There were no losers in that gold medal game. Hockey was the winner. It couldn't have show-cased any better for any more fans the grace, artistry, speed, and organized chaos that hockey is supposed to be ... without the goons and fistfights that NHL owners think necessary to keep beer-swigging dolts coming to games. And the point is, those remarkable players who cared so, who emptied their tanks for pride and country and team, are NHL pros -- the same guys who besmirch their game with gratuitous violence week after week until fans like me give up.
I once relished the old Northstars of Minnesota -- that was super hockey. And at Marriott, Sam Huff and I worked the NHL teams for contract rooms. But then the league began to pander... and now franchises shift about in regions where there is no cultural appreciation for the game. When DC got its franchise (from Minnesota) fans used to scream with delight at showy but fruitless slapshots from the blue line. Pleasing crowds with meaningless drama and fighting became the standard. The owners mealy mouth about fighting, and they get the fans they earn.
Anyway, hats off to the Finns, Canadians, and Americans who gave the world a look at hockey as it was meant to be. C'mon, NHL: take a fresh look.
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Agreed. We watched hockey throughout the games, and enjoyed it immensely. What a great sport. But the NHL holds little appeal, for the reasons you address. The brawling belongs in cages, not the rinks. Leave the gloves on and play hockey.
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