This is why I hate North American hockey

National Post [Canada] ^ | Tuesday, March 25, 2008 | Jonathan Kay

[Originalist]

I’d say the real problem with North American hockey is all the slots reserved for slow, unathletic Canadians who “earned” it by coming up through the Jr Hockey ranks.

Open the game up, speed the game up, and get rid of the no talent hacks...

[ShadowDancer]

There is more fighting basketball than in hockey now.

Two of the most physically demanding sports out there, too.

[weeder]

What a nancy-boy!
What do you do when somebody cross-checks your frilly ass?
Hit them with your purse?
(Comment directed at author, not poster)

[ShadowDancer]

Hockey is just like basketball, except that men play hockey.

LMAO @ the guy typing that from his keyboard.

[Colonel_Flagg]

“No touch” icing is for pansies.

Tell that to Kurtis Foster.

And in his heyday, Peter Forsberg was one of the dirtiest players I ever saw.

[driftdiver]

“LMAO @ the guy typing that from his keyboard.”

LMAO @ the guy who is behind a keyboard inferring the guy commenting on hockey from behind a keyboard is somehow not manly because of that said keyboard.

[Tallguy]

I’d say the real problem with North American hockey is all the slots reserved for slow, unathletic Canadians who “earned” it by coming up through the Jr Hockey ranks.

You raise an interesting point. I'd say at the current size of the NHL, it's inevitable that you're going to have Jr. Hockey as the biggest source of your 'talent' (or non-talent, as the case may be). Get rid of a third of the league's teams, shorten the season to about 60 games (which increases the value of each game), and expand the playing surface (to put a premium on skating). Those would be my presciptions. But none of it will happen, since it would cost revenue initially.

[ShadowDancer]

Aside from the fact that that has to be the longest run on sentence on the books, do you have a point to make?

[dbwz]

Hmm. To me the amount of fighting has dropped off dramatically from when I first started watching the NHL in the late 80's. Bench-clearing free-for-alls have been all but eliminated by league rules put in place.

The "removing an opponents spleen with their hockey sticks" comment has a ring of truth to it. Take out the fighting altogether, and I think you will see more stick work as players use whatever is at their disposal to try to gain an advantage. It's an aggressive game, and if guys feel the need to drop the gloves and get it out of their systems, so be it.

If I want to watch a bunch of players pussy-footing around a large playing surface, I'll find a soccer game.

[driftdiver]

Yeah, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

[mad_as_he$$]

I;m one up I hate all hockey.

[ShadowDancer]

Seriously? That’s your response? Thanks for the discourse, Aesop.

[canuck_conservative]

Yes, but the other great tradition of professional hockey--throwing yourself to the ice and flopping around like a fish in an attempt to draw a penalty--is.

Please.

When it comes to diving and hamming it up to draw a penalty call, no sport takes a second place to soccer.

I'm thinking the Italian national team in particular.

[ShadowDancer]

When it comes to diving and hamming it up to draw a penalty call, no sport takes a second place to soccer.

Maybe not first but basketball is great for that. There is a hell of a lot of finesse in drawing a foul.

[buccaneer81]

And in his heyday, Peter Forsberg was one of the dirtiest players I ever saw.

I think Jordan Tootoo and Dion Phaneuf could both vie for that distinction today.

[theanonymouslurker]

The pansy Europeans could not hang with my Flyers back in 1976. Let us not forget the small yet important roll hard hitting hockey played in cold war politics. Lest we forget...

Watch the Flyers Kick some Red A$$

[theanonymouslurker]

roll = role (duh)

[justkillingtime]

Cheating??? Have you ever even SEEN a hockey game??? Since it seems you know nothing of the game....please keep your asinine comments to yourself!