Why Hockey Is The Best Sport

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Sava
it seems to me the french-canadian and european styles stress speed, finesse, stickwork, and passing... not hard hitting like in the US and Canada...

Yeah, Forsberg never throws his weight around and he never takes a shot at someone behind the play.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by Guynemer
If only we could have that sort of game, with checking, but without obstruction/stickwork/fighting. That would be, unquestionably, far and away the best sport in the world.

Stickwork and obstruction gone, leave the fighting in.

Now if they only had a all star goon competition.

[cinch]

Burke Deal Finalised!

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Flyers, Coyotes finalize deal


Does Sean Burke's arrival in Philly make the Flyers instant contenders?

The Philadelphia Flyers and Phoenix Coyotes have finally put an end to all the whispers and rumours surrounding the future of Sean Burke. Phoenix shipped the veteran netminder to Philadelphia Monday along with forward Branko Radivojevic and prospect Ben Eager of the Oshawa Generals in exchange for centre Mike Comrie.

The deal, concluded at the NHL general managers meeting in Henderson, Nev., addresses the needs of both teams.

The Flyers were down to rookie Antero Niittymaki in goal. Jeff Hackett retired Monday because of vertigo, and Robert Esche, once Burke's backup in Phoenix, is sidelined by a sprained knee.

The Coyotes are 0-4-1-1 in their last six games, and sorely in need of offence.

The 37-year-old Burke is 10-15-5 this season with one shutout and a 2.81 goals-against average. He had a short stint with the Flyers late in the 1997-98 season, and also has played for New Jersey, Hartford-Carolina, Florida and Vancouver.

Comrie, 23, has only four goals and five assists in 21 games for the Flyers this season, but scored 33 and 20 goals in consecutive seasons for Edmonton before running into contract problems with the Oilers last summer. He sat out the first two months of the season before the Oilers traded him to Philadelphia on Dec. 16.

Eager is an unsigned minor leaguer who was picked 23rd overall in the 2002 draft.

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No Seidenberg? Looks like this deal turned out more to Philly's benefit than I imagined...

Hm.

[Ben Kenobi]

Nah..

Just Sean Burke, after all.

They'll regret trading Comrie, down the line.

[Tingkai]

They don't have a choice at this moment. With Esche out and Hackett retiring, the Flyers need a veteran goalie. The flyers are not going to miss Comrie.

But Burke?

[Ben Kenobi]

Still not enough.

No one fears Burke.

[cinch]

From Sportsnet.ca:

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Change on the horizon?


In an attempt to add a little more offensive punch to the game, the league's general managers believe they have the answers.

HENDERSON, Nev. (CP) -- Smaller goalie pads, three-point victories and limits on goalies playing the puck are among far-reaching changes proposed by the NHL's 30 general managers Tuesday.

The rule changes still have some important hurdles to clear, but it's hoped a more entertaining league will evolve from these decisions.

"A couple of these changes will make a major difference to the way the game is played," New York Islanders GM Mike Milbury said as the day-long meeting ended.

Tuesday's recommendations will be further re-examined at another GMs meeting in the spring, and then passed on in July to a blue-ribbon panel of hockey experts including coaches, players, media and some GMs.

Then the end package must be approved by the league's owners at a board of governors' meeting in late summer.

"In the final analysis it is subject to a board vote but as far as I'm concerned I think this process is moving along the way I anticipated," said commissioner Gary Bettman.

The GMs' recommendations include:

-- Goalies can no longer handle the puck behind the back-end red-line (behind the net);

"The original thought right now is that if the puck is behind the line and the goalie touches it, it's a two-minute penalty," said Bettman.

-- The width of goalie pads will be reduced to 10 inches from the current limit of 12 inches; also, the league's head office will act as a clearing house for goalie's equipment before they can wear it, in other words inspect it before giving it to goalies.-- The nets being brought back to 10 feet from the back boards from the current 13 feet;

-- The tag-up offsides will be brought back;

"The sense in the room is that the tag-up offsides will lead to less whistles," said Bettman.

-- The AHL will be asked to try out three points being awarded for a victory in regulation time with the NHL possibly going to that format in 2005-06 if it works well in the minors; that would also include two points for an overtime win; it may also include two points for a penalty shootout win.

"We'd like to provide an incentive for teams to win in regulation," Bettman said.

-- The AHL will also be asked to try out the so-called "fat lines" of both blue-lines and the centre red-line next season. But they will be 24 inches instead of the 36 inches tried out this year in the AHL. They're currently 12 inches wide in the NHL.

Responding to low-scoring games and dwindling attendance in some markets, the NHL's GMs didn't hold back when given a mandate by Bettman to find ways to open up the game.

"Yes, it is quite a bit," said Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford.

