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

First, hockey viewers will have to get utilized to watching their game on a new station. ESPN took a gamble and refused to pick the network's option about the NHL's broadcasting rights. The idea was that ESPN will be capable to opt from their deal, after which repurchase the rights at the substantially reduced rate. Instead, the Outdoor Living Network, a subsidiary of Comcast Cable, swooped in which has 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 with his fantastic man mullet have signed up with OLN.

However, OLN only reaches approximately 65 million homes throughout the United states of america and Canada. That's a considerable reduction through the 90 million subscribers that ESPN boasts, and also the 89 million viewers that ESPN2 can reach. Also, since ESPN doesn't own the rights, the league shouldn't expect a lot of 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 switch off any fan base. Right now hockey's popularity lies somewhere round the WNBA and extreme dodgeball.

Next, besides the ideological alterations how the league has experienced, there are actually considerable changes for the practical aspects from the game. A competition committee revisited several issues which are pinpointed as problem areas during the pre-lockout days. The highlights of their adopted rule changes are:

1)	No more ties. Rather than records that read like Lotto picks, the league went to good ol' fashioned wins and losses. At the finish of overtime a six-player shootout will ensue, followed by a sudden death shootout if necessary.

2)	Goalies will no more be allowed to become built like Optimus Prime. Their allotted padding has been 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 create 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 is likely to be larger. The bluelines were each moved two feet nearer to one another, shrinking the neutral zone. Also, the goal-lines are actually moved two feet further through the boards, leaving more room behind the net.

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

6)	Other minor changes have occurred. There's no flopping, a point of focus on clutching and grabbing, anyone who instigates a fight inside last five minutes gets suspended, no flipping the puck into the stands with your defensive zone, with out public complaints about the league.

The idea is that all of those rule modifications will start scoring and raise the speed of the game. They're hoping that the new NHL will probably be similar towards the hockey played inside the Olympics, featuring more scoring and skill instead of neutral zone traps as well as the grind-it-out garbage that had permeated the NHL within the last decade.

Finally, a whirlwind of player movement has completely reconfigured the total amount of talent through the entire league. Trying to find out who is going where has proven more tiresome than wanting to maintain in 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 got there.

I saw a post on another sports site that I felt best sums inside the player movement that's happened because the league went last business: "Don't you are feeling such as the new NHL could be the equivalent of someone stealing your NHL '95 game for Sega, randomizing the rosters, and then giving it back to you?"

Laying a bet on NHL futures looking to predict that will hoist the Cup next summer may be a fantastic possibility to fleece some unsuspecting oddsmakers. But, as always, wager at your own personal risk. Here's a quick overview on some teams that is planning to be worth watching and might be definitely worth the gamble:

Detroit Red Wings (17/2) - The favorites for the upcoming season reside in Hockeytown. It's a terrible bet,jeremy scott shoes, nor bite. Yes the Red Wings were the best team in the 2003-04 regular season with 109 overall points, but perhaps no team was hurt more by the year off. Steve Yzerman is now 40, Chris Chelios is 43 and Brendan Shanahan is turning 37. The window may have closed for your Wings along with their AARP roster. Also, Detroit just has about $7 million to resign Pavel Datsyuk (who's said he's not really near to a deal) and/or Henrik Zetterberg. This team has holes, now they can't 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 in the top free agent talents to a already strong team. The Flyers should have a slight edge over New Jersey in their quest to defend their Atlantic Division championship.

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

Calgary Flames (13/1) - The runners-up on the 2004 champion Tampa Bay Lightning (man, that also sounds strange) will be better yet this season. The key move they made was retaining superstar Jerome Iginla. Iginla was tied for that NHL lead with 41 goals in 03-04. The Flames upgraded the offense by bringing in 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 worthwhile team going to the preseason. As Detroit and Colorado is going to be most affected with the salary cap, Nj-new jersey will likely be most affected from 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 within 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 at the very least 41 games in each from the past three seasons, with Martin Brodeur in goal they have always a shot.

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

Boston Bruins (15/1) - The Bruins were one of the teams that benefited the most through the outlandish free agency. They were in a position to lock up captain Joe Thornton for three years, whilst Glen Murray for the club. Also, they were able to add seasoned vets Shawn McEachern and Brian Leetch, as well as Alexi Zhamnov and Dave Scatchard. That talent infusion improves a team that's already pretty tough (defending Northeast Division champions). The pressure will likely be on Andrew Raycroft, the only goalie around the roster.

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

Tampa Bay Lightning (15/1) - Winning the Stanley Cup several weeks ahead of the lockout must've been type of like winning the lottery after which discovering we're returning to college towards the barter system. Tampa Bay caught lightning inside a bottle inside summer of 2004, as well as 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 back and able to go. They roster reeks of old age, but they're still the champs and may show up the proper respect.

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

Atlanta Thrashers (33/1) - I such as this pick for that value. The Hossa-Heatley trade was basically a push, but finding a solid veteran defenseman like Greg deVries in the deal may shift the benefit in the Thrashers favor. They already posses a new core led with 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 brought in Bobby Holik to add more firepower. They may be per year away, nonetheless it could be worthwhile to take a $10 or $20 flier on them jeremy scott adidas.