The 2005-2006 NHL season began immediately after the conclusion of the league lockout that cancelled the previously scheduled season. It was a season to experiment with rule changes and to increase the popularity of the sport. Dozens of big-name free agents were available at the lockout's conclusion and teams across the entire league gobbled them up in hopes of adding significant talent. Bertuzzi was reinstated in the league after his violent hit on Steve Moore a few seasons ago. If you're a hockey fan, there was a little more drama to witness than usual during the season as all of these things played out.
So what about these rule changes? Two line passes were allowed, goals were moved back, and the attacking zones were enlarged. A huge crackdown on obstruction penalties was promised (again) by the league. Arguably, all of these things actually made a difference in the season. Scoring was up. Officials actually did crack down on obstruction infractions. Perhaps the most exciting change was allowing the two-line pass. I go to about 20 games a year, and I don't ever remember seeing so many breakway passes as I did this past season.
The free-agent spree played out as expected - the good teams (e.g. Edmonton) used the opportunity to find players that would compliment their core lineup. The bad ones (e.g. Pittsburgh) tried to build a new identity with them. I don't know how Pittsburgh expected to succeed with short-term free agents when they had no team to start with.
On the bright side of Pittsburgh, they landed Sidney Crosby in the draft. The hockey world has nothing but the highest expectations of Crosby, as he's predicted to be the next Gretzky. Washington's Alexander Ovechkin arguably had a much better rookie season than Crosby. Ovechkin has size and strenth, and Crosby hasn't developed those attributes yet at the NHL level. I don't think there will ever be another Gretzky. Sorry kid. However if Pittsburgh plays their cards right (ha, yeah right) then they will be able to build a winning team easily around Crosby.
I don't have any objective data to support this, but I don't think that the NHL gained any popularity at all this season. Fans came back after the lockout, but if anything support for the sport fell because they lacked a decent TV contract. The NHL was available on the Outdoor Life Network all year, but not everyone gets that channel in their basic cable package. Compared to ESPN, it was just bad. But I don't blame ESPN for deciding to nto renew their TV deal with the NHL either. The NHL is difficult to watch on TV, and a game of hockey in the NHL is sometimes a little boring. Players are so strong and fast now that they've outgrown the size of the rink. They skate too fast and hit too hard to allow any open space for playmaking. The NHL needs to stop being stubborn really head in a new direction. More rule changes and more marketing are needed. HDTV may ultimately save the NHL so that it can be watched on TV more enjoyably.
In the end, Carolina won the cup. It's the second year in a row where a non-traditional hockey market has won the championship over a hard-core hockey market (Edmonton). Arguably, both markets are small in comparison to the eastern teams like New York and Philadelphia or other large cities like Chicago and Los Angeles. There's always been talk of how the NHL needed a Stanley Cup team in a big market in order to increase the popularity of the sport, but if the NHL wants to keep all 30 of its teams then it needs to accept the fact that many teams that aren't in large or popular markets will likely be playing in the cup finals year after year.
What will we see next year? We'll probably see some new rules put into play to help increase scoring again. I'd look for further crackdowns on goalie pad sizes and more debate on increasing the size of the goals. Look for the introduction of the new NHL jerseys next year too - a sleeker, more form-fitting jersey. Also look for new types of marketing and advertising in the league. I'm thinking the NHL might consider putting sponsors on the jerseys themselves.
A wave of young free agents will also crop up this next off season. Look for smarter teams like the Wild who are building through the draft to look at these players.
It was a good season. I'll be paying close attention to the off-season activity and the draft in June. Here's to the greatest (although very un-popular) game on earth!