The NHL's biggest problem may be that it has no problems at all.

Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals aired this past friday night on NBC. As I got home, with about 12 minutes to go in the Second period, I was surprised that, A) Roberto Luongo was still playing net for the Canucks, and B) the score was still 0-0. If you're friends with me on facebook or follow me on twitter, you know that I've recently jumped on the Vancouver Canucks bandwagon. My usual NHL standby, the Detroit Red Wings, broke my heart yet again by making an early exit from the postseason, and after watching the Canucks dismantle the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Finals, (who have played foil to the wings the last two years) I started paying attention.

Looking at a team like the Canucks, it's kind of hard not to like them; they're an exciting team to watch. Their Marquee stars are twin brothers who look like bearded cyborgs that were manufactured to play the game of hockey. (Think "Strange Brew" meets "Universal Solider") Their keeper is one of the best in the league, even taking in to consideration his transgressions in the Blackhawks series, not to mention games 3 and 4 of the Cup finals. They have cool looking blue and green uniforms. They have a loyal, dedicated fanbase that travels with them. Not since Pavel Bure slapped on the #16 jersey has there been this much excitement in this western canadian metropolis that's known for semi-legal weed, failed NBA franchises, and ferry boats.


They also have the perfect foil in the Boston Bruins, who play as rough and tumble as the working class city that bears the emblem on the center of their chests. Timmy Thomas is a renaissance man between the pipes, Zdeno Chara is an electrifying defenseman, and Mark Recchi is one of the best veteran faces in the league. They represent Boston as hard-nosed ambassadors to an already hard-nosed game; even if Ben Affleck and Matt Damon aren't sitting rinkside.


Outside of the series itself, the game of hockey has several selling points. Pageantry, tradition, action, athleticism, and drama. like any other sport, there's tons to talk about in the locker room and at the press conference post game. We've seen Aaron Rome nearly end Nathan Horton's career in game 3, followed by the implosion of Roberto Luongo in said game AND game 4. Also, no blog post about the cup finals would be complete without the mention of Timmy Thomas and his "Stick Work".

The problem is...This is IT. the end all, be all, as it may, hockey is a sport in it's most continent form. It's free from outside distraction for the most part. The players, even the stars, aren't "juicing" or trying in any way to enhance their performance, outside of being in the best physical condition possible. The "old fashioned" "Babe Ruth did it on steak and potatoes" way, if you want to get somewhat technical. There aren't reality shows based on the lives of them nor their vapid, one dimensional wives. They're a bunch of dudes that have beards and talk with northern accents. They're from places like Halifax, Kamloops, and Brampton. You have to go to websites like Deadspin to dig up dirt on some of these guys, and even those stories are few and far between, and even still, THOSE stories aren't really that shocking.

The way I've decided to approach sports journalism is simple; I want to draw paralells between professional/amateur athletics and society. How it reflects on us as a people and how it plays in to something bigger. Everyone is fixated on the other side of the story so much that it's pushed a sport like hockey into a niche, almost boutique audience. The funny thing is, the sport didn't really do much to alienate it's fanbase; Outside of a labor dispute that postponed the 2004-2005 season, the league and the players didn't really ask for this de facto pop culture re-alignment. The paradigm just shifted.

We all want something we can sink our teeth into, and, for the most part, the only thing palpable here is the action itself. That's enough for me, but it's just not enough to draw most americans in. If we can't pick up the newspaper and see what charges they've been brought up on, or how much their wives spend on dog food on a reality show, then we can't see investing our time. We want something Nebulous and all-engrossing, so we can feel like we connect with them. In a strange way, I kind of understand, and sympathize with this disposition. I just don't think it's all that's out there.

So, SHOULD you watch NHL hockey?

I'll let you answer that question.

-Marty.