salaries were eating up roughly 76 percent of hockey’s total revenue. Too many teams were operating in the red (collectively, the NHL lost $273 million during the 2002-2003 season alone) and sadly, teams had a better chance of declaring bankruptcy than winning the Stanley Cup. That’s why the commish and the owners refused to back down from their stance, and that’s why hockey went away for so long.

Were the owners wrong? Not according to the general public. A Canadian public opinion poll (and let’s face it – they care more about hockey than Americans do) near the start of the lockout found that 52 percent of those polled blamed NHL players for the lockout and only 21 percent blamed the owners of NHL teams. It seems it’s hard for the public to be sympathetic to the situation when below average NHL players were pulling in between $1.5-$2 million a year to ride the bench all season.

With a nifty new salary cap in place (and the player’s tails firmly between their legs), Bettman and friends unlocked the doors after 310 days and rolled out a revamped product. Think Extreme Makeover, meets Miracle.

Here’s what’s new for this season:

1. New network: Gone is ESPN, in comes the Outdoor Life Network. Nevermind that games are not actually played outdoors. Beggars can’t be choosers when you’ve become an afterthought to American sports fans.

2. Shootouts for everyone: Games that are tied after regulation will proceed to a five-minute, four-on-four overtime. If the game is still tied, the teams will alternate penalty shots, three per side until someone wins. No more ties. Sure it’s a gimmick, but it’s one that will produce highlights that will be seen on SportsCenter and will help to (hopefully) bring in new fans.

3. No more redline: The line will remain on the ice, but passes across two lines will be permitted in an effort to promote more breakaway scoring chances. This will open up the ice more and give talented players, like the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Martin St. Louis, more room to create breathtaking plays.

4. Less offsides: Players who enter the offensive zone before the puck can return to the blueline (a.k.a. - tag up) and then rejoin the play. This reduces stoppages and increases the flow of the game. No one likes the fact that the last 60 seconds of a basketball game takes 15 minutes. Plain and simple – hockey wants to keep the games action packed. 5. Goalie crackdown – part one: Goalies can no longer skate into the corner and stop end-around passes. They will be restricted to playing the puck only in front of the goal line (which has been moved back two feet) and inside a trapezoid behind the goal. Everyone knows trapezoids make the game more fun.

6. Goalie crackdown – part two: That’s not the only change goalies must adjust to. Their leg pads have been reduced from 12 inches in width to 11. They also must wear smaller gloves, blockers, chest protectors and pants in an effort to give skaters more net at which to shoot. It’s as if goalies actually have to be good to keep a puck out of the net now. Imagine that.

7. Referees have whistles and will use them: Just like jumbo goalie pads, clutching and grabbing is gone. Tackling is for football, not hockey. Defenders cannot just wrap their arms around Joe Sakic and take him out of the play. Skill players and smooth skaters are now extremely valuable on defense, while meatheads could quickly find themselves unemployed. A well-played hockey game is a thing of beauty – not that you could tell before the rule changes.

If you haven’t noticed, the league wants goals scored this season. A 0-0 tie might be acceptable in soccer, but not in the new NHL. They want baseball scores like 7-5 or 9-8. By opening up the game and actually giving their premiere players a chance to showcase their talents, hockey is hoping to win back their fan base and possibly even draw in a new fan or two along the way. Baby steps, my friend. Baby steps.

Brian Murphy dreams of one day scoring a goal in the NHL and then making snow angels on the ice to celebrate. Contact him at: murf@the5holes.com