There are also two changes that will go into effect as soon as this week. The penalty shot rule was clarified so as to include players who clearly are in a pursuit of a loose puck that would lead to a breakaway and are hauled down will now be awarded a penalty shot. Before, a player had to be in control of the puck.

Also, a clarification of the rule regarding goals scored when the net is slightly off -- those goals will now count.

Of all the changes that could be adopted, the limit on goalies playing the puck behind the net could prove to have the biggest impact, especially on some of the league's top puck-handling netminders like Martin Brodeur and Marty Turco.

But Bettman said GMs put the league ahead of their individual teams' concerns, which has been a problem in the past.

"There was a very candid dialogue," Bettman said.

Legendary coach Scotty Bowman took part in the decision-making Tuesday.

"They're asking me as a coach what I would do in certain situations and since I'm not active anymore I can give an unbiased opinion on that," Bowman said.

There were other issues that didn't make the cut.

"With respect to bigger nets, it was discussed, but we decided it wasn't worth doing now," Bettman said.

St. Louis Blues defenceman Al MacInnis, invited by the league to take part, pushed hard for no-touch icing, an issue close to his heart after suffering a near-career ending injury earlier in his career rushing to a puck on an icing play.

But the league at this point won't go to the no-touch icing, which is in use in international hockey.

"There wasn't quite enough interest on no-touch icing to bring it to the threshold of a rule change but we'll keep it in mind because we know the concerns of the players," Bettman said.

Also passed over was the idea of playing the full two minutes of a penalty no matter whether a goal was scored or not.
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WHOA.

That IS a lot.

Thinner goalie pads? I can dig it.

Pushing the nets back? Right on.

3-point wins? Interesting...

[Imran Siddiqui]

I like thinner goalie pads, but preventing goalies from getting the puck behind the net? I can't agree with that. The goalie should be more a part of the team, passing to defensemen, etc, instead of just being always anchored in the crease, IMO.

[Ben Kenobi]

No coincidence with Martin Brodeur being the most adept puckhandler in the NHL...

No coincidence at all.

I don't like the 3 points, as they distort the records. It becomes more difficult to adjust the statistics, to reflect how well the teams are doing.

You lose, as you have lost now, the 50% principle, in that the points directly correspond to the ratio of wins and losses.

[joncha]

I think the best (and easiest!) change they can make is to get rid of the ridiculous 2-line offside rule. Wouldn't want to have any break-out passes... that would be just too darn exciting.

I'm not a big fan of the 3-point win. If they're that worried about games ending tied, they should just extend the overtime to 10 minutes, and then maybe have a shoot-out. Not that I'm a big fan of shoot-outs, either.

jon.

[Imran Siddiqui]

No coincidence with Martin Brodeur being the most adept puckhandler in the NHL...

You think that we should confine the goalie to the crease? Why shouldn't he be able to help out his offense and be an actually player on the ice.

[joncha]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

No coincidence with Martin Brodeur being the most adept puckhandler in the NHL...

You think that we should confine the goalie to the crease? Why shouldn't he be able to help out his offense and be an actually player on the ice.

That doesn't go far enough, dagnabit!

They should bring back the old-timey "goaltenders must not leave their feet" rule. That would learn them uppity goalies!

jon.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by cinch
The GMs' recommendations include:
-- Goalies can no longer handle the puck behind the back-end red-line (behind the net);

"The original thought right now is that if the puck is behind the line and the goalie touches it, it's a two-minute penalty," said Bettman.

What a fricken idiots. This is an incredible stupid idea.

This will just lead to more dump and run.

And this means that if the goalies at the post, he's got to keep his stick in front of the red line? He can't put his stick back to block the pass from behind the net!!

Plus, goalies going behind the net make the game interesting, especially when they screw up and get caught out of position.

What are these guys thinking!!!

[Guynemer]

I agree with Imran--I like most of the proposed changes, but the rule about goalies not handling the puck is... strange. Perhaps not allowed to grab the puck behind the line, okay; or making them vulnerable to checks behind the line. But I can't see taking away all puck-handling.

I would also love to see elimination of the two-line pass rule, no-touch icing, and no fighting.

[joncha]

Originally posted by Guynemer
I agree with Imran--I like most of the proposed changes, but the rule about goalies not handling the puck is... strange. Perhaps not allowed to grab the puck behind the line, okay; or making them vulnerable to checks behind the line. But I can't see taking away all puck-handling.

I would also love to see elimination of the two-line pass rule, no-touch icing, and no fighting.

No fighting? I say bring on the goons! Get rid of the instigator and 3rd-man-in rules and let 'er rip!

As for the goalie issue, just treat them as skaters if they chose to wander outside of the (expanded if necessary) crease. "Problem" solved.

jon.