5 Ways to fix the NHL

5 ways to fix the National Hockey League, picked out of Al Strachan's "10 ways to fix the NHL":

1. Fire Gary Bettman

Most of the problems that plague the game are the result of decisions — or non-decisions — made by Bettman. His lack of imagination in labor conflicts caused two devastating lockouts. The first, in 1994, destroyed the promising future that awaited the NHL as a byproduct of the New York Rangers' Stanley Cup victory. The second, 10 years later, destroyed most remaining American interest in the league. Bettman has done an excellent job for a dozen or so investors, but for the rest of the league and for the game itself, he has been a disaster.

2. Get back on TV

Even if it takes buying out the remaining year of the Versus deal, the NHL has to get itself onto a major network as soon as possible. Because of the insipid game that Bettman had foisted upon the fans — low-scoring, restraint-dominated affairs — the NHL was going to have its product relegated to ESPN2 after the lockout. But even that had to be better than Versus which is simply not available in most venues. Furthermore, hockey highlights would have been shown on ESPN and at the moment, with very rare exceptions, that's not the case.

3. Restructure the season

Training camps are a throwback to the days when players spent the summer delivering beer — or drinking it. Nowadays, they come to camp in excellent condition. As a result, training camps could be shortened and the season could start earlier, which would in turn allow an earlier finish. Most people don't want to be watching hockey in June. In the playoffs, force teams to either make their building available when the results call for it or lose the home-ice advantage, thereby putting an end to these week-long delays between series.

4. Fix the ice

This one is difficult to impose, but it's crucial. The skills that today's players possess is phenomenal, but too often, they are negated by bad ice. The problem tends to be at its worst at the most important time of the season — in the playoffs when the warm weather is arriving. The league should be funding university research that can discover ways to keep the ice hard and chip-free; it should demand top quality ice plants in every building; and it should penalize teams which stage various ice-destroying shows hours before Stanley Cup games.

5. Market the players

These guys are the most articulate, entertaining and accessible athletes in pro sports yet as soon as one of them says something remotely controversial, Bettman and his minions rush to silence them. Build some commercials around them. Increase their image. The league knows how much the players can sell the game, but too many owners feel that if they market the player, then his salary demands would increase accordingly. That's probably true but it's time to stop worrying about such matters.

Thanks to Al for this article, it provides a certain indication of the improvements the NHL has to bring to the game.

To view the list of all "10 resolutions", click here, but I personally find the 5 solutions I haven't posted in this article, ridiculous and useless.