With the cancellation of the National Hockey League season, there is little talk about hockey these days. The ice has melted. The nets are stored away. The scoreboards are dark. We’re reduced to discussing hypothetical hockey. Imagine you are the coach of the Chicago Black Hawks and scheduled to play a game against the Montreal Canadians at The Forum arena in Montreal. Upon arriving at the arena, you meet the opposing coach who provides a tour of their remodeled facility. As your tour progresses you inquire about two conspicuous absences. There is no scoreboard above, and there are no nets on the rink. The Canadians’ coach explains that they are over budget and short on time and so the game will have to be played sans nets and scoreboard. Would you agree to play anyway? Imagine what such a game might look like. Players skating, checking (yes, perhaps even fighting) in attempting to maintain possession of the puck. For what purpose?
As silly as this sounds, there are an astonishing number of organizations demanding that their so-called teams perform under the these conditions.
