Oleg Tverdovsky, the Red Line, and Big Ice
Jan 22, 2004 13:51:27 GMT -5
Post by BadCompany on Jan 22, 2004 13:51:27 GMT -5
Coming soon, to a theater near you!
Actually, no. Tverdovsky recently weighed in on life in the NHL, whether the NHL should go to the big ice, and whether the NHL should remove the red line. His answers may suprise some (though I have never liked the "remove the red line" idea).
-Would you recommend going NHL-ice size?
-I think so. Russia would have only benefited. Hockey would have become more attractive with more body contact. Every shot on goal would have become more dangerous for goaltenders. That would allow to get rid of the space which is useless.
Will we lose our this combinational part of our domestic brand of hockey which our hockey was always famous for?
-I am afraid Russian fans might not like my answer, but we can not go back to old Soviet hockey because of the faster speeds, clutching and grabbing. That is why the big ice is not helping to new generation of the players.
-What do you think of another European invention- no red line, which according to IIHF gives hockey more offence.
-Very negative. I think Europeans made a mistake.
-Why?
-Before, defensemen had a chance to be more active and put pressure near the center ice, now if you get to center line and here goes the pass behind your back.
Getting rid of the red line IIHF basically made the defensemen stay at the own blue line, now when the team gets the puck we all have to get back and regroup in our own end. In other words, this made hockey more closed.
If I am not mistaken, the statistics show the same thing. There is less goals in Europe in average. I am sure NHL did a right thing not to get rid of red line.
www.rushockey.com/events.php?i=sl&stream=sl_interviews&id=105
Actually, no. Tverdovsky recently weighed in on life in the NHL, whether the NHL should go to the big ice, and whether the NHL should remove the red line. His answers may suprise some (though I have never liked the "remove the red line" idea).
-Would you recommend going NHL-ice size?
-I think so. Russia would have only benefited. Hockey would have become more attractive with more body contact. Every shot on goal would have become more dangerous for goaltenders. That would allow to get rid of the space which is useless.
Will we lose our this combinational part of our domestic brand of hockey which our hockey was always famous for?
-I am afraid Russian fans might not like my answer, but we can not go back to old Soviet hockey because of the faster speeds, clutching and grabbing. That is why the big ice is not helping to new generation of the players.
-What do you think of another European invention- no red line, which according to IIHF gives hockey more offence.
-Very negative. I think Europeans made a mistake.
-Why?
-Before, defensemen had a chance to be more active and put pressure near the center ice, now if you get to center line and here goes the pass behind your back.
Getting rid of the red line IIHF basically made the defensemen stay at the own blue line, now when the team gets the puck we all have to get back and regroup in our own end. In other words, this made hockey more closed.
If I am not mistaken, the statistics show the same thing. There is less goals in Europe in average. I am sure NHL did a right thing not to get rid of red line.
www.rushockey.com/events.php?i=sl&stream=sl_interviews&id=105
