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In the final Twelve months the National Hockey League has undergone as massive of your overhaul as any sports league within the last half century. With revamped rules, a restructured salary system as well as a new television partner, professional hockey could be the shell with the sport that locked its doors per year ago. The changes reflect the NHL's new mantra - more scoring, increased parity and price certainty. So forget everything you understand or think you realize about the NHL, which begins preseason play on Sept. 16, as even the most faithful and ardent fan adidas jeremy scottneeds to admit that they have zero clue concerning how a game will try 2005-06.

First, hockey viewers will need to get used to watching their game on a brand new station. ESPN took a gamble and refused to choose the network's option about the NHL's broadcasting rights. The idea was that ESPN will be able to opt from their deal, and then repurchase the rights at the substantially reduced rate. Instead, the Outdoor Living Network, a subsidiary of Comcast Cable, swooped in using a very lucrative offer and purchased the rights to broadcast the NHL regular season and playoffs for $65 million this season, $70 million in 2006-2007, and $72.5 million in 2007-2008. Not to worry though - Barry Melrose and his man mullet have signed lets start on OLN.

However, OLN only reaches approximately 65 million homes through the entire United States and Canada. That's a considerable reduction from your 90 million subscribers that ESPN boasts, as well as the 89 million viewers that ESPN2 can reach. Also, since ESPN doesn't own the rights, the league shouldn't expect too much coverage from those Bristol bastards. The new deal - while a relative windfall for a sport with flailing TV ratings - definitely relegates the NHL to Niche Sport status. Well, that plus a 309-day lockout will turn off any fan base. Right now hockey's popularity lies somewhere across the WNBA and extreme dodgeball.

Next, besides the ideological alterations that this league has experienced, there have been considerable changes to the practical aspects from the game. A competition committee revisited several issues which were pinpointed as troublesome areas during the pre-lockout days. The highlights with their adopted rule changes are:

1)	No more ties. As an alternate to records that read like Lotto picks, the league has gone time for good ol' fashioned wins and losses. At the end of overtime a six-player shootout will ensue, followed by a sudden death shootout if necessary.

2)	Goalies will don't be allowed to become built like Optimus Prime. Their allotted padding continues to be reduced 11 percent. The rule is backed by $25,000 fines and suspensions.

3)	Goaltenders can no longer "freeze" the puck, plus a trapezoidal area may be set up behind the goal line. The goalies are only able to handle the puck within that area when behind the thing line.

4)	The offensive zone will probably be larger. The bluelines were each moved two feet better one another, shrinking the neutral zone. Also, the goal-lines happen to be moved two feet further through the boards, leaving more room behind the net.

5)	The red line is gone, and two-line passes are actually legal.

6)	Other minor changes have occurred. There's no flopping, a reason for increased exposure of clutching and grabbing, anyone who instigates a fight in the last five minutes gets suspended, no flipping the puck into the stands with your defensive zone, with no public complaints concerning the league.

The idea is that all of the rule modifications will open up scoring and boost the speed from the game. They're hoping that this new NHL will be similar for the hockey played inside Olympics, which features more scoring and skill in lieu of neutral zone traps and also the grind-it-out garbage which had permeated the NHL in the last decade.

Finally, a whirlwind of player movement has completely reconfigured the total amount of talent through the entire league. Trying to determine who's going where has proven more tiresome than wanting to continue with which pitcher Alyssa Milano is banging now. In fact, when opening night comes (the Rangers open against the Flyers on Oct. 5) most fans will think that Guy Pierce's short-term-memory depraved character in Memento. They'll vaguely recognize where they're but have no idea how they were given there.

I saw a post on another sports site that we felt best sums in the player movement that's taken place considering that the league went back business: "Don't you're feeling much like the new NHL could be the equivalent of someone stealing your NHL '95 game for Sega, randomizing the rosters, then passing it on returning to you?"

Laying a bet on NHL futures wanting to predict who'll hoist the Cup next summer might be an excellent chance to fleece some unsuspecting oddsmakers. But, as always, wager at your personal risk. Here's a quick overview on some teams that will be worth watching and could possibly be really worth the gamble:

Detroit Red Wings (17/2) - The favorites for your upcoming season reside in Hockeytown. It's a dreadful bet,jeremy scott shoes and don't bite. Yes the Red Wings were the best team inside 2003-04 regular season with 109 overall points, but perhaps no team was hurt more from the year off. Steve Yzerman is now 40, Chris Chelios is 43 and Brendan Shanahan is turning 37. The window could have closed for that Wings and their AARP roster. Also, Detroit only has about $7 million to resign Pavel Datsyuk (who's said he's not near to a deal) and/or Henrik Zetterberg. This team has holes, now they are unable to plug it with money.

