Can you believe that NHL goalies...

[joebatters]

used to not wear masks? If you were born in the 70's or later, you may not know that. The goalie on my favorite team, Eddie Giacomin, retired in the early 70's...if I recall correctly he was one of the last to go maskless.
I mean, think about that...that's freaking unbelievable. Anyone remember Bobby Hull's slapshot? How would you like to try and stop one of his slapshots with no mask? For some reason, I was just thinking about that..wild.

 

[patrick7033]

Hockey in general scares the hell outta me. I'm shocked there aren't more deaths.

For one the ground is hard as a rock.

You can hit the guys with a stick.

The puck comes at ya like 100 mph.

and then there's the kicker...Everyone has blades for feet!!!

 

[Fishhead]

Incredible and electrifying sport.

How any sports fan doesn't enjoy hockey is beyond me.

 

[joebatters]

Amen brother.

 

[SportSavant]

with to curved sticks there were not as many raised shots.

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

Incredible and electrifying sport.

How any sports fan doesn't enjoy hockey is beyond me.

1. You can't relate to any of the players. They don't give enough interviews, they don't promote the league/sport and they don't stay in the US during the off-season
2. The playoffs last FOREVER. Doesn't like basically every team in the NHL make the playoffs?
3. Its not on a major network. I know, I know, you say that's its not network because people don't demand it . . . read #1 again.
4. There's just not a wide knowledge of the fundamentals of the game. You conduct a national poll and I bet only 10% of the people can tell you how many periods there are in a game. Why? Read #1 again. The NHL needs to promote itself more, not as a league or team, but simply as a sport

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

#1 is, to put it politely, retardostupignorant. The NHL gives more access than any other league to their players. They do interviews prior to the game, each intermission, after the game, and recently (at least on VS) DURING THE GAME - ON THE BENCH.

You think the fact that they don't hang around in the off season hurts the sport??????

Arena Football had a national network showing it's games. When is season kickoff again?

This is true and I'll bet you the percentage of people that can name 5 AFL players is the same that can name 5 NHL players. Without proper care from both players and the league, no sport can build a strong fan base

 

[artiesliver]

IMO, the multimedia access that the NHL has provided is better than any other league (MLB probably second).

There are so many "electric" personalities in the NHL that could be marketed better, but at the same time they aren't recognized so they aren't marketable. The old chicken and the egg argument.

If someone like Alex Ovechkin played in a "big" US hockey market like New York, he would be a MEGA STAR. However, you could make the argument if someone from the NJ Devils like Zach Parise, who scored 45 goals this season, or Martin Brodeur, one of the BEST goaltenders of ALL TIME, isn't a household name in the NY Tri-State Area, how could you expect them to be known throughout the U.S.

 

[scottw]

#1 is, to put it politely, retardostupignorant. The NHL gives more access than any other league to their players. They do interviews prior to the game, each intermission, after the game, and recently (at least on VS) DURING THE GAME - ON THE BENCH.

You think the fact that they don't hang around in the off season hurts the sport??????

Arena Football had a national network showing it's games. When is season kickoff again?

As far as the AFL goes, you can likely stick a fork in it. This year was cancelled while the league "reworked its business model." Now two franchises have folded and there is no news anywhere. Don't expect to ever see the AFL again, and this comes from someone who can name 100 AFL players without having to think about it, as that was my one and only handicapping specialty.

 

[patrick7033]

I wish I could get into hockey since it is exciting, but for me there just isn't enough time to follow it because of all the other sports.

I never really got into it as a kid because no one I knew played (until high school) and Baltimore had no team to follow.