Reader Rants...
Niedermayer Now Needed In Anaheim
I think Scott Niedermayer has played this charade long enough. He's the team's
captain, and we're now into training camp and exhibition games and he's still left the
team hanging on his decision to play or not. Now, with off-season pickup Mathieu
Schneider going down with a broken ankle, the team needs it's best defenseman
back. C'mon, Scotty, make up your mind!
Eric B. in the O.C.
Nashville Can't Be Counted Out Just Yet
Thanks for your coverage of the Predators. The links you provided kept me updated,
and the way you listed the depth chart on the "Preds Page" helped me come to grips
witht he fact that we still have some talent left. I went and bought 2 season tickets,
and look forward to seeing some of these young kids make their mark!
Dan in Clarksville, TN
Best American Player E-mails
Chelios Rules Fan Voting
I Remember remember watching Chelios as a kid growing up in the Chicago area,
and he was a monster then. He's still mean, but age has taught him to pick his
spots. Can you believe how he played in the playoffs in his mid-40s? Unreal.
Chuck P., Fargo, ND
Cheli's still one of the top 5 defenseman in the league, period.
Greg Lane, Boston, MA
For all that Modano did this year, I still think Chris Chelios is still the best US-born
player in history. The fact he's still going strong at 45 as a defenseman is sick!
Paul Green, Hockeytown, USA
Modano Still Getting it Done
Is Dallas ever going to replace Brett Hull? Mike Modano was hurt this year, but is
still the Stars best player by far. He's a true superstar and has done more for the
Dallas area than most fans know.
Pete Towner, Ft. Worth, TX
Most of his teammates seemed to be injured much of the year as well, Pete. They've
got some talented kids who need to grow up fast, but they have the talent to be
weapons on Mike Modano's line.
Cast my vote for the best goal scorer in US history, Mike Modano!!!
Rob Satlzer (no city given)
A Vote For Bochenski
I would normally go for the ones that stand out and say DiPietro or some of the other
great names on your list, Stastny, Parise, Higgins, Kessel, WHITNEY, Carle, etc...
But I will put my rep on the line and go for Brandon Bochenski!!!! He just down right
impressed the hell out of me last year and I think he is very under rated and he is
going to TEAR up the score sheet this year!!
Randy Gossett, Bridgeville, PA
With Malone, Hockey's All Grown Up In Pittsburgh
I live in Pittsburgh and I am a huge fan of the pens and hockey in general. The Pens
have a player by the name of Ryan Malone that was born in Pittsburgh. I like the fact
that in this draft more USA players are starting to get noticed but mostly the
development of the game in the USA.
The same can be said of Pittsburgh. Go back 30 years we don't know what hockey
is let alone how to play. Now we have clubs and rinks popping up all around and
players like Malone making it into the NHL.
Robert Morris University now has a very good hockey team in our area. I think our
town even has one of the highest draws to the rink to watch the Pens play. So by
getting more USA born players on the ice will boost attendance in the USA.
I know for sure when I am at the rink I cheer loudest for Ryan being from here and
the pens arent short on talent. Glad to see this web site
GO USA!
Chris
Pittsburgh, PA
I look at Pittsburgh and I think about how the NHL is blowing it with Nashville. The
two towns have similar hockey origins. Before drafting Mario Lemieux, hockey in the
'burgh consisted of "well, what else are we going to do... It's too cold for football but
mom won't let me come home yet." With the Cup championships in 2001-2002,
interest exploded. Deck hockey rinks could be seen from I-279 leaving the city from
the north, and they were always packed. A generation of kids fell in love with their
team, and now that generation is raising kids of their own, and schools like Bethel
Park, Mount Lebanon, Penn Hills became high school playoff teams.
In Nashville, they haven't been given enough time to span two generations of fans
learning to live and love the game. Lowell shares my vision on this. Invest in the
kids, get the parents interested, and growth explodes from there.
Key to growing game lies in youth hockey
I've observed the opinions of other visitors of this site and those of passionate fans
and journalists elsewhere describing their ideas for improving the national exposure
of hockey. I have yet to read an opinion with which I disagree. The most frequent
ideas hover around marketing and television exposure at a national level. And while
in today's world of immediate information and instant visibility, those are important
and necessary vehicles.
