Game of Inches

Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course - the distance between your ears. ~Bobby Jones.

My revisions to this quote as it relates to hockey would read: Hockey is a game where 2-3/8 inches can lose you a game.

After watching both Game #1 & Game #2 of the Blackhawks / Canucks series this week, I realized that although every sport is a game of inches, hockey's version of this seems to be the most ruthless. As player's try to shoot into the 4x6' net, a few inches of metal can come between victory and defeat. To top it off, this metal pipe provides a resonating "ping" as if to mock the shooter and state "denied".

Most sports offer extra incentive to accomplish something difficult. In baseball, if you can hit the ball outside of the ballpark, you get an automatic run (and extra runs if players are on base). In basketball, you get 3 points instead of 2 for making a basket from further away (and even less points when shooting a free throw). Even bowling offers "bonus points" if you happen to get a Strike or Spare. However in hockey, you get ridiculed for performing the fine art of "ringing the post".

My suggestion to the NHL would be to award a bonus for accomplishing this task. These could be any one of the following:

1. Worth 2 points


2. Take a point away from the other team


3. Automatically gives the other team a minor penalty (player to serve penalty chosen by shooter)


4. Goalie to wear blindfold for 1 minute of game play


5. Shooter awarded a penalty shot

Rules have been added to the game of hockey to encourage more scoring. No more two-line pass penalties, goalies can't play the puck in trapezoid area and smaller pads for goaltenders to name a few. Since hockey is the the 2nd most difficult sport (boxing is #1 according to ESPN's Degree of Difficulty Grid) we should reward for amazing feats performed during games. This would make for more exciting games when a team down by 2 can ping the post with only seconds left to take a game into overtime. It would also mean the the Blackhawks win Game #1 by a score of 8-6.

A Different Type of Religion

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of Religion includes: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices.

Hockey is neither a replacement or substitute for true religion. However, based on the definition above, it can be said that it does carry some of these characteristics. Hockey players both young & old, professional and amateur do carry a common set of attitudes, beliefs & practices. From these beliefs, the creation of the Hockey Church blog was created.

On Sunday mornings (when I'm not on a road trip with my travel hockey son), I go visit my friend, Matt Johnson at his coffee shop. Although we have differing views on most things in life, we agree on just about every aspect of hockey (except he's a Canuck fan and I'm for the Blackhawks). The discussion of adult hockey recreational leagues being too serious, parents of youth players not allowing kids to enjoy the game and poor marketing of the NHL to the masses are topics we discuss and analyze. So one day at the rink, Matt says "So I'll see you this Sunday at Hockey Church ?" The name was fitting as we do preach the hockey message to the handful of followers that attend sermon every Sunday morning, so the name stuck.

Our discussion is not always a negative spin on what is wrong with what we believe is the greatest sport played. The developing skills of novice adult players is a typical topic of conversation. Add some debate regarding which NHL player will win the Hart Trophy and you have the makings of a great church service.

Those of us who play the sport (or played it in the past), have children who play or even those who just enjoy watching a game understand what hockey is all about. My mission is to get us all together through a unified message. By highlighting those things that I believe are great about our sport and shedding light on how to fix those things that are holding it back, we can help promote hockey to everyone at all levels. This message can also help guide newcomers to hockey and answer some of their basic questions. For I believe, that a lack of knowledge and understanding is the primary reason hockey is not accepted like other major sports. At the same time, I believe that we, as true hockey fans, are not the best ambassadors of this sport and can do so much more to advance its popularity.

The message of this blog will be of strong opinion but also encouragement. Focusing on issues from the youth levels to the pros will also bring solutions rather than just complaints. After all, those that dwell on all the negatives without an option to make it positive are not helping the cause. So bring your beliefs, open your mind, and help preach the positive word of hockey to all you encounter....and maybe see you at Hockey Church on one of these Sundays.