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orange_crush

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  1. orange_crush
    Expanding the game of hockey has been a high priority of the NHL for many years and everyone knows the only way to do this is to have recognizable household name stars With the emergence of Crosby and Ovechkin it appeared the NHL was headed in the right direction and gaining more popularity than ever.
    But now with Crosby's career seemingly coming to an end and Ovechkin falling off the face of the Earth, the NHL is struggling to find the new faces to put to the NHL name. Here is my list of stars the NHL should be marketing on a massive scale.
    Claude Giroux You don't have to be a Flyers fan to love this guy, if you love hockey you'll enjoy his game. Not only does Roo have some sick skills with passing and shooting the puck, he also plays with an edge and is not afraid to stick up for himself.
    Jarome Iginla This guy has been putting up solid numbers for years, he's tough as nails and is a true leader for his team. Playing in a smaller market like Calgary has probably hurt his popularity from not being exposed to the non hockey followers.
    Steven Stamkos All summer all you heard was this guy's name, every team including the Flyers wishing they could acquire this guy. Having another solid season he's proving to be the real deal. Again like Iginla playing in a smaller market I believe is hurting his popularity.
    Patrick Kane By now you know the Blackhawks have a large fanbase, Kane has the Stanley Cup, All star appearances, TV commercials under his belt. Although his name was tarnished a little by the cab driver scandal, I think Kane would be a very recognizable face for most.
    Zdeno Chara Now when you first see his name your like WTF, but Chara is a very recognizable player that everyone loves to hate. Think of him like the "heel" of the NHL. Not only is the biggest guy in NHL history but he brought the cup back to Boston. As much as everyone hates him they would love to have him on there team unless your the Islanders.

    Now I left out some obvious players and mostly because there either not very likable or marketable. Take Malkin for example, right now he might be the best hockey player in the world, but outside of Pittsbugh who really likes this guy? Not to mention his face will scare most children with nightmares.
    So as the NHL looks to move forward, it's time to put more time and effort into marketing the marketable players and move on with Crosby.
    Take Care,
    Orange_Crush
  2. orange_crush
    Last week with the waiver of Colton Orr, Brian Burke has stated he's "troubled" by the direction the game is going and "“I have this fear that if we don’t have guys looking after each other that the rats will take this game over,”
    Although the true heavyweight enforcer such as Orr, is slowly becoming extinct, fighting is still a major part of game and is still a skill that could get you on an NHL roster.
    The difference between today's "enforcers" and yesterdays, is enforcers need to be able to keep up with the speed of the game and play more minutes than traditionally. If you look at the top fighters this year courtesy of hockyfights.com
    Zenon Konopka 12 Derek Dorsett 11 Brandon Prust 11 Zac Rinaldo 10 Jared Boll 9 Tim Jackman 9 Shawn Thornton 9 Brad Staubitz 8 Krys Barch 7 Jamal Mayers 7
    You will notice a common theme among them, they are all middle weights with better skating skills than our traditional heavy weight enforcers of the past.
    The advantage of using the smaller enforcer allows the coach to be able to play them more minutes and even use them in key situations such as Penalty Killing, ect.
    The downside is a guy like Chara, for example, could probably pummel everyone of these guys. However all these guys could probably take care of business in most situations and look out for there "star" teammates.
    In conclusion I think the enforcer role is now better than ever. These guys will play a larger role and get more ice time than your traditional heavyweight enforcer. Take a guy like Shawn Thorton who has helped the Ducks and Bruins to Stanley Cups while playing the enforcer role.
    So I have to disagree with Brian Burke and I believe that the enforcer role is still alive and well even in today's "troubled" game.
    Take Care.
    Orange_Crush
  3. orange_crush
    The WC was and is a great idea and treat for hockey fans everywhere, but has the time come to take this idea to the next level?
    Of course I was excited, like everyone else, about Philly hosting this years WC. But at the end of the day I couldn't help but feel let down or disappointed . I know it would have been more satisfying with a Flyers win, but still I think the game had a little more talk and less action.
    We all know the challenges of pulling off this event, warm weather, bad ice, stadium lighting, ect. which eventually lead to little action and mostly garbage goals. Which leads me to propose some new ideas to energize the game a little:

    Make the All Star game the Winter Classic game- This is a win/win in my book, brings back some life to the All Star and WInter Classic game. Also it's a little easier paying that big admission price when your getting to see the best players in world and not Mike Rupp scoring goals.
    Stanley Cup finals rematch at the WC- One thing the irritates me about the selection of teams in WC is based solely on popularity and regional location. Why not make it a privilege and reward to play in the WC? I wouldn't mind seeing Bruins vs. The Nucks this year, heck even make it a neutral site like the Super Bowl.
    Viewer choice game- Heck this game is supposed to be for the fans, so let the fans vote what teams they want to see in the game. Heck even let the fans vote where they want the game hosted!

    In conclusion, I'm not bashing the Winter Classic , as a passionate hockey fan I'm just looking ways to continually improve the game and keep the anticipation of the game fresh.
    Take care,
    Orange_Crush

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