Hockey on Life Support In Philadelphia

January 31, 2006 | By Matthew List | Discuss

With the new hockey rules now firmly in place it is time to take an early look on their impact on the Philadelphia Flyers and their fan base. First we must take into account that the team is in the basement, but why? The Flyers set an attendance record in the 99-00 season with an average of 19,614 fans per game only to come back from the strike and break that record last year with an average of 19,653 fans per game. The factors of last year were simple; Peter Forseberg, a Calder Cup during the strike and no hockey for a full year. Many of us diehards felt like rummy during prohibition without our beloved puck.  If this years numbers hold up the Flyers will see an average of 19,262 fans per game this year. More than likely it will be less if the team continues to decline. While the numbers are what they are, if you attend a Flyers game you will notice that the building has become a tomb of sorts and those numbers the Flyers give us are much bolstered. 
 
So what’s the reason? Poor play and a bad team are surely one. Forseberg has missed more than half of his games with his various injuries and skate issues, but this is hockey, not baseball. Every team each year faces its fair share of injuries and, believe it or not Philadelphia is not the only city that loses its superstars for globs of games on end. Overrating the talent is certainly another. We watched Jeff Carter and Brad Richards tear up the World Juniors before winning a Calder Cup with the Phantoms. Joni Pitkanen was about to be the next Mark Howe until this season, now he’s rumored in various trade talks. Keith Primue never getting back on the ice was probably the back breaker in the scenario. There is still another reason that overrides all of this.
 
 
  The new rules stink! We actually watched a one on three goal scored by the Lightning a few games ago. How many times has that happened? I urge you to hearken back to the game we grew up with in Philadelphia. I know, we love fights. Well we do! Who Doesn’t? We love more than that however. We love physical bone crushing hits; we love defensemen who spill their teeth on the ice like Chiclets to block a shot from going in. We love passion. The game is now turned into a form of basketball on ice. Far too many penalties are being called per game. This kills the flow and confuses the players.  I spoke with Craig Ludwig a few years ago after he retired from the Stars. He showed me many of the nuances of playing defense in the NHL. He showed me how to hold up an oncoming forward, how to slew foot, how to literally steer a skater where you wanted him to go. All of this has been taken away by the new rules. Now it’s a “hands off” league. This lack of physicality does not bode well for the future of the Flyers. A team who’s fan base was built on the blood and guts of the Broad street Bullies of the mid seventies and who became forged as a cult with the teams of the early and mid eighties. This is no longer our game Philadelphia; it belongs to Europe now along with soccer.