What Would the NHL Be Like Without the Lockout?

Some people have raised the question: what would the NHL be like today without the lockout? So many things would be different and the sport would not be what it is today.

First off, Sidney Crosby might not be a Penguin. Since there was no season, the entire draft was done by a lottery. Crosby could have ended up on the Anaheim Ducks or Carolina Hurricanes, the two teams picking after Pittsburgh. Crosby is the face of the league and the Penguins are the team of the future. Without the lockout, Sid the Kid could have landed in any other city.

The salary cap has also changed the league a lot. Teams like the Rangers would sign veterans who are passed their prime instead of trying to build up through the farm system. Now, since teams can't sign whoever they want at any cost, those same organizations are focusing on their farm systems while trying to balance it with free agent signings.

The way the game of hockey in the NHL is played would also be different. Every rule change that was made after the collective bargaining agreement was made to increase scoring and fan interest. The offensive zones were made larger and the two line-pass rule was taken out. This gives skill players more room to work and move the puck. Obstruction penalties being enforced give a big advantage to the skill players. Obstruction penalties like holding, hooking, and tripping were called very little before the lockout, but are being called now. This gives teams more power play time which increases scoring. Goalies pads were also made smaller so scoring will go up.

Let's face it: ties are boring. Players don't like to walk off the ice with that feeling of, "kissing your sister." The shootout was put into place to add excitement to hockey and to eliminate ties. The penalty shot is the most electrifying play in hockey, and six of them are even better.

Many fans and experts are opposed to fighting and "goon" hockey. While fighting was not completely eliminated, fines and suspensions are issued for instigating. If a player instigates a fight within the last five minutes of a game, they receive a one game suspension and the coach is fined $10,000. All the penalties will double for each reoccurring incident. The league hands out fines to players who dive or who fake injury in an attempt to draw penalties. The first incident brings on a warning letter; the second a $1,000 fine; the third warrants a $2,000 fine; and the fourth results in a one-game suspension.

While the lockout was a horrible thing for the league, some of the things that came out of it benefited the league and its future. It made the game a game of skill and let the better players flourish.