A Proposal for a Canadian National Hockey League (CNHL)
I post these thoughts as I wait in an airport watching everyone gear up for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup.
I’m not a hockey fan.
I think I’m one of those very few Canadians that openly admit this.
I really don’t like the idea of spending millions on watching a bunch of goons kick the crap out of each other and there’s not a chance in hell that my son will ever play with my permission.
Anyways, there’s a remote possibility that I could be converted and, sigh, become a ‘true’ Canadian.
All I need is someone like Jim Balsillie to flip the bird to arses like Gary Bettman and fund a unique, Canada-only hockey league.
A professional Canadian National Hockey League.
(Sorry Canadian Hockey League).
It would be the start of a powerful and important message from all of Canada: the NHL can go f*** itself.
Conditions? You’re damn right there’d be conditions:
- It would be a professional league
- Any city with a population greater than X (let’s agree on a population size or stadium size and make it happen) would be eligible to support a team
- While international investors would be welcome, majority ownership would remain in Canada. I would prefer a co-op model where all Canadians could become owners of the new league
- Existing Canadian NHL teams would be welcome to convert to the CNHL, but if they opt out, they wouldn’t be forced to close shop. See if you can compete against a REAL league.
- The rules would change. Anyone that hits another player and puts him out of any games (including ice time during an existing game if it’s a minor wound) would be removed from play as long as the other player is removed from play. They would be banned from playing after a three-strike rule. Unnecessary and obvious violence simply won’t be tolerated.
- Equipment would change. The armour that the NHLers wear today is obscene and unnecessary.
So … Canada. What do you think? Isn’t it time we were a part of something we could all be proud of?