WE’RE BACK! Damn, it feels good to write that, even better to say it out loud. After an extended absence and a new home, the weekly “Blittner’s Blue Line” column has returned. Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, let’s kick things off with a blast from the point and dive right in.
If you’re a hockey fan of any age or location, you know several events on the calendar have our section of the sports world rather divided.
They are: Outdoor games; All-Star Weekend; The World Cup of Hockey and The Olympics. Each of these events has been in the news of late – for various reasons – and there’s no better way to welcome back this column than to convene a special panel to discuss them.
Who are our panelists?
Well, we’ve got former Columbus Blue Jackets Team President/GM Doug MacLean; former Los Angeles Kings right-winger Jim Fox; and former NHL goaltender Eddie Läck. That’s what I call a star-studded panel. Now let’s see if they’ll agree with each other. (A gambler would probably take this time to bet against any unanimous agreements).
NHL OUTDOOR GAMES
Our first question is, does the NHL hold too many outdoor games every year?
Between the Winter Classic, Heritage Classic, and Stadium Series, the NHL hosts roughly three outdoor games every season (that number has grown as high as six in a single year and hasn’t dropped below two in a full season since 2012).
We all know these outdoor games are special. They bring hockey back to its roots, back to when the players were growing up and skating on frozen ponds. There’s a charm to the grand spectacle of it all.
However, every year, there’s a rather vocal portion of the NHL’s fanbase that decries having so many outdoor games. They claim the uniqueness and specialness of the events have become watered-down overtime. Too much of a good thing. It’s like a kid who’s told they can eat as much candy as they want and then gauges themselves to the point of puking.
Are they right? Let’s see what our panelists have to say.
Doug MacLean: “That’s a tough question. I feel that if the fans really enjoy it and it’s a great thing for the fans and it’s tolerable for the players, I think it’s a good thing. People who aren’t hockey fans, I think have enjoyed seeing this spectacle. As difficult as it may be on coaches, as difficult as it may be on players, I still think it’s a good thing.
“Did I enjoy going to them? I was at the University of Michigan game when it was like five degrees. It was the coldest I’ve ever been in my life. I didn’t enjoy it as a broadcaster, but I certainly sensed the fans enjoyed it. And to me, that’s what it’s all about.
“I don’t like as many. I think I’d rather see fewer, but I still think they’re a good thing for these cities.”
So what you’re saying, Doug, is that you’d like to see fewer outdoor games each year?
Doug MacLean: “That’s what I would like to see.
“But you also have to consider the dollars that are involved and the benefit of the dollars that are generated. Everything revolves around that. Let’s not kid ourselves. But yeah, I would like to see fewer of them. I remember being quoted when I was on the radio; was I excited about going to the outdoor game? I said, ‘I don’t even want to go to an indoor game right now, let alone an outdoor game.’”
Since we’ve heard from our former executive, let’s now hear from the first of our two former players.
Jim Fox: “I think that is the feeling of many people who aren’t involved in the cities that are involved in the game. I think once you get to the cities and you understand and see how important it is and how unique it is to that city at that time, I tend to embrace (it) as opposed to criticize it.
“It’s not overdone. I think it’s very important to the group and the city and the teams who are involved. When you see how they (the teams and cities) embrace it and how their fan bases embrace it, I think you lose the pessimistic approach that many people take.”
But Jim, isn’t it harder for the players since their normal game-day routines are disrupted so much?
Jim Fox: “I never played in one. I can only answer it from the perspective of talking to players who have been there. I’ve talked to Cam Talbot, who currently plays on our team. I know he said he’s been involved in like six or seven of these games and he says they don’t get old to him. So I’m only gonna go by his way of looking at things.
“I think it is perhaps more important to the fan base. Like any game, it boils down to the two points, since it counts in the regular season standings. I think that is never lost on the players. So I would say that perhaps the fan bases get a chance to enjoy it more, where the players certainly have the big picture in mind, but they also have the two points in mind and that’s something that never goes away.”
If my math is right, we currently have one vote for fewer outdoor games and one vote in favor of the current amount. Let’s see which side of the fence our third panelist will land on.
Eddie Läck: “It’s not like one team has multiple of them (each year) and I feel like it’s a good chance for organizations to celebrate their history and everything. So, I don’t think it’s a bad thing.
“I only got to play in one. It’s definitely something that I looked forward to and the entire organization looked forward to. I think we have a good amount of outdoor games now. If you put some more of these together, where it gets to like seven, eight, or nine a year, it might be a little bit too much. But at this pace, I feel like it’s kind of a perfect amount.”
That’s a 2-1 margin of victory in favor of the current number of outdoor games each year. Our former executive voted one way and our two former players voted the other. Sounds just like any other time executives and players get together to vote on things.
ALL-STAR WEEKEND
For those of you who missed the NHL’s announcement last week, The League has once again revamped the All-Star Weekend. This time the changes are to the Skills Competition.
For a full list of changes and details, check out this tweet from the NHL’s official PR account on X (formerly known as Twitter).
https://x.com/PR_NHL/status/1734730240587407723?s=20
Panelists, you’re up. Are the changes to the All-Star Weekend (both to the game and to the Skills Contest) for the better or the worse?
