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From: k9un@ihlpa.UUCP (ague)
Newsgroups: net.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: shootouts and other rule changes
Message-ID: <299@ihlpa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Jun-85 11:06:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpa.299
Posted: Mon Jun 10 11:06:28 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Jun-85 04:35:45 EDT
References: <bgsuvax.510> <1569@dciem.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 43

> > Shootouts (as proposed by Marcel Aubut (sp?) ) or rules changes
> > are NOT going to attract USA fans.  Media attention will.
> >
> >					Tim Newman

I agree completely.  In the Chicago area we have had no
commercial TV coverage since the mid 70's.
Before that, we got all of the Blackhawk's away games
and an occasional home game.  I am an AHAUS coach with
the Huskies organization out of Downer's Grove, Ill.
I have seen declining numbers in our youth hockey programs
in this area.  It seems to have coincided with the absence
of hockey on TV.  Most organizations had no house leagues
and were hard pressed to support a full compliment of
traveling teams.  We had a large number of rinks go out
of business.  Now that we get some exposure on cable and
pay TV, our numbers are growing.  Still not as good as it
used to be though.  Kids emulate what they see and everyone
does not (or can not) get cable.  Infectuous as hockey is,
some decent media coverage would bring on lot's
of new fans.
The newscast sports coverage inevitably shows the fights but
doesn't show all of the scoring highlights.
As a side note, by the way, I can't stand those cameramen
(camera-persons?) who insist on a waist-up shot of a (for example)
Savard or _______ (fill in the player of your choice)
while he is carring the puck.  What a useless view.  No
wonder people have trouble following the game on TV.  There
is no way one can watch a play develop when only the puck
carrier fills the screen.

A note about rule changes.  We have a rule in youth hockey that I
would like to see put into the NHL rulebook.  When a player comes out
of the penalty box, he must skate back to his own zone (just
to his blue line) in order to be elligable for a pass from his zone.
This would elliminate the momentary advantage a just penalized team
has when they are held in their end just when a player exits the
penalty box. 

As a die-hard Chicago sports fan - I'll close with a "wait 'til
next year."

					Wes Ague