01grad Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 A friend of mine invited me to the Wild game on Saturday, which at first sounded like fun, but the Sioux are playing. I didn't decline, however, I would rather be watching the Sioux on television at Sensers. I have a greater connection to the Sioux and care more about them winning than any pro team. It seems that NHL games, especially the Wild, they way they are not scoring are becoming very boring. The college game has more odd man rushes and just seems more entertaining. Another key factor is the fan support. Nobody ever cheers at an NHL game unless there is a goal or a fight. There is no motivating players through cheers or chants until the fans are restless. I just had to make a comment on this issue and am interested to hear if you all agree with me and have any explanations as to why college hockey is so much better. MAKE SOME NOISE TONIGHT! MUZZLE THE DOGS, TAKE 'EM FOR A WALK AROUND OUR RINK!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goon Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I just had to make a comment on this issue and am interested to hear if you all agree with me and have any explanations as to why college hockey is so much better. I am impressed that you are going to go watch the Sioux instead of the Wild, that shows character, however, I do believe that the NHL is much more fun to watch and most college hockey. Whol would your rather watch MSU and BSU or the Wild and Detroit. The reason I say that is that I took in a game over in Bemidji earlier this year and that was some of the worst hockey I have seen in years. Mankato couldn't even get out of their own end unless there was a powerplay in their favor. In the NHL even the Goons (the less talented fighters) can skate, that is not always true in college. UND has been the exception, Dean Blais teams skate, Skate and then skate some more, so basically if its not UND and who ever or Minnesota and whoever, I would rather watch the NHL. Second most to the time you don't have to watch that god awful brand of hockey that teams like MTU, , UAA, MSU-M and SCCC play, the clutch and grab, its hard to watch and boring. I like watching UND play teams like C.C. and Minnesota. Last night the Bruins got a penalty for one of their defensemen putting their hand on the puck in their crease. The ref immediatrly called a penatly shot and the bruins lost because of it. Inretrospect the WCHA officals have to be the worst officals of all time, they totally go out of their way to call things against UND, as brought up earlier UND's Zach Parise was called for throwing an opposing player off of him, all the while the officals watched the opposing player mug and hog tie him. I feel that is really taxing to have to watch the officals and the jobs they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superman0099 Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Because there's no two-line pass rule in college. Makes for a more wide-open game. More fun to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WPoS Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Goon pretty much says it all for me in his second paragraph, when it comes to watching good college hockey, except I'd substitute Lucia for Blais, Gophers for UND and UND for Gophers. But I don't like pro hockey much at all, WAY to boring...I'd take a quality D1 College game anyday over any other sport... Why I like D1 hockey more: new guys every year and they don't whine about money odd man rushes more common quality opponents I can count on EVERY year to give a good series (UND, Mich, etc) atmoshere is more intimate and less glitzy beating the crap out of teams like JBSU, Mich Tech and 'Kato Out of the blue upset games WPoS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01grad Posted December 12, 2003 Author Share Posted December 12, 2003 Very good points. I guess there are reasons as to why both can be exciting in their own special ways. We are spoiled with the great college hockey we watch every weekend that I forget about the other poor teams in college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Another factor behind college hockey being more exciting (nevermind the countless defensive systems that are stifling the pro game) is travel. NHLers play 80+ games a season and are on the road for half of them, and basically play every other night. Playing hockey that calibre that frequently, I would think, tends to be quite grueling and can be a cause for less-than-crisp play. College hockey players, on the other hand, benefit from practicing all week before playing a two-game series each weekend. This leads to more energy on the ice and, usually, more crisp play. Not too mention that in the shorter college hockey season, those two games mean much more to the teams involved than, say, game 21 of an 82-game schedule on a Tuesday night in Nashville. This also makes the typical college hockey game (regular season only, of course) much more intense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoteauRinkRat Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I love the absence of the two line pass in college hockey. Odd man rushes and breakaways really bring a lot of excitement into the game. But having said that, watching two NHL teams play is really fun. They are a lot more crisp, when passing on the power play for example, and rarely do guys get out of position on defense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fighting Sioux Fan Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I like watching college players because they are playing with their emotions to win, NHL players are playing because they get a lot of money to do what they do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fedorov Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I believe they are both fun to watch. One thing I really enjoy about the NHL is the stickhandling ability. They can pass the puck a lot harder and fast, they can knock the puck down with ease, and just treat the puck like it is attached to the stick. In college people can't do saucer passes or catch them worth a crap. We get excited when a college player hits it out of mid-air, yet it is done all the time in the NHL. I also appreciate the NHL for policing the actions of cheap shots and cheap stick-work. As I said, I enjoy college too, but I wanted to point out some good qualities of the NHL to keep the discussion balanced. PS-I would always go to a live game compared to watching one on TV, especially if I had to go to a bar to watch it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UMDDogz Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 The college game is slower, and less crisp than the NHL. I like the college game much better though, as the slower pace allows us to see the play develop better, and a chance to anticipate what is going to happen (which is the most fun part). College hockey also has many more end-toend rushes and odd-man situations than the NHL, because teams do not play as well defensively and...let's face it...college players make many