The Toronto and Ottawa game was settled with the first official NHL shootout. I enjoyed watching it, but I think its real benefit was displayed in the preceding overtime. The extra period had a lot of energy which I think was influenced by the fact that there will always be a winner (instead of evenly split points for a tie as in the past). Of course, it may have been due it being a Toronto-Ottawa game as well.

And, one comment not relevent to the actual game play: Gretzky’s suit was quite plain looking; I was kind of disappointed. Pat Quinn, however, was looking quite sharp even with the bruise on his face.

I have nothing really to add to the story. All of the folks who actually know what they are talking about vis a vis the NHL have already commented. However, I’m cautiously optimistic something good will come out of this (but admittedly there is still potential for silliness).

Recently, along with nearly everyone else, I’ve been thinking about professional hockey and things that might make it better. I don’t have any solutions, but I’ve been reading commentaries from some folks who do, in particular Colby Cosh. Recently, Cosh made this most excellent observation:

Bettman & Co. want very much to turn the NHL into the NBA, but should it necessarily settle for that when it could be transformed into Formula One or soccer?

I heartily agree with that sentiment. I really like the way a lot of the professional soccer leagues are organized in Europe with the hierarchy of divisions and the ability of teams to move up or down through the divisions. This seems to change the incentives for team owners in a positive fashion, and creates a more balanced field for new teams. Newly established clubs start in the lower level leagues and then move up (or not) according to the level of their success. Ironically, that model is far more market friendly than the centrally controlled model preferred in North America.

For some interesting examples, I recommend this article about a possible alternate team starting in Manchester if US businessman Malcom Glazer succeeds in taking over the publicly traded Manchester United. The part that caught my eye was a team started in Wimbledon when the local team there moved away. The new team remains in a lower ranked league but has progressed up the ranks since it was established. As I’ve been thinking about that I keep wondering about the possibilities for Winnipeg, Quebec City, or any of a number of other cities if hockey used that kind of model. I find those possibilities quite captivating. (Go Jets Go!)