Lemieux: Consider Full-Time 4-on-4

[John]

Lemieux: Consider Full-Time 4-on-4


PITTSBURGH (AP) ? Mario Lemieux, convinced the NHL isn't nearly as wide open as he thought from the owner's box, wonders if the league should play with four skaters a side all the time, not just in overtime.

Lemieux, speaking as much as the Pittsburgh Penguins owner as a player, said more wide-open hockey would develop new fans and help eliminate tactics such as the neutral zone trap.

``Maybe that's something the league has to take a look at to open up the game,'' Lemieux said. ``I don't know if it's (that) or making the ice wider or bigger. The players are so big and strong, there is no room on the ice 5-on-5, especially when a team plays a trap.

``When you have 4-on-4, and you have some great players on the ice, the game is very exciting.''

Penguins captain Jaromir Jagr had the same idea last year. However, the NHL Players Association no doubt would be against any radical change that might eliminate players' jobs, even if 4-on-4 play forced coaches to use more lines and make quicker line changes.

Lemieux's remarks came after the Penguins were held to four goals in two games by the expansion Minnesota Wild, who have embraced the neutral zone trap in their first year of existence.

Lemieux criticized the Wild's clutching and grabbing following a 4-2 loss Sunday and said it wasn't the style of play the NHL was trying to sell.

[umroller]

I personally feel that ice hockey and roller hockey are two very distinct sports. I have played both most of my life and while there are many similarities there are just as many differences. To make ice hockey 4 on 4 would remove some of that distinctiveness. There are better ways to open up the game as Mario desires. One that has been thrown around, and that I feel would be a good move, would be to remove the 2-line pass rule from ice hockey. This would single-handedly remove most of the threat of the neutral zone trap which is what he's concerned about.



http://members.aol.com/umroller/images/benecrha.jpg

[John]

If your interested in voicing your opinion, Canoe is conducting a poll.


http://canoe.com/Canoe/home.html

[Dave44]

Mario's an idiot and has always been one of the biggest babies in the league. He IS a phenominal player, and it's a big plus for the league to have him back, but it didn't take long for him to show his true colors again. Remember when he retired? It was because the league wouldn't crack down on the clutching- anything that hampered his play he cried about. Soon he'll want to due away with CHECKING!

[poptart]

Maybe Mario should forget about the NHL and join a roller hockey league...That way he wont have to worry about all the little rules he wants to see gone in the NHL.....

[ggriffaw]

Do you enjoy watching the old Devils and the current Minnesota Wild? They are pretty boring. Clutching and grabbing is a penalty. It always has. It is called holding and interference. They just enforce it more at some times.

Four on four or making the ice surface bigger has been talked about for years. The players are against four on four because it takes away jobs. It is difficult to make the ice surface bigger because it is very expensive and it takes away several rows of high priced seats.

The only way to not have the game be slowed down to a crawl is to enforce the rules. Hockey is supposed to be about speed and skill, not who can hold the best.

[RichardGraham]

Hi Gary,

I'm with you on this. Great reply.

Your order of the complete 23-issue collection of InLine Hockey News magazine will be shipped out to you today.

Thanks for your support.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[Eccinline19]

Has anyone else noticed that now that people will actually touch Mario that he's bitching and moaning again?? Everything was great when he was scoring 2 points a game and no one would check or do anything to him. I think he should shut up and realize that the rules have been the same since the beginning of the sport and they're not going to change for him. 4 on 4 would turn the NHL into a joke. Sure, it would be great for Mario, but I don't want to see scores of 11-8 in the NHL.

[ggriffaw]

Mario started complaining after playing the Minnesota Wild who use the trap.

Also, having a bad back makes you a little grumpy.

The rules have not been the same forever. The NHL makes changes almost every year. In addition, the interpretation of the same rules change from year to year. The game in the last few years doesn't look much like the game from th 80s when the Oilers were at their best.

Goal scoring has been down for a while. Do you think the defenseman and goalies have improved that much or is it because there is more holding, hooking, and interference?

Minnesota is just 3 games under 500 this late in the season. They do not have that much talent. The trap allows them to slow down the talented players enough so they can win some games. They have the lowest goals for and goals against totals in the league.

Another thing to keep in mind is that when Mario says something, it gets put in the headlines. 99% of the players do not get statements put in the headlines even if they say the exact same thing that Mario said.

[Hockey_nut97]

If you knew anything about Mario Lemieux, you would know that he retired due to his bad back. What u said is pure bogus, and if you knew half as much about hockey as u think u do, then you would never bash a legend such as Mario.