Work Ethic

I remember the first post-lockout playoff matchup between the Canucks and Blackhawks. It reminded me of an air hockey match where one person just put his paddle down and won. A significant portion felt like the Canucks were putting in all the effort, and the Blackhawks won anyway.

I don’t think that there’s any question that work ethic is not what it used to be in the NHL. Teams like the Blackhawks play a conservative style that could put basketball fans to sleep. I used to spend entire games at the edge of my seat. Now, I get distracted easily and rarely manage to watch entire games. I used to defend the sport against a critic. He insisted that the reason that he never watched a single game was that the game was too boring. I can no longer defend the NHL against accusations of boring play.

This ultrabland style resulted in a Stanley Cup victory for the Blackhawks. The very next season, the Bruins copied that approach and won the Stanley Cup with the most uninspired play that I had ever seen in a game 7. It’s like refusing to play has become a valid game plan.

I can’t exactly point out the specific causes for the decline in work ethic. Since things went so far downhill so fast, I’m sure that the rule changes played a role. This is yet another reason that I would love to revert to the rules that the league insisted were broken. I’m ready for the NHL to bring back the excitement.