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Why should you care? Supremely talented Sidney Crosby tops the list of reasons you should give the NHL another chance

Sporting News, The, Sept 30, 2005 by Paul Grant

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Nashville Predators * Sullivan, Kariya and Vokoun cause this team's fortunes to balloon. Key new guys: LW Paul Kariya, D Danny Markov.

Phoenix Coyotes [up arrow] New faces and Gretzky behind the bench help mask previous seasons' foul stench. Key new guys: RW Brett Hull, D Sean O'Donnell, C Patr Nedved, C Mike Ricci, D Denis Gauthier, G Curtis Joseph.

St. Louis Blues [down arrow] New players can't fill skates of those lost, so playoff hopes will be tossed. Key new guys: G Patrick Lalime, D Eric Brewer.

San Jose Sharks [down arrow] Not replacing key veterans will hurt, turning title hopes into dirt. Key new guys: None.

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Vancouver Canucks [down arrow] The Bertuzzi circus will travel to and fro, delivering Cup hopes a fatal blow. Key new guys: RW Anson Carter, D Steve McCarthy, C Richard Park.

REASON #5

THE PLAYERS WANT YOU BACK

The players' reasons you should care:

Jeremy Roeniek, Kings

The game is back: People have missed the heck out of the game. Hockey fans are real, and they missed the game like crazy.

Rivalries: These are great for the game. Here in L.A., I can't wait for Kings-Ducks. Also, Detroit-Chicago and Philly-New Jersey are among the best, along with Toronto-Montreal.

Guaranteed winners: I personally can't wait for the shootout. That is going to be exciting all by itself.

Young players: The arrival of a new generation of players--not only Sidney Crosby but that kid in Washington, Alex Ovechkin. He is going to be some player.

Joe Thornton, Bruins

New attitude: Players and teams are looking forward to showing our fans how much we appreciate them. We've all been trying hard during training camp to meet the fans, talk to them and sign autographs.

New teammates: A lot of great players have changed teams, and everyone has something to prove.

New endings: No one liked tie games--not players and not fans. The shootout is another exciting thing for fans to watch.

Brad Richards, Lightning

Speed thrills: Look for teams like the Lightning to do everything we can to exploit the new rules, especially the abolishment of the red line. Our coach, John Tortorella, likes to play a little bit of fast-break hockey anyway. Now we will really try to go.

Gretzky-era scoring: If the league calls the obstruction penalties the way it says it will, it means lots of uptempo hockey, hopefully bringing scoring back to a level we haven't seen since Wayne Gretzky and the Oilers were scoring in handfuls.

Sidney Crosby: Having worked with him at summer camps in eastern Canada, I know how special he can be. And with Mario Lemieux as a mentor, we might be looking at something more than just special. But let's not put too much pressure on him. Remember, he is just 18.

Mike Modano, Stars

Better flow: The removal of the red line for two-line passes, combined with cracking down on obstruction, will add up to more odd-man rushes and a better flow to the game.

World-class players: We have the best players in the world, both on and off the ice. I've talked to a lot of players, and we all have the same attitude--the fans come first, and we want to show them that we care about them a lot.

Why should you care? Supremely talented Sidney Crosby tops the list of reasons you should give the NHL another chance

Sporting News, The, Sept 30, 2005 by Paul Grant

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