more mistakes, leading to interesting and unusual situations. The atmosphere at college games is second to none!! With the pep band blaring, the student section spouting a myriad of organized chants and quips (the 1 min remaining "thank you", etc.), and the overall crowd involvement far outshines any experience I have had in a professional rink. The WCHA Final Five will probably rank as my all-time favorite sporting event to attend. (It would be the Frozen Four, but there's the small matter of beer sales to consider). Finally, most of the players are playing because they love the game. They do not receive any immediate compensation other than the acolades (MVP, plr of the week, etc.) of fans, coaches, and the media. They play hard every weekend, and never fall victim to the petty squabbles and salary arbitration (Gaborik) that continue to plague the professional ranks. Don't get me wrong here; I very much enjoy attending Wild games as well (last game I saw live was game 5 vs. Colorado), but I will always feel that college hockey provides the better atmosphere and the more interesting competition. My $2.00. (Way to long to be worth just $0.02) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sioux7 Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I am impressed that you are going to go watch the Sioux instead of the Wild, that shows character, however, I do believe that the NHL is much more fun to watch and most college hockey. Whol would your rather watch MSU and BSU or the Wild and Detroit. The reason I say that is that I took in a game over in Bemidji earlier this year and that was some of the worst hockey I have seen in years. Mankato couldn't even get out of their own end unless there was a powerplay in their favor. In the NHL even the Goons (the less talented fighters) can skate, that is not always true in college. UND has been the exception, Dean Blais teams skate, Skate and then skate some more, so basically if its not UND and who ever or Minnesota and whoever, I would rather watch the NHL. Second most to the time you don't have to watch that god awful brand of hockey that teams like MTU, , UAA, MSU-M and SCCC play, the clutch and grab, its hard to watch and boring. I like watching UND play teams like C.C. and Minnesota. Last night the Bruins got a penalty for one of their defensemen putting their hand on the puck in their crease. The ref immediatrly called a penatly shot and the bruins lost because of it. Inretrospect the WCHA officals have to be the worst officals of all time, they totally go out of their way to call things against UND, as brought up earlier UND's Zach Parise was called for throwing an opposing player off of him, all the while the officals watched the opposing player mug and hog tie him. I feel that is really taxing to have to watch the officals and the jobs they do. Goon, I am friends with Randy Schmidt and he is getting me the tape of that game because I argued the call with him. I didn' t tape it but apparently all WCHA games are taped by the WCHA for review. He was absolutly raped by that guy and then throws him off and gets called for the penalty. He said that he made the right call. I said Bu*****t!. We'll see again. GO SIOUX! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I like watching college players because they are playing with their emotions to win, NHL players are playing because they get a lot of money to do what they do... I'm not sure it's necessarily fair or accurate to say NHL players play solely for the money. Do many of them "pace themselves" in the regular season? Most likely. However, anyone who follows the Stanley Cup Playoffs would be foolish to label these players as devoid of heart and character. It's generally regarded within the sports world that the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the most grueling in professional team sports. The lengths these players will go to in order to raise that Cup over their heads sometimes borders on the insane. One could also argue that the goal of most college players is to get to the NHL, so even though they aren't "playing to get a lot of money," they are playing to get to the level where they will someday get that money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WPoS Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 agree, one of the neighbors on my street plays for a certain professional hockey team hereabouts and from talking to him for the last year he seems pretty hard working and passionate about playing well every game. WPoS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goon Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I like watching college players because they are playing with their emotions to win, NHL players are playing because they get a lot of money to do what they do... I respectfully disagree with that statement: last years playoffs between the Wild and Av's and the Wild and Canucks disprove that statement. Last spring was some of the best NHL playoff hockey I have ever watched in my 37 years of life. Also, when I see Mariann Gaborik slam his stick on the ice because he is frustrated and going through a scoring slump proves these guys care. Sure he was in a contract dispute, he still is a caring player I am convinced. Sure there are pukes like Jagr that pout and make asses out of themselves adn do nothing only to perk up when he is rumored to be on the trading blick, but I am convinced that these guys don't care and play without emotions, or there wouldn't be as many fighting majors in the NHL... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goon Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Goon, I am friends with Randy Schmidt and he is getting me the tape of that game because I argued the call with him. I didn' t tape it but apparently all WCHA games are taped by the WCHA for review. He was absolutly raped by that guy and then throws him off and gets called for the penalty. He said that he made the right call. I said Bu*****t!. We'll see again. GO SIOUX! Dude fight the good fight for us. Tell your buddy Randy for us that he was flat out wrong for making that call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sioux fan in phoenix Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 I'd watch the Sioux any day of the week over an NHL game for reasons listed by others here. If it were 2 other college teams, I'd watch the NHL instead as I have no vested interest in BC, Michigan, whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sioux fan in phoenix Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Dude fight the good fight for us. Tell your buddy Randy for us that he was flat out wrong for making that call. I wouldn't expect a referee to admit he made a mistake, like, "Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking on that call; I guess I was having a bad week & not focused on the game. I apologize." