It's baaack!

Well, the NHL is back in a big way after last night's opening night reintroduced fans to the game we've missed for some 16 months.

I know for myself and for some of my co-workers we had been counting down the days until the NHL's regular season kick-off for quite some time now.

I'm happy to see that after taking in last night's double header I was not left disappointed. I have heard a smattering of complaints about the supposed boredom of the Leafs/Sens game that TSN broadcast last night but I didn't find it to be boring at all. Sure there were spots that didn't take your breath away but, for the most part, the game served as a perfect appetizer to warm hockey fans up for the smorgasbord of what will be a healthy dose of NHL hockey for the next 8 months.

I was thrilled to see the continued enforcement of the new rules by NHL referees. There was more room for the offensively gifted players to work their magic. Guys were actually using their sticks to shoot instead of just wrapping it around an opposing players waste and holding on for dear life.

And contrary to what people such as Philadelphia's coach Ken Hitchcock have said, the game most certainly did not lack passion. There were a ton of good, CLEAN hits- just ask Eric Lindros as he was on both the receiving and donating ends of big hits all night- and both teams went hard for 65 minutes plus the shootout.

I for one would much rather watch a player like Jason Spezza or Jason Allison be able to create scoring chances out there than to watch a big plug like Derian Hatcher clutch and grab players to death. I think Ken Hitchcock is upset because he knows he's got a blueline of big, slow defencemen who, without being able to hook on or grab on to opposing players, are going to be relatively useless in the new-look NHL.

I think the NHL is on the right track. People want to see goals. People want to see skilled players making skilled plays. People also still want to see the physical component but done so in a way that enhances the speed and intensity of the game, not slow it down and rob the game of any flow. The game I saw last night between Toronto and Ottawa did just that. It had all the components (except for maybe a few more goals but that was more a testimony of some good goaltending then a lack of scoring opportunities) of an exciting, entertaining hockey game.

The bottom line is that when the final buzzer sounds the NHL wants its fans to leave the building talking about how great a game that was, without giving consideration to how much they just spent and how little they received in return.

The new rules and the new look NHL will provide its fans with a much better return on investment and when you're in business, isn't that what it's all about?

I applaud the NHL for taking the risk and making some much-needed changes in order to make a great game even greater. This hockey fan has put the past 16-months behind him and I more than happy to once again support the NHL and watch as it works its way back into the fold as one of the "big 4".

At least we know that in Canada, the NHL will always be #1 and perhaps now in this new era that will be enough to keep the league going for a long, long time.