Monday, April 3, 2023

As the fighting era fades, is it worth asking what the NHL has lost?

When we talk about the transformation that NHL hockey has undergone over the last few decades, we’ll often frame it in terms of what we’ve gained. Now that the sport has largely rid itself of the violence and bare-knuckle brawling that used to define it, the game has added skill and speed. Depending on who you ask, we’ve probably added fans. We’ve certainly added plenty of new teams, and new markets, and the bottom line looks a lot better now than it did back then.

And maybe, just maybe, hockey has added credibility, rehabbing its own reputation and how it’s viewed by the wider sports world. The NHL is a league you no longer have to feel embarrassed to love, the way you sometimes had to back in the day.

OK, sure. But let’s flip it around: What have we lost?

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1 comment:

  1. As the kid shares their story, look engaged and interested throughout the conversation.

    ReplyDelete