Good Trends

More European players brought spectacular skills: Jaromir Jagr of the Czech Republic became the first European-born and trained player to win the NHL scoring title, in 1995. Teemu Selanne of Finland set a rookie record by scoring 76 goals in 1992-93. In 1989-90, non-North American born players born outside North America constituted 12% of the NHL’s players. By 1998-99, non-North Americans hit an all-time high of 23.9% of the players on NHL rosters.

Crackdown on bench-clearing brawls: There are more bench-clearing brawls in baseball than in hockey. Hefty fines to coaches and teams ensure no coach tells a player to go out there “and don’t dance.”

TV exposure has grown: Instead of a “national” deal with SportsChannel, which was unavailable in more than half of the league’s cities, the NHL made a four-year deal with Fox and strengthened its ties with ESPN and ESPN2. Its new deal, with ABC/ESPN/Disney, is likely to provide even more exposure through cross-promotions on the various networks.

Bad Trends

Overexpansion: In 1989-90, the NHL had 21 teams. The Nashville Predators brought the NHL’s ranks to 27 teams this season, and three more will join in the next two seasons. Talent is stretched thin everywhere. Few teams have three respectable lines.

The neutral-zone trap: The darling of expansion teams and the scourge of fans who appreciate creativity, it made teams instantly competitive, although at a mediocre level. Its popularity is fading slowly.

Ugly third uniforms: The figure on the Kings’ uniform looked too much like Bruce McNall. Tradition was ignored in the rush to sell merchandise.

Moves to sterile, luxury box-filled arenas and the abandonment of Chicago Stadium, and the Montreal Forum and Maple Leaf Gardens: The Blackhawks and Canadiens have had horrible home records since. Coincidence? Hardly.

The exodus from Canada: The Jets left Winnipeg for Phoenix, the Nordiques left Quebec for Denver and only a last-minute community drive kept the Oilers in Edmonton. Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa receive subsidies from the NHL, and their future remains murky because of the weakness of the Canadian dollar.

Ads on the ice: No other sport has actual advertisements on its field of play; the closest is baseball, which permits ads on outfield fences. It cheapens the sport.