Throughout the offseason, it seemed as though hockey fans were counting down the days until preseason hockey began. But now that it’s here, fans are starting to wonder what the point of the preseason is. The games don’t matter. Half the time, we don’t know most of the players in the game on either team. Well, in the spirit of the preseason, it seemed like the right time to remind everyone that it is an important time for everyone in the NHL. It’s important for coaches to get a look at young players, it’s important for players to get their feet wet, and it’s important for fans to get into mid-season form.
Here’s a list of 20 reasons why the preseason is important:
- It teaches everyone to avoid Brooks Orpik’s knee.
- It’s an opportunity for Canucks fans to start surrounding Cody Hodgson with ridiculous amounts of hype.
Who has two fists and is taking the preseason off? This guy!
- For Sheldon Souray to do nothing.
- It gives Wade Redden plenty of time to look for adequate housing in Hartford.
- It’s a good opportunity for Buffalo Sabres fans to figure out where Darcy Regier took his annual three-month summer vacation while he didn’t do anything to help his team.
- So that San Jose Sharks fans can learn what it’s like to watch a team without defense.
- It’s a great opportunity for fans to learn the names of all the players who will be on their AHL team – then forget them all once the season’s underway.
- On the flip side, it gives Blackhawks fans a chance to learn the names of their defending Stanley Cup Champions.
- It gives all fans in Dallas a chance to warm-up their smack talk before Willa Ford visits the American Airlines Center for the Stars home opener.
Playing in the crucible of pressure that is St. Louis, MO
- It allows time for fans in New York to organize another “Fire Sather” rally, and fans in Long Island and New Jersey the chance to organize “Don’t Fire Sather” rallies.
- Provides ample time for people in Detroit and Vancouver to make sure their tinfoil hats fit correctly.
- It’s a good time for Sean Avery to purchase and flaunt the proper autumn attire.
- It gives the Ducks time to truly contemplate the fact that Scott Neidermayer and Chris Pronger have been replaced by Lubomir Visnovsky and Andy Sutton.
- It allows plenty of time for Caps GM George McPhee to aquire Sharks GM Doug Wilson’s phone number and ask him the proper way to answer every question that contains the phrase “choke in the playoffs.”
- It gives a chance for expectations in LA to inflate to the size of Dion Phaneuf’s ego.
- It will let Jaroslav Halak learn how to deal with the pressures of playing in St. Louis.
- It gives Roberto Luongo the chance to get used to seeing the letter ‘C’ where it belongs – at the beginning of “Canucks.”
- It’s a reminder to fans all over the world that they follow the NHL because of the greatness of the game, not the 17 15 year contracts.
- Dale Tallon can take the time to work on a Delorean to fast forward 5 years when they’ll be a good team on the ice with horrific cap problems.
- And last but not least, Preseason: A last opportunity for hockey bloggers to recycle all of their offseason jokes.
Matt Reitz is the Editor-In-Chief here at ViewFromMySeats.com and former NHL Writer for ProHockeyTalk on NBCSports. When he’s not shoving a mic in the face of NHLers or explaining why home teams should wear white, he’s usually trying to figure out what song to play next on his iPod. It’s a never-ending job.
