How would you rate the entertainment value of the league (NHL) today?

[Critical13]

Just curious about the overall entertainment value of hockey for different people on here. Obviously we will have a higher than average ratings as we are all big hockey fans around here.

This is about NHL hockey in particular. Not CHL/KHL/SEL etc.

The spectrum is based on how captivating the play is, how interesting the story-lines are, and how loyal this makes you to the product and the team.

Some other questions I am interested in:

• When was your favourite period of hockey?
• What team do you cheer for?
• Are you more or less likely to passively watch a game today than you would have 10 years ago (distracted).
• Do you think the NHL measures up well with other sports leagues for entertainment value?
• How "sad" are you to miss your team's games when you have other things to do?
• Do you ever tune into other teams playing?

Click to read more...

 

[tony d]

I'll give it a 7.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

About a 9. So many great young players being allowed to play so creatively. Watching Tkachuk score the other night, the lacrosse style goal by Svechnikov,, Pettersson's skill etc.
What a great time to watch hockey. I don't watch every game but love to see all of the creativity that is being allowed to flourish.

 

[Taluss]

I went 8. As for the questions:

• When was your favourite period of hockey? Only been seriously watching the past few years so cant really answer
• What team do you cheer for?
• Ott and Devils. I live in Ott so staying loyal to them. However I'm in NYC every month so I always see games there. Devils being my other team since my gf is from Howell and it was the first team we saw together. Haven't went to a Sens game yet this year.. but seen a few devils... Oops
• Are you more or less likely to passively watch a game today than you would have 10 years ago (distracted). Cant say. I'd think I would have liked hockey even more back then with the more physical play.
• Do you think the NHL measures up well with other sports leagues for entertainment value? Yes
• How "sad" are you to miss your team's games when you have other things to do? I postpone other things for the game lol. Or if I'm out it's being steamed
• Do you ever tune into other teams playing? All the time. Every night my TV is on from the first game to the final game.

[/QUOTE]

 

[Menzinger]

I voted 8. Would probably be a 9 if the teams.i follow were dping a bit better.

Theres more high end skill than ever and goals are up. Nothing for me to complain about.

 

[Baxterman]

I said 8.

Much better hockey than the 80's, 90's, 2000's, although the 80's might have been more entertaining because of how bad some players/teams were.

 

[Albatros]

The 1990s had some great hockey years, but at least it's better than the 2000s now.

 

[Elvs]

I voted 5. Maybe it's just me being nostalgic, but I feel like games were more intense 10-15 years ago. I think it's due to that era having more grinders and rugged defensemen. In today's game, the average 3rd and 4th liner has better hands, but are also prone to float around more. I like skill, but I also like players battling hard.

 

[Ben White]

The 1990s had some great hockey years, but at least it's better than the 2000s now.

Yeah, I started to watch hockey around 1990 and I think it goes like this: 90-94 pre lockout fantastic, 95-2000 great, 2000-2004 pre lockout good, 2005-2011 ok, 2011-2015 meh, 2016-today good. I don’t like the cap so that might reflect my view as well.

 

[EdJovanovski]

9

When was your favourite period of hockey?
I'm quite young so I didn't experience it but the early-mid 90's seemed like a very entertaining era. Based on eras I've actually been alive for I'd say it's between 2005-06 right out of the lockout with Ovi & Sid coming into the league; and today. I think the league is headed in the right direction, I like the influx of skill & players being less afraid of attempting really flashy stuff. Only critique is I'd like to see a bit more animosity.

What team do you cheer for?
New York Rangers

Are you more or less likely to passively watch a game today than you would have 10 years ago (distracted).
I was a child 10 years ago so I don't know if this question applies to me but I'd say I'm less likely to watch it passively now as I pay a lot closer attention.

Do you think the NHL measures up well with other sports leagues for entertainment value?
I think the NHL blows every other sports league out of the water, hockey is the fastest, most intense, and requires the most skill of any sport on earth. Hockey players are also pretty interesting and have lots of weird quirks and I think the idea that hockey culture has no personality compared to other sports is wrong.

How "sad" are you to miss your team's games when you have other things to do?
Very, I don't miss a game.

Do you ever tune into other teams playing?
Often, I have Center Ice and I also go to about 7 Canucks game per season even though I'm a Rangers fan.

 

[tacogeoff]

About a 5. NFL absorbed alot of my attention during the last lockout and their product is just great overall...plus all these damn "blackouts" make me not even bother to try any game listed on the menu unless it's my team bc 9 out of 10 times its blacked out in my region

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

It isn't at all what it once was.

A very reactionary league with rule changes.

Doing it's best to turn the league into 31 Toronto's (no offense intended) - soft, speed, skill with no animosity or emotion.

Less chance of insulting the very vocal anti toughness/hitting/fighting crowd that way....

Coach challenges are a disgrace as well.

Leave challenges to the league only if something is blatant.