Hockey will realize a long term and sustainable presence in the American sports
culture if the game is grown at the youth level. It can be argued that those who follow
the game do so as current or former players or they were exposed to it at an early
age.
Despite the fact that the latest NHL Draft had a strong American influence, the
numbers put out by USA Hockey indicate that registered participants have declined
in recent years. Like any other sport or hobby, be it baseball, football, or rodeo,
adults assimilate to that which they are familiar. If a kid is a hockey player or fan, he
or she will be so as an adult.
So following that mind set, portions of money that may otherwise be spent inking
huge ad campaigns or television deals could possibly be spent subsidizing youth
hockey programs. Youth hockey is a tough sell mainly because the expense makes
it available to only a small percentage of potential participants. If kids learn an
appreciation for the game and the lessons it teaches, they will be life long
supporters of it.
Lowell M.
(no home town indicated)
Red Wings Making Noise!
For everyone who has been lavishing all the love on the West Coast teams, look out
for the Red Wings! Zetterberg and Datsyuk are hotter than a Cinemax actress right
now, and it doesn't seem to matter who we put in goal. They have snuck into
contention for the President's Trophy, and Bertuzzi will give us the toughness
needed in the playoffs.
Gary B., Toledo, OH
Nice analogy!
Jersey has a New Fan
Thanks to your site, I now see that the Devils have taken an interest in cultivating
American talent. I never knew how many players they had from the US! As a New
York transplant who has lost touch with her Islanders, you can count me as a new
Devils fan!
Alissa R, Houston, TX
Atlanta Loads Up!
Just wanted to send a welcome to Keith Tkachuk to the Atlanta area. After only
having Jim Slater as our sole US born player, it's nice to have an established,
superstar player in Tkachuk. Our team has struggled lately, but Waddell has done
everything in his power to try to get this team to the playoffs. It's on the players now.
Rich, Somewhere in Georgia
I love the moves Waddell has made as the deadline approaches. Zhitnik should be
an improvement over Vishnevsky, Belanger is vastly underrated and Tkachuk
hopefully will bring some consistency to Kovalchuk.
Sharks Need Bite
Craig Rivet better not be the only piece San Jose adds. This team has should be
dominating the west, but for some reason is under achieving. Can we please get an
upgrade over Mark Bell, who has been a major bust?
Paul Weiss, Fresno, CA
Neil Wears Goon Label Well.
I don't understand how anyone could feel that the hit Ottawa's Chris Neil put on Chris
Drury was legal. I wonder how Sens fans would have felt if Andrew Peters laid the
same hit on Dany Heatley or Daniel Alfredsson. How long will the NHL allow its
marquis guys to be abused like this?
Sean Miller, Buffalo, NY
Plea For “Hockey Day In America”
I just don’t understand why we here in the U.S. can’t copy what Canada has done for
many many years with viewing the game (regardless of the teams playing) every
Saturday night as a tradition on CBC television? It works and has been a tradition
every week in Canadian households to view these games and between period
segments strictly focused only on hockey. Also, why can’t we have “Hockey Day in
the United States” similar to the “Hockey Day in Canada” event. I keep hearing that
the NHL big shots want to “grow the game” , but they do nothing to get this
accomplished.
Dennis Granowicz, Macomb, Michigan
I agree with you, Dennis, that the NHL could do a better job with exposure. “Hockey
Day in Canada” not only focuses on NHL hockey, but all levels of hockey. College
hockey is largely ignored in this country. Unless you live in the Midwest or Northeast,
good luck finding college hockey on your television.
It just seems to me that the Fox networks are missing the boat here. Most NHL
teams are covered regionally by Fox Sports Net, and so are the college hockey
games. I could sit here and rattle off 15 different ways the NHL could work with Fox
to expand hockey coverage in the U.S., and maybe one day I'll do that with an
article.
One idea I have is an East vs. West college All-Star game aired on Versus, or maybe
a game pitting U.S. College all-stars vs. Canadian Junior League (CHL) all stars.
See, your letter just made me brain storm on this subject for 20 minutes. This is the
kind of thing Gary Bettman and the NHL Board of Governors need to do. To be
honest, if they’d find a way to get the World Championships and Junior
Championships on a U.S. cable network, I’d be happy. That would use the most
powerful marketing tool (national pride) to grow the game.
