re: My kid is suddenly a HOCKEY FAN...(update-sort of)

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Make sure he becomes a Calgary Flames fan. If not he's doing it wrong IMO.

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anddddddddd we found Baloo's alter....finally

I wouldn't worry too much about the rules when you first start watching. Just watch and you'll pick up a team on your own. Just don't let it be the Penguins unless you are a soulless front-runner.

The one rule you really do need to know is offside. That big blue line? The puck has to cross it before any offensive player can. And once you are in zone, if the puck crosses the blue line again, all of the offensive players have to leave and start over. Almost all tactics start with the blue line.

But ironsides' guide is pretty spot on. No hits from behind, stay on your feet, and don't use the stick as a weapon.

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I wouldn't worry too much about the rules when you first start watching. Just watch and you'll pick up a team on your own. Just don't let it be the Penguins unless you are a soulless front-runner.

The one rule you really do need to know is offside. That big blue line? The puck has to cross it before any offensive player can. And once you are in zone, if the puck crosses the blue line again, all of the offensive players have to leave and start over. Almost all tactics start with the blue line.

But ironsides' guide is pretty spot on. No hits from behind, stay on your feet, and don't use the stick as a weapon.

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This. Hockey's a really easy sport to follow. Icing and offsides are basically the only rules you need to know, besides different penalties (and when a penalty occurs is normally pretty obvious, even if you know nothing about the game). I always laugh when people say they can never get into hockey because they don't know the rules, yet they're able to follow sports like baseball and football. Because those have much, much more simpler rules.

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I tried to explain football to an Englishman one time. He had never seen a game, and we watch an LSU game together. I gave up by the second quarter and just told him to watch us hit people. Football is absurdly complex.

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Basically all sports with "goals" are very easy for even the most casual fan to start watching (soccer, basketball, hockey, etc.). I know next to nothing about handball or water polo, but I can easily watch them in the Olympics. Sports like baseball, cricket, football (which I guess has a "goal", but so many rules that you need to understand to enjoy the game), etc., are very difficult to follow if you don't know the rules beforehand.

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i feel bad for the guy having to watch a les miles coached team as his first game

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You've obviously haven't seen the NY Rangers play this year if overpaid and underperforming is where you're going with that statement.

The Rangers remodeled Madison Square Garden this summer. It's evident that they made extra room in the locker room for all the pianos that are on the players backs because that's the only excuse for the way they are skating.

Apparently all of Lennay Kakuah's (sp?) are playing defense for the Rangers.

This is a good working list for the novice fan. Quick primer on each for the novice free agent fan:

Blackhawks: 11 games
Great defense, big named stars who are also young, fanatical fan base. Original Six team which counts for a lot. Honestly, can’t go wrong with the Hawks.

Bruins: 11 games
Tough, physical, and deep. If you like the “bad guys” who put the literal hurt on people, this is your team. Their star player is a 6’8” defenseman who almost paralyzed a guy. If you think that is an endorsement, this is your kind of team.

Caps: 8 games
Attacking hockey anchored by one of the game’s most exciting players. Speed, speed, and more speed. They are also the second most heart-breaking franchise to root for. They will lose, and it will hurt.

Sabres: 7 games
Ryan Miller. What else do you need to know? Great American goalie backstopping a very deep team of anonymous players. They are the bluest of blue collar teams.

Kings: 7 games
Defending Cup champs and a bit of a trendy team, but they have a great defense and an even better goalie. You’re probably signing up for a hangover, but this is a really good team even if they lack history.

St Louis: 7 games
A team so insanely deep that they have two great goalies. I think they have about ten guys who scored 20 goals. A team devoid of stars, but one of the few teams that has talent down to the last man. They win because all of their second and third liners are better than yours. They also are the most heartbreaking team to root for in hockey history.

Red Wings: 11 games
Old. Really frickin’ old. The dominant team of the past 20 years, but signing up now seems like signing up for the inevitable rebuild. Of course, they might have one more last gasp in ‘em.

Rangers: 13 games
Let’s not kid ourselves. The best team in hockey, on paper. They are from NYC, which is inherently obnoxious, but you are signing up for a loaded team that is gunning for the Cup.

Devils: 12 games
The most boring team in existence. They will finish as the sixth seed and advance to the Eastern conference finals. Like always. Brodeur’s gotta retire eventually.

Penguins: 15 games
The most bandwagon team in hockey. Being a new hockey fan and signing up for the Pens is like starting to watch the NBA and deciding to be a Heat fan.

Flyers: 15 games
This team is a cult. Deep, talented, physical… but this is a very “Philly” team. They don’t just wanna win, they wanna beat the crap out of you. BONUS: the terrible goalkeeping will keep you on the edge of your seat in every game. You have no idea the joy of rooting for a great team with a shaky goalie. It’s white knuckles to the extreme.

I didn't get into hockey until 1997 when the Hurricanes moved down here. I really enjoy it now though. I go to a few games a year (best live sport in the world) and I get all the Canes games in HD on Fox Sports Carolinas. Being able to get all the games on TV of your favorite/local team really helps develop a connection with them, IMO.

Damn, thanks for that list, I've always watched the NHL playoffs but I want to follow the season a little deeper this year, Bruins are who I always pull for, and I also like Ryan Miller, who won me over in the Olympics a few years back

Well, ironsides did the legwork for how much they are on TV. I just expanded his list.

BTW -- tonight is Vinny Lecavalier's 1000th game. He's got to be one of the more universally liked players in the game, even in his prime, so it's a cool milestone for a guy who has labored in an obscure hockey market for his whole career. Give it up for the Bolts tonight.