The Hockeycentric Top 10: Things The NHL Does Best

Get ready for the most pro-hockey top-10 you’ve ever encountered.

We’ve compiled our list of the 10 things the National Hockey League does better than the other ‘Big 3′ pro sports leagues. (That is, the NFL, NBA, and MLB).

There’s no doubting the NHL has some shortcomings as compared with the other leagues. Attendance issues, marketing of superstars, television revenue, etc. But there’s no denying the NHL excels in many ways, even if fans of other leagues don’t want to admit it. Something tells me this list will be contested by more Americans than Canadians. Just a hunch.

To be fair, we’ll produce a list of ‘10 things the NHL needs to catch up on’ in the near future. …It might be a top-20.

10. The Draft
NHL draft coverage is becoming so in depth it’s almost laughable. It’s only November, but several stories have been run on TSN devoted between the race between Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin for first overall in June’s draft. It might seem premature, but the NHL and its broadcasters do a terrific job acquainting fans with potential draftees. And drama? They milk the event dry, with the Draft Lottery, the immense build up, and the festivities themselves. The anticipation is heightened in years such as 2009, when the first overall pick remains ambiguous until the GM steps to the podium. Hosting the event in an arena while GM’s talk trade on the draft floor gives the event a unique flavour. And sometimes, just sometimes, Brian Burke owns Bryan Murray.

9. Free Agent Frenzy
One of the three unofficial annual hockey holidays (along with the draft and trade deadline day). The National Hockey League generates tremendous interest in the initial hours of free agency, largely because marquee players are quick to sign on July 1st, as itchy GM’s are ready at noon with persuasive sales pitches. By day’s end, a great deal of talent has changed hands, and fans are rarely disappointed. The explosion of trade rumour sites fuels the speculation, even though some notable rumour sources are less than reliable.

8. A Live Game
The best thing about a live baseball game is the company and the atmosphere, but the game itself isn’t enhanced. The only fans who get a good view of the strike zone are those sitting right behind the plate. Football? Terrific atmosphere, but the game isn’t the same without the aid of broadcasters offering play-by-play dissection and meaningful statistics. Basketball? Would it be a stretch to say that basketball is better on television? A live NHL game simply stands out, as so many aspects of the sport are enhanced. You can follow a player’s every move for an entire shift, and really get a sense of who controls the game. You gain an appreciation for how hard these guys hit too — if you recall the first time you heard the glass rattle because of a hit, you know exactly what I mean. And as the fastest game on earth, you can’t truly gain an appreciation for how fast these guys move until you see it in person. Treat a non-fan to a game and they’ll quickly be converted.

7. NHL Awards
As the hardest working athletes in professional sports, the stars of the NHL are rewarded as such, walking the red carpet once a year in really expensive shoes. A formal award ceremony is the classiest way to do it, and it’s something the other big 3 pro leagues should pick up on. As the Cy Young award is announced on a weekday in November, National Hockey League award-winners are treated to an evening that features honoured alumni, video tributes, and many poorly executed jokes from Ron Mclean.

6. Trade Deadline
When you compare the excitement level generated by the respective trade deadlines of the four major pro sports leagues, the NHL’s version is far and away the best. In Canada, the trade deadline is virtually a holiday. How much interest does this day generate? TSN comes on the air with coverage at 8 A.M., that’s how much. Fans take pleasure in this annual event for a reason — they know that impact players will change hands, and these players will influence the outcome of the Stanley Cup tournament. Look at last year’s Pittsburgh Penguins, who acquired Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz at the deadline, two players that helped tremendously in the Pens’ cup run.

5. Striving to Improve the Game
There is concussion problem in today’s NHL, and those who run the league aren’t ignoring the issue. Every year the General Managers lock themselves in a room and toss out a variety of topics, with rule changes and improvements to the on-ice quality of the game occupying a large portion of the discussions. Teams were icing the puck to get a break in play, so a rule was implemented to prevent tired defensive skaters from changing after an icing. Teams weren’t getting enough attacking time on the powerplay, so a rule change was made to bring the initial faceoff inside the shorthanded team’s zone. The National Hockey League continually strives for an improved game. On the flip side of this is Major League Baseball, who were eons late in adding instant replay to their operations, and who generally put more stock in tradition than common sense. Only 8 of 30 teams make the playoffs, and there is no salary cap system, which results in lopsided league standings, and far too many teams with no hope for the post season. Applause to the NHL, whose next order of business is to take on the issue of head injuries and illegal hits, as they have already begun discussing the matter.

4. Fostering Technological Innovations
The NHL has taken replay a step further, installing HD cameras which capture every necessary view for reviewing a disputed goal. Meanwhile, items like composite sticks have become a staple of the game that most players swear by. Mark Messier has gotten in on the action, developing a helmet that absorbs and displaces force in order to protect the head. There’s some more experimental technology, such as a heated skate blade which stays at a consistent 5 degrees Celsius, allowing players to skate faster. Though, despite how far the technology evolves, linesmen will always fix a rough patch of ice by adding a handful of snow, wetting the area with the goaltender’s water bottle, and patting the said area down with the flat side of a puck. ***Intentionally omitted from this blurb: RBK Edge Jerseys, which “reduce drag by 9%”.

3. The Winter Classic
Nowhere else in pro sports is there an event of this kind, in which the novelty factor is off the charts, while valuable points remain on the line. The positioning of the event is brilliant as well, because what do most people do on New Years Day? Right, wake up at noon or later and recover on the couch all day… “Oh look, an outdoor hockey game is on NBC!” Early reports suggest that the 2011 game will be played at Yankee Stadium between the Caps and Rangers, which will be league’s fourth installment of the event.

2. League Parity
As this is written, the New Jersey Nets are 0-14, and essentially out of contention in late November. Many have yet to get on board with the idea of a “loser point” in the NHL, and that won’t change. But take a look at the Major League Baseball standings after one month of play, and you’ll have no trouble finding at least 5 teams that are virtually out of the playoff race. As a result, fans lose interest and meaningful games become non-existent in many markets, leaving only the top third of the league to fight it out. With two weeks remaining in an NHL season, playoff seeding remain ambiguous, as do the bottom 3 playoff spots in each conference. The salary cap and 3-point games are largely responsible for this competitive balance.

1. The Playoffs
The Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in professional sports, requiring no fewer than 16 victories to win it all. In no other sport does the game change more from regular season to playoff play, or demand as much additional fortitude from its players. Playoff hockey is a different game, and while it’s difficult to articulate the exact differences, it might best be summed up by the willingness of each player to make sacrifices. Everyone in the Stanley Cup tournament blocks more shots, back-checks more feverishly, and plays the game with more intensity. Words can’t do the Stanley Cup tournament justice, but this video comes close:



You can read other interesting top-10 articles here.

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