This is further proof that the NHL is fucking desperate to gain fans. Even though they aren't playing (obviously), the NHL is using the Sabres minor league team as a guinea pig to test out blue colored ice with the hope that it will attract more people to go to the games and watch on TV when the NHL resumes play. This is fucking ridiculous. The blue lines are now orange, and the red line is now dark blue. This almost makes FOX's glowing puck look tame in comparison.



http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=565&e=11&u=/ap/hkn_blue_ice_experiment

Don't be so hasty. I'm gonna be going to this game and am trying to keep an open mind. I'll let you know how it looks rinkside.

Boise State's got nothin' on us.

why would people watch to see a different color ice? i'm sure i would flash past it just to see what it looked like, but actually watching would be the question.

I think this is being done with the TV viewer in mind, not the in-arena experience. Part of the NHL's problem has been that, for some, it's not a very watchable sport on television (particularly when compared with football). This isn't being done just to be different (like Boise State, for example); I think it's an effort to make the play on ice easier to see.

I don't see how making the ice darker helps that, but I applaud the effort to at least try something different at this point. Hopefully the new rule changes they're in the process of testing in the AHL will yield some good results as well.

The reason why I'm being so hasty is that I hate gimmicks with my hockey. I don't understand why the NHL feels that they need to appeal to everyone. They don't understand that some people will never watch hockey. They are kind of in the same situation that soccer is in, but to a much lesser extent. Hockey and soccer are not an American sports like football, basketball, and baseball are. I would hate for the NHL to try to "dumb down" the game to appeal to a wider American audience.

I don't consider it a gimmick when the NHL isn't even playing and they're testing the concept with the AHL. I think it's a legitimate attempt to experiment with some different things to see what may work better.

And if you feel they don't need to appeal to more people, then you can say good-bye to your 18,000 seat arenas and seeing your favorite team on TV. The single most important reason they're not playing right now is because they've become a niche sport that doesn't generate enough appeal to be healthy economically.

Hockey is, in my opinion, the most watchable sport on TV. The pace is so much faster than any other sport, there's as much physical play as any other sport... how can you not enjoy it? I've never understood that. Is it because people just can't follow it?

That's because you understand hockey and know what's going on at all times. Most casual observers, however, have trouble following the puck, let alone what's going on elsewhere.

what's next hockey players with glowing helmets?......it won't matter, the nhl is dead, if anyone here thinks there is gonna be a next season, don't bet on it.

I'll bet on it.

That's what I assumed, but it's not hard to understand. Offside, icing, two-line passes... it's not a complicated game.

Black puck... white surface (or blue...) How is it hard to follow the puck? Maybe it's just because I've watched hockey my whole life, but I don't understand how it's a hard game to follow. The rules aren't confusing. Penalties are easily definable.

FUCKIN LEAF FANS

boise's blue is much better

this one is pretty light

Are they going to call the blue lines the orange lines now? I don't see how blue ice makes the game easier or more enjoyable to watch. I've never heard anyone say, "You know, I could get into hockey, but that ice is just so damn white." Most people don't follow hockey because they don't know what constitiutes icing or why only certain referees have orange am bands. They just don't understand the game itself.

As for difficulty following the puck, that I can understand. Living in Cali and Texas when I was much younger, I didn't really start watching hockey until my early teens and I remember having a little trouble with that at first. I don't see how blue ice is supposed to help that though. I'm not necessarily against this, I just don't see the point.

I've never quite understood how people can't catch on to at least the basic aspects of the game to find it enjoyable. It's really not that complicated. Hell, ESPN even used to do those "we explain the game for 1st timers" telecasts. I mean, you don't need to understand obstruction hooking to enjoy watching hockey.

Actually I never click on any hockey thread in here. But i was reading the blue ice thing and was like WTF? neat and clicked on this link. But now that Ive seen it I dont care one way or the other and still wont care about hockey.

I find hockey to be the most unwatchable sport simply because I don;t care what happens. A lot Americans do, and alot don;t. It's not hard to understand the game.

I hope things get fixed so that hockey fans will have thier game, but i dont much see how this blue colour helps.

I predict this will solve all of the NHL's problems. Because it's obvious that the reason casual fans can't follow such a fast-paced game is because the ice was the wrong color.

Honestly, FOX's glowing puck was a better answer to THAT problem.

You guys are acting like this is going to immediately be used for the NHL from now until eternity and destroy the game. They're just trying a bunch of different crap to see what might work. It can't hurt to, at the very least, try some different approaches.

I know hockey and love watching it on TV, but it's become obvious that the general American public does not like watching it. The league isn't going to survive, and more importantly, thrive if the TV ratings continue their downward trend (if you can even call it a trend--they've sucked for a few years without much movement).

You may not care about that, but unless you're willing to shell out a shitload of money for season tickets, you're not going to be be able to watch your team every few nights on TV.