>>-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.

Yes. That would be refreshing. But if you want to sell your sports to America, the biggest sports market in the world, you got to have both, the skill(s) and brute strength. Sometimes more brute strength then skill. But that's what sells here... what can you do.....?

I would also say that many that go to a hockey game don't go to see hockey.