After the lock out the NHL wanted to increase scoring, obstruction penatlies are up almost 350% comapred to pre-lock out NHL. Is hockey being turned into figure skating?
2007-01-25 06:09:43 · 6 answers · asked by RedG0030 1 in Sports ➔ Hockey
Gretzky, Lemieux, Bossy and other marquis players back in the day begged the NHL to stop interference, obstruction etc. They felt it would be better for the game if the skilled players were allowed to play. One of the reasons Lemieux retired the first time is that the hooking, slashing, obstruction had gotten so bad that he had enough and wanted to stop playing.
The NHL realizes we do not want to see dinosaurs like Darien Hatcher carving legs off and cross checking at will, we want to see skilled plays, beautiful passes and goals.
Hatcher and his kind will soon retire and each year the players will be more used to the new rules until they are not new.
If you have guys that can get 50 goals a season or more and make brilliant plays and still set you on your *** with a solid bodycheck I would not compare that to figure skating.
2007-01-25 07:32:14 · answer #1 · answered by mapleleafskickass 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't blame the refs making the calls - I blame those players who aren't skilled enough to adapt to hockey the way it was meant to be played. Once they're weeded out, or learn the rules, those numbers will level off.
All they're doing is enforcing rules that were already on the book. The game as played in the 1970s and early 1980s was fast-paced and open, but still had plenty of hitting. The problem is that players got bigger and less-skilled, and the officials started letting them get away with all sorts of hooking and holding. All they're doing now is correcting their error, and getting the game back the way it should be played.
2007-01-25 06:31:18 · answer #2 · answered by Craig S 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This is a Catch 22. Players these days are far too "Clutch and Grab" in the way they play, however, I find it annoying that refs now call you for hooking even if you don't impede the other player's progress. In the good ol' days of hockey hooking wouldnn't be called unless one player brought another player down to the ice. Nowadays, if you just tap your stick on the guy's waist you're going to get nailed with a hooking call, even if you don't slow him down.
2007-01-25 06:34:49 · answer #3 · answered by Mr_Canada 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I say this..let the players play...they are the ones iin the end who will decide who is going to win...I think the calls they are making now are really ridiculous...If they are goin to make the calls they have to be consistent which they are not...by letting the players play they should call the obvious penaltys...
2007-01-25 08:48:00 · answer #4 · answered by popamike20 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't mind taking away the lazy penalties (holding, hooking, tripping), but they've made the players afraid to hit anyone anymore! Clean the game up but don't make it wimpy.
2007-01-25 06:20:52 · answer #5 · answered by rinkrat 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
i'd just like to say that this is a good question and i really like all of the answers given to this point...and no, i don't think the game has suffered a bit...it's better and faster...long live the danny briere's and marty st loius' of hockey.
2007-01-25 08:10:31 · answer #6 · answered by eddy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