BY: DOMMY CNY
What makes the other major professional sports better than hockey? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. At least when it comes to play and performance, that is. THIS. LEAGUE. Let me tell you something that you probably already know about me, I. LOVE. HOCKEY. I really do.. “the sh*t, the violence, the beer, all of it” (if you don’t know that line, how did you get this far?). Whatever the league or level, I can sit down and watch a game. It really doesn’t matter to me who is out there. The game itself is all I care about. Hell, I’ve caught myself rooting for my own teams’ rivals from time to time simply because of how into the game I get. You can sit there all holier than thou preaching how other sports are all you want, allow me to be frank, pound sand. Most NFL games have less time with the ball in play than a baseball game, and you love it because day drinking and chicken wings are awesome… the game isolated by itself is alright; This isn’t me ribbing football. This is me getting to an overall point.
The NFL and the NBA have done something completely irrelevant to their active product, they have achieved a level of marketing their product that has grown their perspective games to a level that cannot be ignored. The fact of the matter is regardless of how good or bad their “on-field” product is, they will always be superior to others for the simple fact that they have put an ungodly amount of time and money into growing the game to benefit themselves long term, resulting in the current state of dominance they hold over the sports world.
How all of that has been done and will continue to be done is enough for fifteen more articles. THIS article, however, serves a different purpose. This article is being written for the sole purpose of pointing out the whiney, old boys club, “this is how it’s always been,” don’t step on anyone’s toes GARBAGE that is the NHL. Not only the actual league but the clowns (most, not all) that cover this league. Would it kill any of you to do some real journalism? Would it kill you to ask ONE TOUGH QUESTION? Not one hockey writer out there is gonna ask why the defending Stanley Cup Champions are in a joke of a realigned Central Division WHEN THEY CLEARLY ARE NOT CENTRALLY LOCATED? Not one of you is going to present how it’s at least a tiny bit weird that not one single team bothers to offer sheet Anthony Cirelli, a solid two- way center almost every team could use, but then all of a sudden Nikita Kucherov ends up on long-term IR allowing Tampa the cap space to resign Cirelli? That isn’t weird?
Now, finding a way to get him signed isn’t Tampa’s fault. My point is I think it’s absolute and utter BS that the front offices of this league are absolutely petrified to upset another team even a little bit. What is the point of that? How can you be competitive when you have multiple opportunities every year to, at minimum, entertain signing away a player from another team when said player could help you win hockey games? Every other major professional sports league has even a shred of drama. Every other major professional sports league is composed of teams that at least try and win instead of being worried about “oh well golly gosh, we don’t wanna upset so & so because we wouldn’t want them to do that to us.” I mean, it’s just plain sickening. It really is. Mix this with a league and a “community” that scoffs at the smallest ounce of personality being shown by a player, and my goodness, it’s no surprise other leagues are crushing us.
My overall conclusion when visualizing all of this: the NHL has zero interest in growing the sport of hockey. The NHL has fallen into a comfort zone of being mediocre, and they clearly have no plan or regard for changing that. Between the fanbase and the young generation of players coming up, it’s obvious the hunger I have for a new generation of hockey is there. Something lovable about hockey is the natural whit and charm of hockey players, but for some reason, the league has no ability or desire to showcase that. Instead, we have the league pooping in their pants over the John Scott All-Star game fiasco.
I love hockey. I’ll never not be a fan or not follow the NHL. I just know I’m not alone when I say it would be nice to never see a player stuck in some type of commercial that is clearly going to fall flat again. It would be nice to know the league or its dinosaur writers and commentators won’t try and bury a guy for having a personality off the ice. My hopes will continue to be that over time, the NHL allows players and the fans to step out and have some fun… not.. ya know… putting Snoop Dogg in video games.
The Sports Desk can be reached at editorialtrainwrecksports@gmail.com