Just a thought
Oct 1, 2008
Just a thought...
One of the beautiful things about this blogging "gig" is that you get to think out loud. As the Canes prepare for their third pre-season game in Philadelphia on Saturday, I got to thinking about the whole concept of exhibition play and the way we do things.
For so many years, hockey's annual rite of early autumn meant a series a "rehearsals" consisting as many as nine or 10 games to get ready for the rigors of the season. Teams often would play in neutral sites where promoters would spend the cash and subsidize the travel to bring and NHL game to their cities and arenas Many of those cities now have NHL franchises, i.e., Phoenix, Dallas, the two Florida outposts, etc. But the times have changed. For the most part , teams play these tune- ups in NHL bui ldings. The question remains, is there a better way to do it ?
Training camps have been condensed. It's now a 21-day period as opposed to 28. Most pre-season schedules consist of six games. Teams practiced for three or four days and played. Some utilized less time. The rosters for these games are made up of at least eight players on each side that have substantial NHL experience. This insures value for the fan, we think. The rest are prospects looking to make an impression. In the early stages of the pre-season, many of the veterans see these games as laborious tasks and put their time in. They try to avoid injury and get their timing down. The younger players look to make an impression, but under the "mixed bag" roster set up, many of them are also playing with a mindset of not wanting to make a mistake. Coaches and management are left to evaluate players and teams and how they are playing.
If you take our local NHL entry, it's very hard to evaluate team play. The first game was called unacceptable by many of the players. OK, point well taken. The second game had more of a competitive edge. Yes, I with ya. But what does it all mean? At the end of the regular season, if the Canes are getting ready for round one of the second season, none of us will really remember if Alex Ovechkin scored or didn't on that penalty shot the night of Sept. 25. In addition, individual assessments are made under playing conditions that are not balanced.
Here's the thought - and maybe the solution. The league could look at splitting the pre-season in two. Stage what are called "developmental games." In these games the highest level player would be that of an American Hockey League players. It would include amateurs signed and unsigned prospects too. They could play early in the exhibition campaign in NHL buildings. You could charge the public half price. This what appease the "you get what you pay for" mentality among the fans. I think the games would be spirited, interesting to watch and as a fan you could see tomorrow.
In the meantime,the NHL players could utilize this time for practice. Then, the second half of the pre-season would be two or three games of "NHL" play. Here the rosters are entirely made up of NHL players or others who have shown that they have earned a chance to play with the 'big boys." The public pays full rate. But you don't spend the first 10 minutes of the game trying to figure out who' s playing.
Maybe this is nuts. I don't know. I do know - through all the injuries, sporadic play and half -earted crowds - what's the point of all this? If you listen to the athletes, they wonder, too. I'm not sold on the current set-up. I write all this as I head off to another pre-season match up.
Take care and remember the Philadelphia game is on the NHL network.
Enjoy it as we say good bye to the old Spectrum.
I don't know where Andre "Moose" Dupont is these days but I am with Kate Smith, God Bless America !
See ya
