Washington Capitals

Some of the Things Wrong with the NHL
March 30, 2017, 3:56 PM ET [60 Comments]
James Tanner
Washington Capitals Blogger • RSS • Archive • CONTACT
Nothing wrong with the game, really. We aren't talking about headshots too much this year. The games are fun, the playoff race is exciting.

But there are so many dumb things going on, it's hard to fathom since Gary Bettman is in his 393rd year of running the league and as such, you'd think he'd have it all figured out by now.

Here's a list of the things I don't like.


1. Going to China

This is stupid. I know it's all about growing the game, but it seems unfair to take two of the teams who already have the worst travel schedules and add China to the mix.

What if - and this is crazy, I know - the NHL decided to perfect the game instead of growing it.

This is just pure greed.



2. Slashes to Wrists

It's pretty stupid that it's ever legal to hit an opponent with six foot stick, but the NHL tolerates all kinds of cross-checking and slashing.

To what end? Whether it's not calling obvious penalties, or ignoring the rulebook althother when the clock strikes 10 minutes left in the third, the NHL really needs to improve this.

3. Playoff Seeding

Four of the league's top four teams are in the same division. This is just an anomaly, and it won't happen often, but it's still really unfair for a team that would have won any other division in the league to have to open the playoffs against the league's 3rd best team.

Regardless of the exagerated circumstances of this season, the seeding almost always leads to matchups that make a mockery of the regular season.

If you're willing to send some teams to China, you can't use travel as an excuse not to seed teams 1-16. And if you really want to keep conferences as a thing, at least go 1-8.

4. Points Awarding

Just make all games worth the same. How is that so hard?



5. Sam Reinhart benching

It's one thing if you punish a guy by sitting him in the pressbox, another thing entirely to dress him and make him sit on the bench all game. Punishing people for being late is idiotic unless they were late because they were out partying or it's frequent. Otherwise, stop pretending its 1950.

Apparently GM Tim Murray isn't just bad at building teams, he's bad at running them too.

6. Bettman Asking for Handouts

This millionaire going to Phoenix to ask tax payers for more money makes me sick.

If growing the NHL in Arizona is such a good idea, why don't the other 30 teams chip in buy the Coyotes an arena? If it's good enough for the tax payers, why would the 30 billionaires turn down such a hot guarantee of money?



7. TSN and Sportsnet

Unwatchable.

These channels need to get some real trained journalists. It is unquestionably true that too many ex-players have ruined hockey broadcasting. There is no representation at all of advanced analytics - and if teams and fans use them, then TV should too.

Button, Poulin, O'Sullivan........it's like taking the three worst guys from a comment's section and putting them on TV.

Not all ex-players are bad though, Mike Johnson is excellent. Nick Kypreos and Doug McLean are OK.

All I'm saying is that every ex player who wants to shouldn't get on TV.

Go Leafs !!