The Death of Hockey

Janet Money, a former sports editor of the Woodstock Daily
Sentinel-Review, is a Toronto-based freelance writer.

The Death of Hockey is a 231-page rant against the state of the National
Hockey League at the turn of the century. Klein and Reif blame the
following factors for what they see as the game’s decline: expansion
beyond that achieved in 1970 when “their” team, the Buffalo Sabres,
was added to the NHL; an overlong schedule; fighting and clutch-and-grab
tactics that are not consistently penalized; a dearth of goals resulting
from a combination of lack of talent and oversized goalie equipment;
gigantic sportsplex arenas that distance the fans from the action; loud
rock music that’s played during stoppages in play; and inept team
owners and NHLorganization.

Most of these factors are cited in the book’s concluding “Hockey
Fan’s Manifesto 1998–99,” which goes on to list 15 demands for
change, including putting a moratorium on further expansion, stopping
teams from moving from Canada to the United States, abolishing video
replays, and restoring team rivalries.

The average reader is not likely to respond positively to this tiresome
collection of complaints.