Questionable scheduling. Arizona vs Boston twice... or more divisional games?

Few rivalries.

Officiating is a significant issue with the game management factor. Softer penalties than ever for artificial boost in PP offense with more embellishment and players dropping lightly tapped sticks to draw slashing calls. Counteracting negated goals from millimeter offside plays minutes before highlight reel goals.

Condemnable playoff format vs 1-8.

3v3 not what it could have been as coaches have a stranglehold on it. Outside of a mistake by a player the constant regroup at center for possession is tiresome and predictable.

It is the highest level of the sport we love however. A tough pill to swallow.

 

[DrRad]

I would say a 7 or 6 for me. I don't know the exact reasoning, but I'm starting to care less and less if I miss watching my team (Sabres) play a game. And overall I'm just don't care as much as I did in the past about the NHL in general.

 

[snipes]

Between 7-8 for me.

I absolutely love the speed and skill of the game. However I really think we’re missing the nastiness and physicality of hockey.

I thought the mid 90s was probably the best era from a fan entertainment perspective. You had it all. Speed, skill, physicality, fighting, true rivals who ****ing hated each other, etc.

I’m not talking staged fights I’m talking more emotions and passions during the game is needed. Hockey is better with hate. Having that, the game is more skilled than it’s ever been top to bottom. I mean the things these guys pull off on a nightly basis is jaw dropping.

 

[Brucelenok]

6-7 for me. But may be because I am an old school guy. I preferred hockey 10-15 years ago, more physical, more fights etc.

 

[Not Canada Drai]

I'm an Oilers fan and get to watch McDavid and Draisaitl every night and I voted 6. I would have much more interest in the game if they started to crack down on interference in all zones, especially the defensive zone when offense teams are trying to gain the zone. It's extremely sad that these top players in the NHL have to fight through these slashes, holds, hooks and trips with and without the puck. I thought we were supposed to be emphasizing the skill and creativity of players, not slowing them down.

 

[roflstomper]

Entertainment value is alright, gave it a 6, but it is hindered greatly by the fact the regular season is basically meaningless.

 

[Dump Itch]

Depends on how good your team is tbh.

 

[aufheben]

I watch NHL games every night so I would have to say 8. There are star players in every game and most of the teams are good.

Football, basketball, and baseball have 0 entertaining elements for me (especially football). Soccer is dope but I can't be bothered to follow 50,000,000 different leagues.

 

[Cotton]

I watch often and never miss a Leafs game, mostly out of habit and the hope to be surprised. But the actual entertainment value with todays NHL is a 1.

Watching Jersey playing the trap at the height of the DPE was more entertaining than your average tilt today.

 

[Hierso]

7 during the regular season. Playoffs can be anywhere from a 7-10.

 

[Trap Jesus]

We were talking about this on the Bruins board not that long ago. I don't know how much is due to the Bruins being a good and exciting team right now, but I actually think the entertainment factor is quite high. The one glaring problem is the goal review process. It's reached a point where I'm hesitant to cheer for goals, which is just a ridiculous thing to have for a sport. Like there was one game where Pastrnak scored a goal, the other team challenged and lost, and the Bruins got a PP out of it in addition to the goal, and I was STILL pissed off about it. It just saps the energy out of the game completely.

Other than that though, I think the last few years have been peak NHL. The subtle little rule changes like smaller goalie equipment and some of the faceoff changes have led to more offense that isn't reliant on more PP opportunities (which was the case coming out of the 2004/05 lockout), and there's 100% more of a focus on star players now. The best players in the league all seem to be forwards, and those forwards are playing much more than they were in the early/mid 2010s. But that isn't to say that D-men and goalies can't be extremely effective and dynamic in their own right. I just think it's a perfect balance right now.

 

[Fear]

5

NHL hockey is too random, last year's playoffs were a joke. Tampa and Calgary dominated the regular season and won 1 game between them. Also NHL analysts have no idea what they are talking about.

As much as I like hockey, compare the NHL to the NBA and it's no contest. NBA playoffs get better as they go along, but NHL I'm already checking out by conference finals. Again, probably because of the randomness the matchups don't really get better as the playoffs roll on

 

[Eisen]

Can't quantify but it's getting better again. Still too much system hockey and interference hindering the flow of the game.

• When was your favourite period of hockey? Probably the late 70s and 80s international games. The Soviets made me like hockey.
• What team do you cheer for? I have no team. I watch more Oilers games for an obvious reason.
• Are you more or less likely to passively watch a game today than you would have 10 years ago (distracted). About the same
• Do you think the NHL measures up well with other sports leagues for entertainment value? Can't say. I'd watch almost all sports when they are on.
• How "sad" are you to miss your team's games when you have other things to do?
• Do you ever tune into other teams playing?

 

[tarheelhockey]

Imagine being the kind of hardcore fan who has an HFBoards account and still answering 1 to this question.