I think Scott Niedermayer has played this charade long enough. He's the team's
captain, and we're now into training camp and exhibition games and he's still left the
team hanging on his decision to play or not. Now, with off-season pickup Mathieu
Schneider going down with a broken ankle, the team needs it's best defenseman
back. C'mon, Scotty, make up your mind!
Eric B. in the O.C.
Nashville Can't Be Counted Out Just Yet
Thanks for your coverage of the Predators. The links you provided kept me updated,
and the way you listed the depth chart on the "Preds Page" helped me come to grips
witht he fact that we still have some talent left. I went and bought 2 season tickets,
and look forward to seeing some of these young kids make their mark!
Dan in Clarksville, TN
Best American Player E-mails
Chelios Rules Fan Voting
I Remember remember watching Chelios as a kid growing up in the Chicago area,
and he was a monster then. He's still mean, but age has taught him to pick his
spots. Can you believe how he played in the playoffs in his mid-40s? Unreal.
Chuck P., Fargo, ND
Cheli's still one of the top 5 defenseman in the league, period.
Greg Lane, Boston, MA
For all that Modano did this year, I still think Chris Chelios is still the best US-born
player in history. The fact he's still going strong at 45 as a defenseman is sick!
Paul Green, Hockeytown, USA
Modano Still Getting it Done
Is Dallas ever going to replace Brett Hull? Mike Modano was hurt this year, but is
still the Stars best player by far. He's a true superstar and has done more for the
Dallas area than most fans know.
Pete Towner, Ft. Worth, TX
Most of his teammates seemed to be injured much of the year as well, Pete. They've
got some talented kids who need to grow up fast, but they have the talent to be
weapons on Mike Modano's line.
Cast my vote for the best goal scorer in US history, Mike Modano!!!
Rob Satlzer (no city given)
A Vote For Bochenski
I would normally go for the ones that stand out and say DiPietro or some of the other
great names on your list, Stastny, Parise, Higgins, Kessel, WHITNEY, Carle, etc...
But I will put my rep on the line and go for Brandon Bochenski!!!! He just down right
impressed the hell out of me last year and I think he is very under rated and he is
going to TEAR up the score sheet this year!!
Randy Gossett, Bridgeville, PA
With Malone, Hockey's All Grown Up In Pittsburgh
I live in Pittsburgh and I am a huge fan of the pens and hockey in general. The Pens
have a player by the name of Ryan Malone that was born in Pittsburgh. I like the fact
that in this draft more USA players are starting to get noticed but mostly the
development of the game in the USA.
The same can be said of Pittsburgh. Go back 30 years we don't know what hockey
is let alone how to play. Now we have clubs and rinks popping up all around and
players like Malone making it into the NHL.
Robert Morris University now has a very good hockey team in our area. I think our
town even has one of the highest draws to the rink to watch the Pens play. So by
getting more USA born players on the ice will boost attendance in the USA.
I know for sure when I am at the rink I cheer loudest for Ryan being from here and
the pens arent short on talent. Glad to see this web site
GO USA!
Chris
Pittsburgh, PA
I look at Pittsburgh and I think about how the NHL is blowing it with Nashville. The
two towns have similar hockey origins. Before drafting Mario Lemieux, hockey in the
'burgh consisted of "well, what else are we going to do... It's too cold for football but
mom won't let me come home yet." With the Cup championships in 2001-2002,
interest exploded. Deck hockey rinks could be seen from I-279 leaving the city from
the north, and they were always packed. A generation of kids fell in love with their
team, and now that generation is raising kids of their own, and schools like Bethel
Park, Mount Lebanon, Penn Hills became high school playoff teams.
In Nashville, they haven't been given enough time to span two generations of fans
learning to live and love the game. Lowell shares my vision on this. Invest in the
kids, get the parents interested, and growth explodes from there.
Key to growing game lies in youth hockey
I've observed the opinions of other visitors of this site and those of passionate fans
and journalists elsewhere describing their ideas for improving the national exposure
of hockey. I have yet to read an opinion with which I disagree. The most frequent
ideas hover around marketing and television exposure at a national level. And while
in today's world of immediate information and instant visibility, those are important
and necessary vehicles.