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 I watch replays of NHL games most nights on DirecTV and like SFIP said, I'd much rather watch the NHL games than some east coast teams I don't care about. The one thing I hate about the pro game is the neutral zone trap. It wasn't bad watching the Wild do it last year, because they didn't hold on to a player. With the size and speed of NHL players, I wish they'd widen the rink a little. Olympic just seems too big, but they could add some feet to the width and loosen up the game a bit. If I'm not mistaken the width of an NHL rink is 85 feet and width of Olympic is 100. Also, I don't care if the NHL is checking and enforcing it or not, but goalie equipment just looks way too big. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFarce Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 The true hockey fan would tell you that the game is as exciting as your ties to the sport. Watching a field of mini-mites follow the puck around the ice like a swarm of killer bees can be just as entertaining as any level that you might watch if you truely appreciate the game. To say one level of the sport is better than any other lacks true understanding because they all bring their unique qualities. College has the up and coming players and brings school spirit into the mix. However, each game is not as important as someone mentioned earlier. Todays college playoff system is designed to reward the team that peaks at the end of the year with the national championship ie. Gophers. The pro game is much more physical and a hell of a lot faster with a playoff system that becomes more gueling than the 80 game schedule. Bottom line "If you love the game, you need to appreciate all levels that play the game because it is the determination of the players to make it to the pros that bring you the quality college team that you enjoy watching." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fedorov Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Todays college playoff system is designed to reward the team that peaks at the end of the year with the national championship I will never understand why college gives the automatic bid to the conference tourney winner, and not the winner of the season. I believe it is wrong and it allows teams to take it easy during the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OETKB Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 "If you love the game, you need to appreciate all levels that play the game because it is the determination of the players to make it to the pros that bring you the quality college team that you enjoy watching." This is a great statement about college hockey. Many people say college is a better game to watch because there is less hooking and holding (I happen to agree). Also, people like college because players tend to stay in one place and have some connection to the city for which they are playing. However, without the NHL there as an inspiration, Sioux hockey would not be where it is today. Gasperini started the modern era with his genius at recruiting top future NHL talent. Blais came in as a practically minded coach who took the recruits he could get and has worked his way up to recruiting the top talent in college. I think, without a doubt, this year's team has the best NHL talent level since the '80 squad. Here's to our kids dreaming of the NHL while we watch them at good 'ol Grand Forks. God bless the Fighting Sioux! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sioux fan in phoenix Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 The true hockey fan would tell you that the game is as exciting as your ties to the sport. Watching a field of mini-mites follow the puck around the ice like a swarm of killer bees can be just as entertaining as any level that you might watch if you truely appreciate the game. To say one level of the sport is better than any other lacks true understanding because they all bring their unique qualities. College has the up and coming players and brings school spirit into the mix. However, each game is not as important as someone mentioned earlier. Todays college playoff system is designed to reward the team that peaks at the end of the year with the national championship ie. Gophers. The pro game is much more physical and a hell of a lot faster with a playoff system that becomes more gueling than the 80 game schedule. Bottom line "If you love the game, you need to appreciate all levels that play the game because it is the determination of the players to make it to the pros that bring you the quality college team that you enjoy watching." You raise a lot of good points here (college playoff system) but this thread was just a poll to see what level of hockey people preferred more. If someone asked me whether I liked fat women over centerfolds or rap music over rock & roll I'd choose the latter both times--& if they said I "lacked true understanding because they all bring their unique qualities" I'd tell them to go score with a fat chick while listening to Snoop Doggy Dog jk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiouxTupa Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 teams do not play as well defensively and...let's face it...college players make many more mistakes, leading to interesting and unusual situations. Thats the very argument I've been waiting for. I totally agree. In the college game most of the players are at different levels of development. Often, this brings mistakes, but also helps the star players to shine. The NHL is so regimented and the players play at such a high level that, at times, makes their brand of hockey boring to watch. One thing I do like is the outrageous plays that come from the skill of these NHL players. They can stickhandle "in a phone booth" and it is fun to marvel at the level of play. I also wish they would get rid of the two line pass rule in the NHL. The game is very defensive as it is, and doing this would open up the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UMDDogz Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Todays college playoff system is designed to reward the team that peaks at the end of the year with the national championship ie. Gophers. Uhhhhh, actually they have made rule changes to make it more difficult for teams that peak at the end of the season to make the NCAA field. They no longer consider "record over last 15 games" as criteria for deciding who stays and who goes. Ask any Dogs fan. Peaking at the end is only good if you go all the way in the conference tourney. It was rather difficult seeing 4 teams from the WCHA, (three of whom the Dogs beat in the final 11 games of the season: UM once, SCSU twice, UND twice + one tie) get in and the Dogs left out in the cold, despite peaking when teams are supposed to peak. So don't tell me that it is "set up" to reward late peaking teams...you're just pouring salt in the wound, man!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UMDDogz Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 However, without the NHL there as an inspiration, Sioux hockey would not be where it is today. Yeah...they would have great players for 4 years instead of one or two!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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