It's too little too late for me. I've mostly lost interest in the NHL.

I'm going to focus my attention on minor legaue hockey now. Although I am happy for players like Sydney Crosby who will have his chance at the NHL now.

Why?

I've never understood this attitude - you don't lose interest in solid waste collection when they have a labor disagreement. It's ultimately up to you to decide how you spend your time and entertainment dollars, but I've never understood how your implicit enjoyment of something changes simply because of a year off, or a perfectly valid labor dispute. Enlighten me.

I have to agree on the signed, sealed, delivered part also. But this is the most promising news we hockey fans have had in a LONG time. I am an avid AHL Norfolk Admirals' fan, but seeing as our coach was just hired by the Blackhawks, I am looking forward to next season. The teams aren't going to be anything like before with many players left without deals. Going to be an interesting season. Too bad the Olympics are going to be in the middle of this.

It's really easy to lose interest in something when it doesn't happen for a long time. It's really easy to lose interest in something because attitudes can change. Why is that such a difficult concept for you to grasp?

My psychic prediction is that the strike drags on for another season, or least cuts into the upcoming one. Sorry.

Let's start with me stating the usual, "chill out, I'm not trying to be a dick, I'm honestly stunned and curious, as a massive hockey fan" bit -

Next, let's go with your last part - what attitudes have changed? I'm all about supporting local and minor-league hockey, but I'm curious what you think is different right now than before with the NHL - or is it that your attitude has changed?

If so, how, and why?

I'm thrilled! Hockeytown returns.. woohooo!!!!!!

I love my Wings and missed them terribly. They are saying Yzerman WILL return, thank goodness, because the saddest thing about the lockout was not knowing if he would return afterward. So, we still get our last season from him.

I figured the lockout was going to be over when the Red Wings announced coaching changes. Why go through all that if they weren't going to play anyway?

Right.

Let's look at this way. We've all seen the brother or sister who was extremely involved in their fraternity/sorority as a collegian, but once they go alum they lose interest. It happens, people change, interests change, lives change. I'm still not understanding why you don't get that.

Anyway, it's my attitudes that have changed. I'm not interested in supporting the NHL anymore. It's been a whole season and I have found that minor league hockey is more exciting than the NHL. International hockey is more exciting than the NHL. Women's hockey is more exciting. It's a different game and I enjoy watching other leagues, and not the NHL.

I myself am a massive hockey fan. I love the game. I play the game. I coach the game. If you've never played, and have never experience the game at a grass roots level then it might be hard to understand. I find the NHLers are playing for the money and the others are still playing for the love of the game. When you still play for the love of the game, it's a different, more exciting game.

OK - this makes more sense, I was taking your statements as "something within the NHL has changed", which was my misunderstanding.

I don't personally find women's hockey more exciting, although the ice plays quite a bit 'bigger' and it certainly allows a more 'pure' form of the game, with much larger passing lanes. International hockey can be more exciting, but with a larger surface and different referee standards it's hard to compare, for me.

I grew up playing, starting at age 5 and through high school (although in a bad region), refereed in college (including BU women's hockey) and still play semi-regularly, so I can relate to your feelings - I just disagree. Fair enough.

I just don't think the NHL is the be all and end all of hockey. I also think there's a difference between being an NHL fan and being a hockey fan. I consider myself a hockey fan.

http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/...ggrinparty.gif

So Crosby goes to the Penguins to study under the watchful eye of SuperMario.

Better a Penguin then a Duck I Say

21st for Toronto Booourns to that!

And you are shocked the Pens took him? :p He will add to the Pens greatly. Now to see who my Blackhawks pick up...

Canucks are picking 10th, could be better but could be worse.

I will be on a beach in Hawaii when the NHL returns. Oh well, I have gone a whole season without NHL hockey, what's another couple of weeks.

Canucks don't usually pick up it until later in October anyways...

Goodenow steps down
 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2118641

Predictable, but it finally happened - Goodenow has stepped down.

Stepped down? Or forced down?

That is the question!

Hopefully this means that Bettman's on the way out too!!! <crossing fingers>

"If I saw Jeremy Roenick walking down the street, I wouldn't know who he is."

That's all you need to know about Bettman......I cannot believe such an incompetent businessman (who was put there BECAUSE of his business savvy, correct me if I'm wrong, it certainly wasn't cause of his knowledge of the game.

Have any of you seen the new logo?
http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg....t.s072259a.jpg

Looks stealth, but ESPN Page 2's Paul Lukas was right in this observation:

"Anyone else think the NHL totally blew it when revising its logo from this to this? The silver motif is fine, the beveled effect is cool, and I don't even mind the typeface. But having the lettering flow up instead of down (no doubt intended to make us all believe the league is moving onward and upward, oh boy!) is such a total joke that you've gotta wonder who's running the show over there. Oh, right -- Bettman and Goodenow.

Memo to all involved: Just as our eyes are acculturated to reading from left to right, they're also used to reading from top to bottom. That's why the first line of this article is at the top of the page instead of the bottom, why beauty pageant contestants wear their sashes like this, and why the NHL has uniforms like this and this -- you're not planning to change those designs, are you? (Uni Watch hastens to add that this question is purely rhetorical.) As it stands now, all you've done is reinforce the idea that the NHL is amateur hour. Nice going."

I expected bigger changes for the logo. Right now, it looks revised. It doesn't look all that different from the old one, other than colour.