Hockey will realize a long term and sustainable presence in the American sports
culture if the game is grown at the youth level. It can be argued that those who follow
the game do so as current or former players or they were exposed to it at an early
age.
Despite the fact that the latest NHL Draft had a strong American influence, the
numbers put out by USA Hockey indicate that registered participants have declined
in recent years. Like any other sport or hobby, be it baseball, football, or rodeo,
adults assimilate to that which they are familiar. If a kid is a hockey player or fan, he
or she will be so as an adult.
So following that mind set, portions of money that may otherwise be spent inking
huge ad campaigns or television deals could possibly be spent subsidizing youth
hockey programs. Youth hockey is a tough sell mainly because the expense makes
it available to only a small percentage of potential participants. If kids learn an
appreciation for the game and the lessons it teaches, they will be life long
supporters of it.
Lowell M.
(no home town indicated)
Red Wings Making Noise!
For everyone who has been lavishing all the love on the West Coast teams, look out
for the Red Wings! Zetterberg and Datsyuk are hotter than a Cinemax actress right
now, and it doesn't seem to matter who we put in goal. They have snuck into
contention for the President's Trophy, and Bertuzzi will give us the toughness
needed in the playoffs.
Gary B., Toledo, OH
Nice analogy!
Jersey has a New Fan
Thanks to your site, I now see that the Devils have taken an interest in cultivating
American talent. I never knew how many players they had from the US! As a New
York transplant who has lost touch with her Islanders, you can count me as a new
Devils fan!
Alissa R, Houston, TX
Atlanta Loads Up!
Just wanted to send a welcome to Keith Tkachuk to the Atlanta area. After only
having Jim Slater as our sole US born player, it's nice to have an established,
superstar player in Tkachuk. Our team has struggled lately, but Waddell has done
everything in his power to try to get this team to the playoffs. It's on the players now.
Rich, Somewhere in Georgia
I love the moves Waddell has made as the deadline approaches. Zhitnik should be
an improvement over Vishnevsky, Belanger is vastly underrated and Tkachuk
hopefully will bring some consistency to Kovalchuk.
Sharks Need Bite
Craig Rivet better not be the only piece San Jose adds. This team has should be
dominating the west, but for some reason is under achieving. Can we please get an
upgrade over Mark Bell, who has been a major bust?
Paul Weiss, Fresno, CA
Neil Wears Goon Label Well.
I don't understand how anyone could feel that the hit Ottawa's Chris Neil put on Chris
Drury was legal. I wonder how Sens fans would have felt if Andrew Peters laid the
same hit on Dany Heatley or Daniel Alfredsson. How long will the NHL allow its
marquis guys to be abused like this?
Sean Miller, Buffalo, NY
Plea For “Hockey Day In America”
I just don’t understand why we here in the U.S. can’t copy what Canada has done for
many many years with viewing the game (regardless of the teams playing) every
Saturday night as a tradition on CBC television? It works and has been a tradition
every week in Canadian households to view these games and between period
segments strictly focused only on hockey. Also, why can’t we have “Hockey Day in
the United States” similar to the “Hockey Day in Canada” event. I keep hearing that
the NHL big shots want to “grow the game” , but they do nothing to get this
accomplished.
Dennis Granowicz, Macomb, Michigan
I agree with you, Dennis, that the NHL could do a better job with exposure. “Hockey
Day in Canada” not only focuses on NHL hockey, but all levels of hockey. College
hockey is largely ignored in this country. Unless you live in the Midwest or Northeast,
good luck finding college hockey on your television.
It just seems to me that the Fox networks are missing the boat here. Most NHL
teams are covered regionally by Fox Sports Net, and so are the college hockey
games. I could sit here and rattle off 15 different ways the NHL could work with Fox
to expand hockey coverage in the U.S., and maybe one day I'll do that with an
article.
One idea I have is an East vs. West college All-Star game aired on Versus, or maybe
a game pitting U.S. College all-stars vs. Canadian Junior League (CHL) all stars.
See, your letter just made me brain storm on this subject for 20 minutes. This is the
kind of thing Gary Bettman and the NHL Board of Governors need to do. To be
honest, if they’d find a way to get the World Championships and Junior
Championships on a U.S. cable network, I’d be happy. That would use the most
powerful marketing tool (national pride) to grow the game.
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