What should a gal know about the NHL to look like she knows what she is talking about?

Question

Ok I watch pro hockey once in a while when I have time and enjoy it - I understand the basics of the game and the rules, I even go to friends hockey games and I worked in a sports store once upon a time selling gear to kids and rec players.

But I don't know who any of the NHL players are except a couple of Leafs (local team) - where can I get the basics on the NHL so I don't look like an idiot when talking to a fan or going to a game with a client.

What basics can you tell me? Who are this years teams to watch? Is there anyone or team that has come out of teh blue or just sucks for no reason??

FYI - I am from Toronto

FYI - I am from Toronto
Any trvia tidbits would be great like why the Penguins goalie wears orange pads etc especially about the Hurricanes - that's who I have to see play the Leafs

Answer 1

Since you need to know about the hurricanes a few things of note are that Staal's younger brother plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins and is supposed to be even better than his older brother who was amazing in the playoffs last year for the canes. And then you can talk about how much young talent the Penguins have (Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Whitney, Staal). And if they can stay together for a few years they might rival the 80's Oilers

Just general stuff you can talk about how the rule changes post lock out have opened up the game (for better or worse) just give your opinons. In my case I would say that the trapazoid rule for goalies should not be in effect for teams on the power play because it makes a kill that much easier to kill time just by dumping it in the corner.

Answer 2

Basically, you should do the following:

1) Read the pre-game and post-game reviews and recaps. Oftentimes you will get history on the players, descriptions of the play, and all sorts of other goodies. You'll be able to tell your hockey-fan friends, "Did you know that Marc-Andre Fleury, of Pittsburgh, has beaten Washington 4 times this year already?"

2) Watch as many games as you can. Versus/OLN shows lots of games, but few cable packages carry it. NBC shows games on Saturdays/Sundays sometimes, but its rare. Yahoo and Comcast sometimes stream games live.

3) Pay attention to how certain players play and act on the ice. You'll easily be able to tell Sidney Crosby from, say, Michel Ouellet, if you watch even a couple of Penguins games. Get a feel for the types of players, such as role players(Draper), speedsters, offensive defencemen, enforcers, and so forth.

4) Ask questions. Any hockey fan will be more than happy to share their knowledge, not only to get others into the game, but also to show off a bit

5) Read newspaper articles, online articles, and so forth. Since you're in Toronto, there's hockey all around you. Grab a paper, log onto NHL.com , ESPN.com , or TSN.ca , and read up on the NHL

Teams to watch... Nashville is making serious noise this year, and Anaheim is dominating the west. Vancouver is improving as Luongo does his thing, while Boston continues to suck. Philadelphia is TERRIBLE in every aspect of the game, and you'll definitely hear about the Flyers makin' trades real soon.


So, basically, just Watch, Listen, Read, and Enjoy :)

Answer 3

One of the teams that is making a real turn around right now is the St. Louis Blues, especially since they got a new coach (Andy Murray, who used to coach in L.A.). They probably won't make the playoffs, but went from the 2nd worst team in the league to either 10 or 11 points (5 games) out of playoff range. This has only started happening in the last few weeks, so you'll seem pretty caught up. Good luck! I've learned to impress my boyfriend; I'm sure you'll do fine. :)

Answer 4

Go to NHL.com and check out who the scoring leaders are for this season, check out the top goalies, and look at the standings to see what teams are doing well and which team are not. That should give you a little bit better understanding of what is going on in the NHL lately.

Answer 5

sounds like your on the right track
i'm in the same postion. but i have my husband(big sports fanatic) who understands and talks to me about the players and their teams so that i can learn the basics
i would say learn about your team first and go enjoy watching those boys beat the FU** out of each other
but all you really need to do is show some love for your team go to the games yell really loud when you team scores

Answer 6

Sounds like you know most of what you would need to impress someone. For this year big teams include the sabres, ducks, and predators and big name players are Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, and Chris Pronger.

Answer 7

every once in awhile when you're watching say things like,"that should be a penalty"or,"jeeez that defence is slow and stupid,but they're learning"and'and what with all the hooking and holding in the dzone,the refs seem to be letting alot go tonite">and lastly,"the leafs sure suck this year,they wont make the playoffs,they have no heart"

Answer 8

Sidney Crosby for the peguins is the best player in the NHL. You should know who he is. Because he's gonna be the biggest name in hockey for a long time.

Answer 9

what i can tell you about the teams is that the flyers are having the worst season ever....the nashville predators are doing amazing...along with the sharks and the red wings in the western conference...in the eastern it's basicallly the buffalo sbares...the NJ devils and the atlanta thrashers...but there is also sid the kid (sidney crosby) in pittsburgh who is amazing but his team isn't doing so great...one player you should definatly look at is marty brodeur of the nj devils...if you already don't know who he is

Answer 10

Know that it is the NBA now. Every hit is penalized, take out the other teams best player with no retribution and its run by a man from the NBA who is shakes the clown.