>-SNIP
>
>>But your second point - make the game interesting again - is crucial for the long term. Goons and trap plays make for LOUSY hockey.
>
>Ah, but you're talking from a Canadian's point of view. Americans like the big "goons" who can deliver a knockout hit... not necessarily a dirty hit, but a good hard clean hit.
>
>Yeah we Americans are such savages. :-)

While undoubtedly true (ignoring the savages part < s >), I'd bet dollars to donuts that Americans would love hockey with crisp passing and play going on for more than 5 minutes without a whistle.