I've talked to several players over the past couple of weeks who have questions about the IHL's plan to change some of the rules, especially the instigator rule. That comes from players who fight and players who don't.
Each one I talked to has reservations about how this is going to work and wonder if they might be better off playing somewhere else. They'd like to hear more from the league on the specifics of what they mean by calling things looser in the offensive zone. I think they'd like to see a little more detail to what exactly the owners are talking about and want. It's fine to talk about these rules changes in the abstract, but what will they actually mean within the framework of a game? That's only fair because so far it's all been talked about only in generalities.
As one said to me, if they have a chance to go to another league that doesn't promote the fighting as much, and the pay is about equal, why should they take the risk and put up with more fighting by coming to the IHL? This player is not a wuss or a chicken or a wimp. He fights ocassionally, but not every night. He fights when he sees legitimate reasons for it.
Players also look at this as, my body is my tool, it's how I make my livelihood, so why should I risk it if I do not have to?
I think this comes back to a point I've made many times over the years: I'm not sure junior hockey is producing many of those types of players any more. I'm not sure players are being taught as much hitting and physical play at the lower levels. If they were, every team would have more of them -- because they are always looking for them in part to appease the fans -- and they don't. As one player told me, ``If the guys don't want to fight, it won't matter what they do with the rules, and not that many guys do any more. And the ones who do sure won't want to do it every night.''
Even the Komets oldtimers I talked to last week mostly chuckled at the intent of the new rules because they don't believe today's players will go with it. Hockey, they said, has changed and so have the players. Sure, there are plenty of goons, but how many of them can actually play, and do you want to just promote the spectacle of fights? Do you want to see a guy skate one shift a period just to fight? How do you promote the fisticuffs without damaging the overall product of the play?
No one wants to play in what might be perceived as a goon league, and I think the players would like a little assurance from the owners that is not what's going to happen and what the owners will do to make sure it does not happen.
Those are all legitimate questions the players are wondering about. After all, the instigator rule was not put in place to protect the fighters, but to protect those players who do not fight from getting obliterated by those that do. It had a legitimate purpose.
We'll just have to wait and see what the answers are. It's going to be fascinating to see how this works, or maybe if it works.
Everybody have a great and safe Fourth.
Comments
Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrC4D2ocrI0
The only player facing the fight at that time was Goodwin and he jumps in pretty quickly. Check the 2:00 mark on. The rest are all looking the other way. About the only other one who could have jumped on the second incident was Rodenko, and he never did, which is to his detriment. The rest pretty much had no chance to get there in time.
When did everyone become a writer? I've never seen such long posts? Sum it up or send me the Blakes Blog Cliff Notes.
It is distrubing to watch. Tiddball should of backed off when Hansen had his head down on the ice.
Another thing I remember at the time was one of the players telling me they had never ever seen anything like that and they just froze. It was a little bit of fear but also they had never been involved in something like that and weren't sure how to react or what to do. And it just happened so incredibly fast. I just remember how physically upset the players were even three or four days later when talking about it.
I can completely understand why things happened the way they did when you consider how many college kids (no fighting) there were on the team and the fact that it's been a long, long time since those brawls were a regular part of hockey. Some of us veterans remember watching those type of things, but any player under age 29 or 30 had probably never seen anything like that much less have been a part of one.
We can all say ``Well, I'd have done this...'' and we always daydream about being the hero in a difficult situation, but you never know how you are going to react in real life until you actually have to do it. Then you pray you do the right thing so you can live with it. I've been in situations like that, where something has gone dreadfully wrong, twice in my life. The first time I froze, and the second time I was able to do what turned out to be the right thing. I was d--- lucky the second time, and I think I might have actually been shaking from pure fear more after the second time. It's nothing like what you see on TV or in the movies where the good guys never make a mistake and are superhuman.
OK, I know, TMI. Everybody have a great weekend.
So did they not see it at all, or had they never seen anything like it and froze? Hard to do both.
That wasn't the end of the game. There were Jackals standing the rest of the night with no retaliation.
I still fail to realize what this has to do with the new rules.
By the way, Kevin Hansen is one tough dude that needs to sign a Komets contract for the upcoming season.
Brosal shoulda smacked Turdball when he skated by him instead of moving out of the way.
SO the only thing anybody got out of my post was Tidball-Hansen???? There was more to it then that. That wasn't even the main point.
It could have been any song to hum....ok....how about "skyrockets at night....afternoon delight..." Wasn't trying to offend you Tony. You can hum whatever song you want when the players fight. I guess you must be one of the 3 or 4 that covers their eyes and ears and hums. You totally missed the point. But go ahead and turn it into something that it wasn't even meant to be. Geesh.
Hit I personally was not offended only because Jesus is not part of my faith. You missed my point. My point was the same people you probably think would hum the song you mentioned were also probably going to be offended by your statement.
Has nothing to do with the song to be hummed. My point was that people say they don't like the physical play, but they are usually the first out of their seats to cheer the fight or hit and then come on here and downplay the whole thing. I have seen that alot over the past couple of seasons.
Bottomline......the physical side of the sport is what makes it unique, exciting and fun. That is what needs to be added back to the game to help save the sport and help put people back in the seats.
Not to change the subject or anything, but has anyone heard anything on when the schedule will be released?
Great question with a follow-up.....
What time-tables are out there for this league? Scheduling? Rosters? Training Camp? Etc. Anything brewing out there?
