14 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, August 15, 2005
New rules make
NHL more exciting for fans
JAMES V. DowD quick changes and to get out there as quick as possible. But
ON ICE HocKEY I still need to focus on just stopping the puck."
This change gives fast and youthful teams the chance to
create odd-man rushes, and can even give goaltenders a better
Now that the NHL's players and owners have worked opportunity to participate in the offense. Recently departed
out the terms of their collective bargaining agreement, the Michigan goaltender Al Montoya is excited for the change.
long road to restoring hockey's place among America's "(The lack of blue lines) will give me a better chance to
top-tier sports leagues has begun. be involved in the offense," Montoya said. "I definitely like
The league hopes that leveling the playing field with a to play the puck a bit."
salary cap at $39 million and a floor at $21.5 million will While the league has given more freedom to goalten-
allow more of the league's teams to compete for the Stanley ders with respect to being involved in the offense, there
Cup - without spending the $77 million that the Detroit are greater restrictions on them defensively. Goalten-
Red Wings did in 2003-04. ders' leg pads must now be 11 inches as opposed to 12,
While the exact implications of this salary cap remain to and their blockers, trappers and jerseys have been made
be seen until the new season has elapsed, one can imagine smaller as well. This will begin to open up lower parts
that it will change the playing field drastically, likely giving of the net for shooters, which have been essentially off-
mid-market teams a better chance to compete. limits with the large pads and athletic goaltenders of the
The Chicago Blackhawks, for example, have a long modern NHL.
and storied history, but have fallen off the map since The restrictions on goalies don't end with their pads.
their Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 1992, when the The new rules limit the area in which goaltenders can
average payroll was $10 million. By 2003-04, it had handle the puck behind their net, allowing forwards a bet-
risen to $44 million. ter chance to dig pucks out of the corner. Goaltenders will
Having spent just $31.6 million in that season, the also be penalized for delay of game if they freeze the puck
Blackhawks management realized that instead of being $12 unnecessarily.
million below the average, they were just $7 million below These changes to the goalie's game don't sit well with
the cap, giving them a legitimate shot at a return to domi- many netminders. Turco, for example, is less than thrilled
nance. General Manager Dale Tallon and his staff have about these new regulations.
acted accordingly, signing 2004 Stanley Cup Champion "I kind of think it's a little bogus," Turco said. "I appre-
goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, former Detroit Red Wings' ciate what they are trying to do for the game. But in my
forward and two-time champ Martin Lapointe, seasoned opinion it's taking away skill."
veteran and 1995 Cup winner Jim Dowd and 2004 All-Star While there are more changes to the game, the theme
defenseman Adrian Aucoin. is the same throughout - more offensive, free-flowing
Acquisitions like this point to a turnaround for teams hockey. Bigger attacking zones, no two-line pass, no line
like the Blackhawks, allowing for a potential boost in atten- changes after icing, no-tolerance policies on obstruction
dance and general fan interest for those teams, and hooking and stricter penalties for fighting all point to
But the NHL needs to capture a more nation-wide audi- a more open game.
ence to be as successful a league as the NFL. These changes will certainly allow for a more free-
In trying to do this, the changes move from the front flowing game, but their impact on the fan base is hard to
office and onto the ice, where the league hopes to create gauge. The league hopes that more goals will produce the
E a more fan-friendly, offensive game. One of the biggest same success that Major League Baseball enjoyed during
additions is the shootout, which is intended to create an the great home run chase of 1998, just four years after a
electrifying atmosphere for fans. If teams remain tied after strike that cancelled the World Series.
the four-on-four overtime period that has existed in recent But the NHL also hopes that the effects will last
years, the game will go to a shootout. The idea might not longer than they did for baseball.
be a hit with all the players, according to Michigan alums American fans certainly seem to appreciate a more
and current NHL players Mike Cammalleri, Mike Komis- offensive game and might respond positively in the short
arek and Marty Turco - who all recently attended the term, but Turco makes an interesting point about the
Alumni Hockey showcase at Yost Ice Arena. But they all league's long-term future.
agree that the it will be exciting for the fans. "We definitely want exciting hockey," Turco said.
Another change to the game is the elimination of the "Everyone loves exciting hockey and goals do help. But
two-line pass rule, giving teams the opportunity for quicker soccer is the most popular sport in the world."
transitions. Instead of being limited to short passes through The key to soccer's success - despite being a low-
the neutral zone, there is no longer any restriction. The neu- scoring, cerebral and defensive game - has always been
tral zones have been shrunk by four feet. the pride that fans have for their local teams. In order for
Without the two-line pass rule, the game will the NHL to restore itself among the major sports leagues
become more open like it is in college hockey. Turco is in North America, it will need to create parity to gener-
happy to see the more open offense reminiscent of his ate interest in typically less hockey-oriented regions like
days in Ann Arbor. Atlanta, Raleigh, Nashville and Miami.
"It'll bring back some glory days from playing here at The interest will always be there in Detroit, Montreal,
Michigan," Turco said. "It will be interesting to see how Toronto and Edmonton. Now it's up to the league to cre-
teams use their goalies. It gives the opportunity for some ate or restore it everywhere else.
During his tenure, Turco led Michigan to two national championships In 1996 and
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