The North American Game

Those who never saw Jaromir Jagr in his prime really missed out. He was one of the most exciting athletes in the history of professional sports. It’s not just Jagr. The most exciting hockey players are European.

One of the many drawbacks of the NHL’s rule changes is that they seem to benefit North American players. After years of Europeans increasing their presence in the league, they seem to be declining. This is especially true of some of the stronger hockey nations such as Russia and the Czech republic. The play on the ice has reflected this change.

European hockey players are fast, creative, and exciting. North American hockey players are technical and boring. While there are exceptions, most European players are far more entertaining than most North American players. The problem is that the game is shifting to those who have been overly trained on the technical aspects who are merely doing their jobs. It’s the Europeans who look like they love playing.

The transition to a more North American game has been a transition from watching exciting games to watching people work. Perhaps the technical side works best for winning, but who cares if you can’t stay awake during the game?