Hockey Traditions Disappearing

There’s something about the new hockey arena’s being built or that have been built in recent years around the NHL that just lack that "special" quality.

Oh sure, they’re big, clean and impressive and will seat a lot more people than the old rinks but they all look the same more or less. There’s nothing that sets them apart or gives them a unique appearance.

I’m not talking about the bricks and mortar so much as I am the atmosphere and even the oddities or history of the old barns.

For the record, I’ve only been in a few different NHL arenas over the years. I’ve been to both Maple Leaf Gardens and Air Canada Centre in Toronto and the Ice Palace in Tampa. I think the last time I was there it had been renamed the St. Petersburg Times Forum.

That’s right…I’m a die-hard life-long Montreal Canadiens fan and I’ve never been to the old Forum or the Bell Centre. It’s not that I wouldn’t like to but getting tickets is damn near impossible. I’d love to get my dad there once to see a game.

I guess what I’m hinting at is when you walk into the new arenas you just don’t feel the history or see anything different. Sure the Stanley Cup banners and retired numbers hang from the rafters to show the history of a franchise but the buildings have lost their charm. It’s kind of like how you’d feel walking into Fenway Park in Boston or Wrigley Field in Chicago. There’s a history there and you can imagine the old players from the past running out on to the field.

The Forum used to have the fence to separate the upper class from the cheap seats. I’m not suggesting that was a good thing but it certainly was different. In Boston the old Gardens used to have views of the ice obstructed by support beams. Not a fun spot to be sitting but still part of the charm. Of course who can forget the “Bunker” in Maple Leaf Gardens where Harold Ballard used to sit with former players? You don’t see that anymore with owners now sitting in luxury boxes high above the ice. Toronto stunk through those Ballard years but the old Gardens had some historic charm. In the photo shown you can see the bunker being taken apart and the stairs that lead up to it.

Even though I wasn’t a fan of the Leafs I can remember my last time going to a game there. It was the final meeting between the Leafs and Montreal before it closed. I got there early and walked the halls looking at the old black and white photos. I stopped and talked to Ron MacLean of Hockey Night in Canada for five minutes. I had interviewed and met Ron on my radio show a few weeks earlier and he made time to chat. Walking out into the seating area and looking up at the old rafters and building you felt the history. Prior to the game Ted "Teeder" Kennedy and Maurice “Rocket” Richard were introduced for the ceremonial face off and the standing ovation lasted for what seemed like 10 to 15 minutes. It was a special moment.

The two places that I know of that have attempted to keep the past alive are Chicago and Philadelphia. In Philly the Flyers during the playoffs will show video of the late Kate Smith singing God Bless America. It isn’t something you can see or feel when you walk into the arena but for those who are old enough to remember Kate when she was alive and hearing her sing, it brings back memories and gives you chills. In Chicago the one thing that made going to the Stadium a treat was hearing the booming organ playing. It was loud and shook the rafters. They didn't move the old organ to the new rink but a new one still helps to keep that original atmosphere and gets the crowd cheering. By the way, the old organ is now in someone's residence in Las Vegas.

I suppose long after I’m gone, the younger generation will probably look at these new arenas with the same sense of history but with the original six team league now a distant memory, the old barns just helped to keep some of the history and charm in the hockey experience.

Ovechkin Mocks Traditions

What happened to the traditions that surrounded hockey? Why does the NHL allow certain players to erode the years of honour that the game and the players who went before spilled blood to create?

Of course, Don Cherry has already touched on this subject on his Hockey Night in Canada Coach's Corner segment. Or as I like to refer to him…Prime Minister elect Don Cherry.

I agree with what he says about the showboating and antics of today's young players, in particular Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. There is no doubt that he is a very skilled and exciting hockey player to watch and he is good for the game in that regard but for all of the good he does one minute, he quickly erases that immediately after he scores a goal. It's almost as sickening to watch as it is impossible for me to listen to Pierre McGuire do colour commentary.

What bothers me most is the frequency in which these stomach-churning celebrations occur. If it happened only when he scored a record breaking or milestone goal, maybe then I can forgive it. If he scored the Gold medal winning goal at the Olympics or Canada Cup (or whatever they call it now) then fine. If he scores a big goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs I can live with that. But when he does it after every goal it's too much.

Is this what we want young kids to do after scoring a goal in their house league hockey games? They idolize the Russian phenom and the skill he possesses and want to be like him. When they see him scoring a goal and then fist pumping wildly before jumping up against the glass it sends a bad message to these young hockey players. Like it or not he is a role model and as such should be setting a better example.

I have no doubt that Ovechkin loves the game of hockey and loves to score and and that's perfectly fine but you don't need to act like an idiot.

The NHL needs to nip this in the bud now while they can and show they don't condone his actions and that might settle him down. Perhaps a new league rule needs to be implemented where actions like this would be assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Add to that a possible fine by the league, depending on how blatant the act was, and this would also add some weight behind the decision.

I like excitement as much as the next guy but the purest in me thinks this problem is getting out of hand. I'm not saying you can't celebrate a goal with your teammates. By all means, score the goal, raise your arms in the air and then hug or congratulate your fellow team members on the ice. That's the way it should be. We don't need our game to go the way of soccer where players score a goal and go running all over the field jumping and raising their shirts. We don't need to see things like we do in football where players pull a pen out of their sock after scoring a touchdown, sign the ball and give it to a fan.

To me this kind of behaviour not only gives a black eye to the game itself but it is also a slap in the face to the team you're playing against. Ovechkin scored his 50th goal of the season earlier tonight and after it went in he placed his stick on the ice and put his hand over it and pretended that the stick was on fire. Pathetic is the only way to describe that move.

There is one tradition in hockey that I truly believe will one day take care of this if the people in the suits and ties don't. The tough guys will have another incentive to drop the gloves and teach guys like Ovechkin the true meaning of tradition in hockey.

If you missed Don Cherry on Coach's Corner discussing this, please have a look at the video below. The sound quality isn't the best but you'll get the idea.

UPDATE: I believe it to be a Russian website that has found my blog and this story in particular and they have paraphrased it into their site where the Russian hockey fans can leave comments. Even though I'm sure they don't agree with my position, I appreciate the interest and thank them for stopping by. Click here to see the Russian site and here it is Translated if you'd like to have a look.