2009-2010 NHL PREVIEW: LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
Hockey fans around the world, rejoice: The coolest game on ice is finally back! After a generation-changing 2008-2009 season that saw the Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the Detroit Red Wings in one of the most thrilling Stanley Cup Finals ever, what can this season do as an encore? Well, the Penguins can repeat as Stanley Cup Champions, for one. Pittsburgh routinely gets compared to the Oiler dynasty of the 1980s and for good reason. The Penguins feature two of the three best players on the planet in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, a ton of periphery scoring, a strong set of defensemen and an elite goaltender. Oh, and they’re still one of the league’s youngest teams and they’re only going to get better. That’s a scary thought and this team is almost certainly not finished winning championships. Meanwhile, the Red Wings are going to be loaded up for another run in the Western Conference. Detroit is still one of the league’s most elite squads and will be favored to earn their way to their third consecutive Cup Finals. Could we see another rematch this year or will rising teams in Chicago, Vancouver and San Jose break the Wings’ choke hold on the West? While you are here reading our 2009-2010 NHL preview be sure to also check out the great Fathead hockey wall decals as well as the fantastic selection of NHL hats & merchandise available in our Team Fan Shop!
NHL Divisional Team Previews
But the intrigue doesn’t end there. The NHL has the unprecedented possibility of one of its franchises moving during the season as the Phoenix Coyotes are currently up for auction. At this point, it looks likely that Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie is eventually going to gain control of the embattled team and move them to Hamilton, Ontario at the soonest possible moment. That means that the NHL might have a Pacific Division team playing in the Eastern time zone! Needless to say, the ugly legal battle is a black eye for the NHL. However, place the blame squarely at the feet of Commissioner Gary Bettman, who has spent much of his tenure placing teams in tepid (at best) hockey markets while ignoring the more passionate and established fan bases in the north. Frankly, almost anyone in the country could tell you that southern Ontario is a better hockey market than Arizona and it is about time that Canada was given another NHL franchise. Legal battles aside, this will definitely be an exciting season on the ice. Superstars such as Chris Pronger, Marian Gaborik, Mike Cammelleri and Dany Heatley have changed teams during the summer and will drastically affect the balance of power leaguewide. As the NHL continues to trend towards younger and faster teams, new stars will be made and old stars will fade. Look at the best players in the NHL right now, almost all of them are under the age of thirty! The National Hockey League is now a much younger man’s game. Crosby, Malkin, Alex Ovechkin, the Staal brothers and many of the league’s other most recognizable players are under the age of 25! That means that the NHL can expect a more up-tempo product and every regular season game is going to be an event to behold. So, strap ‘em up puckheads, and let’s drop the puck on a brand new season!
By Matt Baxendall Want to add your comment to this article? Leave your comments on our NHL hockey blog today!
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