Eddie Läck: “I’m in favor (of the changes). I think the All-Star Game, the way it has been, it’s been a little bit too long, a little bit too many things going on. They’re just kind of trying to find their niche and what skills to promote.
“I know, especially for the goalies, it’s a really long day. You’re on the ice for a lot of time. So, I think just trying to streamline it more, which I’m in favor of, and make it a little bit more fun for the fans and the players instead of just having them wait all the time.”
But Eddie, there’s no skills contest that shines a positive spotlight on the goalies. It’s all about the forwards and defensemen. Aren’t the goalies getting shafted?
Eddie Läck: “Yeah, I don’t think the goalies really care about the skills competition part, because it’s not really for the goalies, in my opinion.”
Fair enough. Let’s see what our other former player thinks of the changes to the All-Star Weekend.
Jim Fox: “I don’t have any problem with the attempts at change. The attempts at trying something new. The attempts at adding something different. I certainly know the genesis of that. It starts with, in my opinion, anyone who expects the All-Star Game to be a normal game, has completely unrealistic expectations for that.
“In today’s sports world, the value of players is just too high to get them involved in a competitive game. That just will not happen in a contact sport like hockey. It should not happen in a contact sport like hockey. Again, I feel that many people who say, ‘Oh, it’s gotta be a game, and they’re not trying,’ yes, they’re not going to and there are very important reasons why they take that approach.
“So, for that reason, I think it’s okay to seek out and try different things. I know they’ve tried to tie it to the culture of the hosting city with the ideas they’ve had. But, again, I tend not to take the pessimistic approach that many people do who are just there to poke holes in people’s efforts.”
We’re up 2-0 in favor of the changes to the All-Star Weekend, can we make it a clean sweep for our first unanimous decision?
Doug MacLean: “I coached in the ’96 All-Star Game in Boston when Ray Bourque scored the winning goal with less than a minute to go and the place went nuts. We won the game and it was a regular game. Then, the next year, in ’97, it was in San Jose and it became not quite the same. It was still a good game, but now they’ve become hard to watch for me. I understand. They had problems getting players to even want to go to them.
“It’s a weekend, it’s a break. The players treat it as vacation time with their families away from the game. They’re not gonna go as hard as they used to. They’re going to use it as a break and a bit of a mini family vacation. So (The League) can do whatever it wants to do with it. That’s what it’s gonna be.
“Do I like it? No, but that doesn’t mean the fans don’t have fun with it and the players don’t have fun with it. That’s what it’s all about. It’s not about what hockey people think about it. It’s what generates some entertainment, because, let’s not kid ourselves, the players would rather have a four-day vacation with their family somewhere away from that. But they go, they do that and that’s why it’s become challenging. I empathize with the league, it’s not easy to fix. It really isn’t.”
Doug, would it help if The League did away with the Skills Contest and just focused on the All-Star Game?
Doug MacLean: “Yeah, but the skills competition is something the players get a kick out of and the fans seem to like. The fastest skater, the hardest shot, I like some of those. You can refine the game a little bit, but it’s never gonna be what we want it to be. I feel bad for The League because I criticize it and yet I don’t know what to do to make it better. It’s not gonna be a game. It’s gonna be a spectacle.”
I’m going to go out and call this another 2-1 decision, although it was close.
WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY/OLYMPICS
Last but not least we have probably the most divisive topic; the International Hockey calendar.
The NHL hasn’t sent its players to the Olympics since 2014. They “almost” went in 2022, but COVID-19 played a role in extending the NHL’s absence from the World Stage. By the time the next Winter Olympics come around in 2026, it’ll have been 12 years since The League last allowed its players to participate in a true “Best-on-Best” tournament. That’s assuming of course that a deal between the NHL, IOC, and IIHF gets done in time for the Italy games.
Meanwhile, the last time the World Cup of Hockey was held was in 2016. And that’s where our next question kicks off. The NHL is attempting to put together a toned-down version of the World Cup in February 2025. NHL players have been clamoring for another chance to play in a “Best-on-Best” tournament. Is a watered-down version of the World Cup really the best way to go? Wouldn’t it be more prudent to wait until the geopolitical climate of the world has settled down and a true World Cup can be held?
Jim Fox: “I would have no problem with either way, but I would say I would rather wait. There’s some geopolitical issues that are going on right now that are making it difficult to ice the teams that probably would provide the deepest competition. My preference would be to wait, but again, if anyone is being consulted on this and I assume the players are, at least through the Players Association, and if they feel it’s okay to go forward, then I’m all for it.”
Eddie Läck: “I would probably have them wait and do it the right way. In my opinion, they should probably just wait until they can do at least eight teams.”
Okay, can we wrap our panel up with a nice 3-0 vote in favor of waiting for a “True” World Cup of Hockey, rather than the scaled-down one we’re currently projected to have?
Doug MacLean: “I would take anything to not have some of the horrific teams there. I’d do anything. It’s the same as the World Junior Hockey Championship. You’ve got the great (teams) U.S., Canada, and Czech (about half a dozen in total) who are really competitive and then you’ve got 10-1 games. I don’t want those. I don’t need those. The players don’t need those. The fewer the better for me.”
Welp, one final 2-1 decision it is. I knew I should have bet against any unanimous decisions.
