I have been on a hiatus from hockey for the last few years--I lived in Dallas and attended tons of games, but when I moved after the '99 Stanley Cup year, my attendance decreased.  I have just recently gotten back into the sport and have been catching up on all I missed.  One of the first things I noticed was the new rule changes, meant to increase scoring--goalie pads smaller?  Neutral zone reduced?  And all of this was passed by a board of NHL participants?

I don't like it.

Those ignorant of the game of hockey criticize it for being low-scoring. They want basketball-style games with triple-digit scores. I think THAT gets boring. If the 'most exciting part of the game' happens every 10 seconds, what do fans have to look forward to.
Instead, hockey cherishes goals...it builds up to them. It forces strategy, energy, talent. There is so much more going on during any hockey game--for instance, the NHL still allows fights. NBA? NFL? MLB? Didn't think so--have to keep those faces fresh for tv interviews and photo shoots. Hockey welcomes toothless grins!
The Hat Trick, an inspiring achievement that warrants hundreds of fans to sacrifice their caps to the scorer, would become obsolete in a 12-8 game. Like steroids in baseball--easy scoring erases decades of heroes from the hall of fame and replaces tradition with inflated stats.
I haven't been around for long enough to witness true birth of tradition--I didn't see the '52 Octopus or the majority of Gretzky's career, but some of the most exciting and memorable games I have ever witnessed have gone into 3 or 4 overtimes. Talk about the edge of your seat! Every move, every save, every shot has the potential to elate or depress.
I honor the triumphs and traditions of the greats, and I'd hate to see them outdone by a new generation made soft by media-driven, score-craving administrators.