So says the NHL front office, who recently sent down a fine to the Toronto Maple Leafs coach for supposed "controversial" comments that criticized some of the drastic changes to the NHL's play."Where it is right now, in spite of everybody saying 'Oh, I love the new game,' I don't love the new game," Quinn said. "I don't think it's hockey. It's special teams situations and we've got gimmicks to decide games.Man, he's hit it on the head there! I don't know if I'm watching the Leafs, Penguins, or the MODO! The one thing that really appealed to a Yankee American about this sport was the hard hitting and the on-ice collisions that helped the action and allowed ACTUAL DEFENSE IN THE GAME! Agreed, the players should not be allowed to hook and pull down players, but the rest of the game is handcuffed to the fear that if you should look at another player wrong, you’ll get 2 minutes.
"It's totally different. You're not going to see the physical playoff style if everybody is afraid of penalties. So far, we've won our games on special teams and we've lost our games on special teams. Five-on-five is like the dodo bird."
I think the pendulum has swung back too far in favor of a more open ice game. Is it just me or has teams figured out that the crackdown on obstruction can increase the number of dives taken? Players know! In the games that I’ve watched, all you have to do is take a bump and flail your arms out. Congrats, you’ve just earned your team another power play. "The next one" Sidney Crosby has figured this out. In a game against the Florida Panthers, he alone created 6 power play opportunities.
So what if Quinn bad mouths the league? Ever hear about "no such thing as bad publicity"? The NHL is fighting for attention on the national stage, so why not encourage the players and personalities to let it all fly! Be controversial! Get the media attention!
Another thing about this is that I am really upset that people cannot speak their minds to the press these days. Even if it's to the extreme with non-politically correct, you should be able to say what you want and when you want without fear of losing a significant chunk of change. Agree with Quinn or not, I believe he should express his feelings. It's a new game to him and he's obviously struggling on how to come up with defensive strategies.
Here in the States, we're subjected to the NHL's top 3 ass kissing douche bags. Keith Jones, Pierre McGuire, and Bill "lips wrapped firmly around the Avalanche and Flyer collective buttock" Clement on OLN. They talked about the fines during the intermission and like the propagandists that they are, they all commented together about how people shouldn’t talk negatively in favor of a more "friendly" sound bytes. Clement pushed this analogy; "Don’t poison your own drinking water". That’s lame. They even decided to pile on the free thinking Coach Quinn and with borg-like mentality suggested that this is the "dinosaurs" venting their frustrations while the other coaches focus on winning.
So, I’ve come out and criticized the league in support of a more balanced game. If you don’t like how I’ve said it, then you know what you can do!
[Via: Yahoo! Sports]
3 comments:
I agree with you 100%. Just found your blog, and being a hockey fanatic myself, I am going to bookmark it and come back often!
Okay, just to represent the other side, I'm gonna disagree with you about 75%. Nobody is a bigger fanatic than me. The first time my dad took me to the Olympia to see the Wings, I was 4. That was 49 years ago. So I have been a fan since the days when there were only 6 teams. In the past 15 years, I have become increasingly disgusted with the NHL game. The blatent clutching, grabbing, hooking, using your stick on a check instead of your hips... all allowed in the name of letting inferior, untalented teams to be competetive. The quality of the play fell markedly in the last decade and a half, and as it did, so did TV ratings, local and national.
The new rules open up the game, and the enforcement of the old rules forces players to get back to fundamentals. This rewards the talented players, the people fans pay and tune into see.
Hockey so far this year has looked much more like the glory days of the Canadians, islanders, and Oilers dynasties. That was hockey at it's most exciting. And the reason attendance and TV ratings are up. So, yes, the new rule changes are good thing.
As for Quinn and the leagues reaction, quite frnkly, he was treated the way any other major sport treats it's coach's/managers/owners who are too critical.
And Quinn has a history of being a cry baby, so he doesn't get much of my sympathy.
And, besides you, virtually every fan I know is very pleased with the OLN/HDnet coverage so far.
Now, if you want to know what pisses me off about the new NHL, ask me about the scheduling!
I just went on a rant about these "rules" on my own blog. There are some changes I like, but I dislike the number of penalties being called, which has made the game one of special teams, and, as a minor league hockey fan, I dislike the way the CBA has effected the AHL. The OLN rant that you refer to said hockey fans were behind the new rules overwhelmingly. They are not.
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