sport speak: Top 5 reasons to watch the NHL this year
Daniel Fung, The Peak
After a year's worth of bickering over salaries and revenues, and enough CBA talk to last a sport fan's lifetime, the National Hockey League returned in full force on October 5. Unless you've been living under a rock, or were one of few overdramatic fans who professed during the lockout that you would never watch another NHL game, you likely have already reveled in some of the "welcome back NHL" festivities in the last couple of weeks.
For the unconverted and the disillusioned, fear not! While the NHL may have caused you much pain over the last year, (or perhaps you really never cared too much for hockey in the first place), the new fan-friendly NHL is here and they're welcoming you back with open arms if you'll give them a chance. Here are the top five reasons why you should accept their offer and check out the NHL this year (if you haven't already done so):
5. New blood
Yes, the NHL lost its share of legends over the lockout, including the likes of Mark Messier, Al MacInnis, and Scott Stevens, but the influx of great new, young talent such as Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Corey Perry, and Jeff Carter will more than make up for those losses. These former junior stars are ready to light it up in the new NHL and you'd be doing yourself a big disfavour by not giving these new kids on the block a look. For the NHL, the future is here.
4. New faces in new places
What's more exciting than watching a new player skating for a new team? How about a few dozen players all skating for new teams? Forsberg's in Philly, Neidermayer goes to the Ducks, and Dany Heatley's in our nation's capital, just to name a few. There's nothing better than watching your favourite player sporting new colours or, if you follow a team, seeing a new superstar in action scoring for you rather than against you.
3. No more mid-week doldrums
What's worse than having to spend lonely weeknights studying? The answer: Having to spend lonely weeknights studying without anything good on the tube when you take a study break. We've all seen that re-run of The Simpsons or Seinfeld about a million times over and some of the new shows are tough to follow given the hectic schedule of a student. With the alternative being having Toronto Blue Jays baseball force-fed to us, I say bring on the hockey.
2. Bigger, more intense rivalries
Remember the brawl in the stands in Detroit last NBA season, when the Pistons and the Pacers hooked up? You think that was intense? Wait until you see the return of Todd Bertuzzi to Denver, or the Oilers and Flames hook up eight times this season. You can be guaranteed with a new NHL schedule that's skewed towards creating divisional rivalries, there's going to be some bad blood built between these teams, and they're going to get a lot of chances to beat up on one another. And you thought hockey was intense before?
1. The return of Hockey Night in Canada
No date Saturday night? No problem! You didn't want to go out anyways. Why would you want to spend Saturday night with anyone other than Ron Maclean, Don Cherry, and the rest of the CBC gang while watching a doubleheader of hockey action? That age old Saturday night tradition is back and it brings with it a rejuvenated NHL that promises to be better than ever.
Still not sold? That's unfortunate for you. The rest of us will be enjoying the return of the NHL.