Blake....Is the league and it's teams really having a battle convincing players to play in this new league? How do they go about painting the right picture to these guys and attracting a core group of players that will get the fans excited. Seems like tons of guys are bolting to the CHL, ECHL, and Europe. What is the league doing to keep players here, if there is anything they can do? And better yet, what are they doing to attract players that may be the next bunch of stars at this level? Is it basically word of mouth through GM's and Coaches in this league and then players telling other players?
Seems that this place in time in this new IHL is at a critical juncture in marketing the league to the hockey world. The CHL is out-bidding the IHL for their players and the IHL has more money to spend under the salary cap? Where will this league get its players from? Lower levels than what the UHL was? Yikes!
Schedule is just about finished and might be released before the end of the month.
As for how to pitch this, it's like everything else. They need to convince one or two key players on each team and let them sell it. They have already increased the salary cap. They need to explain the rules a little better to the players, but that's about all they can do or really, need to do.
Anyone else see the K's golf outing?
http://www.komets.com/golfouting.htm
$300 bucks a team gets you everything. No clue where the money goes. It's in Oct. so it might be a pretty good time. I played highschool and college golf, but just resort to beer and being outside anymore. But sounds fun!!
The money will be used to outbid those "ladies of the evening" in the CHL Legaue who are trying to sign OUR players.
By the way, 2 top former CHL players have signed in the IHL, Eric Marvin a 24-9-6, 2.72 goalie in 2 years at AA and MArk DeSantis a .75 point per game guy with good toughness.
I thought this wasn't going to happen?!?!?!?
Dupuis has a second job here, his wife is from here and works here. Their kids are in school here. THe Komets have been good enough for him for how many seasons now?
So we are supposed to think the addition of a 19th roster spot is gonna scare him to the CHL or someplace else?
I don't think they'll have any problem resigning him, he'll play in this league. It's just early!!
Dan Price..........former CHL "Star"
watch out hit, the doughnut man will run you over with a used car!!
I don't want this new league to slip to the level of the CHL or below. That is not a good thing. New rules and possible physical hockey or not. We need at least the level of play we have had in the UHL plus the physical play. That should be the goal.
I think it is, but you just won't see it this year. Or you might, I have no idea. I guess Snowball is signing with the SPHL...so what does that tell you?
Thanks for the info Blake!
Charlie, if you look at my last post you'll see, mostly it's people's fasciantion with the fight game and if you see, it's A VERY SMALL PART OF THE GAME. I doubt there will be that much as it is unless the IHL can't convince players to sign, then who knows.
Once again, I'm getting upset at poeple who aren't going to change there minds.
Hit, FYI, I don't get out of my seat when a fight goes on. It doesn't disgust me either unless it's unnecessary and that's up to the individual to determine for themselves.
Greg why get mad? So people like to see fights? Some like to pay to see fights and you pay to see the skilled part of the game. As you and I have had discussions on topics before I hope you are not mad at me. I personally like fights but only when needed and I like good hockey (not the eurostyle). The only problem I had with you is that you thought this was going to be a goon league because of one extra roster spot and I was just explaing how it wasn't going to happen.
We don't know what's going to happen. I see the extra roster spot to the extreme of sending the league into the goonery stage becasue of what commissioner Pickard said. Yes I could just as easliy be wrong, but until the games start and we see what these "specialty players with a physical presence" do, then I have to keep thinking a goon league is what it will turn into.
Here another way to look at the situation. I know a couple of people on here feel this way. Some poeple believe that a good fight can get a team that's not playing well going, problem is being able to get that fight started. With the instigator rule, the team that doesn't need to fight can say no then the opposition has to risk getting a two minuet minor. No such problm now, if a fight is needed, just throw out this specialty player and choose anyone, yes they MIGHT still get an extra penalty, but they may not and if they choose someone not willing to go then the possibilty of the line brawl comes out and thigs detireate (sp) from there. I'm not saying this situation will happen (although with cement heads like Big Snake & Tidball you never know), but the possibilty is there and I think the league will not take measures to curb it if it happens becasue they think that's what fans want.
Greg, in the situation you describe above in that instance if one guy doesnt want to fight and turtles there is nothing in the rule changes that says the ref has to award both guys a penalty and that is were the fighters will have to still make certain that they have a willing participant... This also leaves room for a willing participant to intervene on the turtles behalf without getting a game for protecting a team mate. I think the key to the whole thing is finding a good group of referee's to make the "new" league work... You can make all the changes you want but if you dont have competent referee's to make it work then it may backfire...
Where I was going with that is where some of the players I think are going when they talked to Blake saying that they don't want to get jumped by some cement head. I do agree that taking out the instigator means players can defend their teammates more easily, but in that case a referee could charge the player coming to help with a third man in and he gets the gate. I agree officiating is going to be the key and yet every call will be at the discretion of the referee becasue it will be his point of view.
Looks like Richardson won't be back with the Komets this comming season.
Ever think the droping of the insigator could clean the game up a bit? Players will think twice before hacking a skilled player's wrist. They might have to pay a price for their actions....
How is that the CHL is outbidding the IHL for players? What is the deal? Did we really make good offers for Frenchy and Richie? I thought the IHL has a higher salary cap than the CHL.....how are they signing these guys and we can't?
How is that the other leagues are putting teams together and this league is signing no players....or very very few to this point? Are we waiting to get whatever is left after the other leagues take the best players? If so....what a great season this will be. Is there a level of hockey below Single A? I hate to sound this way because I am excited about this year and the new IHL....but what is up with players not getting signed and exiting this league like mad?