Philadelphia Flyers (9/1) - The Flyers waived goodbye to its nucleus of Jeremy Roenick, John LeClair and Mark Recchi. Their absence will open the ice for young speedsters Jeff Carter and Mike Richards. Also, they been able to pilfer Peter Forsberg and Derian Hatcher, adding two with the top free agent talents to a already strong team. The Flyers must have a slight edge over Nj-new jersey of their quest to defend their Atlantic Division championship.

Ottawa Senators (11/1) - The Sens were the top scoring team inside the Eastern Conference in 2003-04 (262 goals), and they also added the dynamic Dany Heatley in a blockbuster deal that included Marian Hossa. So long as no-one asks Heatley being the designated driver, he should add more pop to Ottawa's offense. Daniel Alfredsson led the team with 48 assists in 03-04, and is going to be setting the table for Heatley. This squad is deep and strong, and will likely be counting on Ray Emery and Dominick Hasek within the net.

Calgary Flames (13/1) - The runners-up on the 2004 champion Tampa Bay Lightning (man, that also sounds strange) will probably be even better this season. The main element move they provided was retaining superstar Jerome Iginla. Iginla was tied for your NHL lead with 41 goals in 03-04. The Flames upgraded the offense by attracting Tony Amonte and Darren McCarty. Also, Roman Hamrlik was acquired to shore up an already stout defense.

New Jersey Devils (14/1) - This is a very interesting team going in to the preseason. As Detroit and Colorado is planning to be most affected from the salary cap, New Jersey will be most affected through the rule changes. Many blame the Devils for pioneering the neutral zone trap as well as the clutch-and-grab style that took on the league in the last decade. Offensively, they have Scott Gomez (team leader in assists) and Patrick Elias (leader in goals and points) i expect big numbers from both. They've won no less than 41 games in each of the past three seasons, and with Martin Brodeur in goal they will have a shot.

Colorado Avalance (14/1) - The Avs still have Joe Sakic and Pierre Turgeon inside the center, Brad May and Alex Tanguay about the left and Milan Hejduk around the right. So in other words, they still have a chance. Colorado has put up the average of 42 wins a year the final three seasons, and it is core remains intact. Rob Blake is to anchor the defense and David Aebischer will be the man inside cage. I expect these to figure prominently within the Western Conference, however i don't think they've got enough depth to hoist the Cup.

Boston Bruins (15/1) - The Bruins were one in the teams that benefited one with the most through the outlandish free agency. They were capable of lock up captain Joe Thornton for three years, and Glen Murray on the club. Also, we were holding capable to add seasoned vets Shawn McEachern and Brian Leetch, at the identical time as Alexi Zhamnov and Dave Scatchard. That talent infusion improves a team which was already pretty tough (defending Northeast Division champions). The pressure will be on Andrew Raycroft, the one goalie about the roster.

Pittsburgh Penguins (15/1) - The March from the Penguins time for hockey's elite may turn this season. Besides as being a fiscal farce from the ice, they have been one in the worst teams onto it for the past several years, managing just 78 wins inside the last three seasons. They put up only 2.3 goals a game title while winning 23 games in 03-04. But the Steel City won the Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes, and also the "next Gretzky" gives them instant credibility. They resigned leading scorer Dick Tarnstrom and acquired Lyle Odelein, and that young talent could possibly be ready to take the following step.

Tampa Bay Lightning (15/1) - Winning the Stanley Cup a few weeks prior to the lockout must've been form of like winning the lottery and after that finding out we're returning to college towards the barter system. Tampa Bay caught lightning in a very bottle within the summer of 2004, and also the defending Stanley Cup champions have brought back the principals involved for the reason that run. Dave Andreychuk, Martin St. Louis, and Vincent Lecavalier are typical back and ready to go. They roster reeks of old age, but they're still the champs and really should be shown the appropriate respect.

Anaheim Mighty Ducks (30/1) - Team Teemu returns as the head in the Flying V. Sergie Federov is trying to salvage a burnt out career, and Scott Niedermeyer should flourish in Anaheim's wide-open attack. Also, the Ducks use a huge advantage with J-S Giguere minding the net. That's one guy who won't need the extra padding to dominate. A drawback is that they can traded captain Steve Rucchin to the Rangers.

Atlanta Thrashers (33/1) - I this way pick for the value. The Hossa-Heatley trade was just about a push, but getting a solid veteran defenseman like Greg deVries inside deal may shift the bonus inside the Thrashers favor. They already posses a young core led from the very talented Ilya Kovalchuk (team leader in goals and assists) and Hossa's playmaking style (36 goals and 82 points) will fit right in. They signed Mike Dunham to mentor talented youngster Kari Lehtonen, and earned Bobby Holik to add a lot more firepower. They might be annually away, but it could be worth every penny to adopt a $10 or $20 flier on them jeremy scott adidas.