NHL Changes 06/07

Hockey season is upon us again!!!!!

The only certainty is that no one can be certain of this season’s outcome. Just like the wager I made in Vegas this summer no one can predict who will take home the cup. My own prediction was hardly a calculated one as I took Vancouver Canucks to win the cup at 20 to 1 odds and in a league where the likes of the lowly Edmonton Oilers can make a serious run for the cup as they did last season the best we can do is guess.

The salary cap and rule changes that were instated last season have without a doubt changed the game and for the most part it has been for the better.

The salary cap has forced teams to balance the make up of their team both on the accountant’s desk and the player’s bench and most teams have chosen not to hang their fortunes on the hats of one powerhouse line. Those teams, who are going against this trend like Tampa Bay who has spent 27.6 million on their first five players, will soon see if they can compete in the new NHL using old NHL economics. In may ways the Stanley Cup can be won in the boardroom long before the players hit the ice?

As for the rule changes, I am sure we have seen the final product in last seasons Cup final, fast furious and hellishly entertaining it was hockey at its best but in my own opinion still not perfect. I personally miss the rough stuff along the boards and in front of the net; I would love to see a slight modification of the interference rules to allow for rougher play in the lower defensive zone. Anyone entering this area is running the gauntlet and would have to pay the price of admission. It would also reduce some of the injury issues goalies were facing last season, when forwards were making full speed rushes to the net and frequently colliding with the tender.

The NHL has undoubtedly entered a new era which focuses on skill and exceptional fiscal management. For the hockey fans, I believe that we all have a better more balanced league to enjoy giving each of us a chance to cheer for a contender.