swflyers25
7-23-05, 3:34 PM
Ken Hitchcock
On the Rules Changes:
?Everybody is focused on the red line. But, it?s more where the goaltenders can?t freeze the puck unnecessarily, so those pucks have to be put back in play now. It?s the icing that you have to keep your players on the ice now, so you?re going to have the offensive team make a change, and the defending team has tired people on the ice, so that?s a great advantage. On a defensive zone face off you?ve got tired people on the ice, so you?re in real trouble, and most teams ice the puck because they?re getting outworked. The other one for me, which is huge, is they?ve made significant changes in the size of the offensive zone. As a team killing penalties, if you?re overly aggressive, you?re going to pay a big price now. Now, power plays have more room to work and there?s more space. The plays off the goal line on the power play were basically useless, when the net got moved out, and now they?re back in play again. So all of a sudden, those cross the crease plays have become really effective now. They?re very useful tools now on the power play. So, teams that want to work that and teams that want to use the width on the ice on the power play can use it.
?The hoopla stuff is on shootouts and redlines, and it?s the other ones that are really significant, and over time will become huge. That?s what I?m more focused on. It?s not just creating a bunch of space on the ice for offensive players, these rules reward hardworking offensive teams. If you?re lazy or you?re not committed defensively, the price you pay is much bigger today than it was last year.?
On Increased Media Access:
?Of the four major sports, we?ve been the least accessible. I think we?ve been very cooperative, but we?ve also been kind of closed door. Whatever they tell us to do, we?ll do, and we?ll do it gladly. But, I think we have to become part of the marketing strategy of selling the game, too. People want access.?
On Last Season?s Phantoms On this Season?s Flyers:
?The obvious choices that should have been with the Flyers anyway are [Jeff] Carter, [Mike] Richards, [Patrick] Sharp, [Joni] Pitkanen, [Dennis] Seidenberg and [Antero] Niittymaki. All of those players probably would have been there anyway. To see them grow is more exciting than who is going to be there. Those players grew and were excellent players for the Phantoms, and they deserve to be good players for us. Those players are certainly guys we?re going to make room for.
?The other guys are going to get a chance to try out. Guys like [R.J.] Umberger, [Riley] Cote, [Ben] Eager, [Freddy] Meyer and [Randy] Jones. All of those guys are going to get a chance to try out, too, for a spot.?
On the Flyers Having a New Club Dynamic:
?There?s a balance now. This is a team that has a youthful feel to it, but it also has veteran presence. It?s a good balance. This is a team when it?s put together, is going to have great balance between young players who are eager and ready to go, and veterans players who have been through the wars before.?
On John LeClair and Tony Amonte Not Returning:
?It?s not based on their play, it?s based on the economics. I just think that the things that both John and Tony had not just for the Flyers, but for the game of hockey is they were two guys that came with a lot of class. They brought a lot of class to the way they did things. They were terrific in the community, they were great for charities, they supported their teammates in a very classy manner, and they were great ambassadors for the league.?
On Players Being Able to Adjust to the New Rules:
?I think that biggest adjustment will be learning to move through the neutral zone with speed rather than be worried about the red line on transition. I think that?s probably the biggest adjustment, learning to plow through it. There will be hesitation, but once you learn mentally to eliminate the red line on transition, everything is going to be a lot better.
?We?re about to go into a very chaotic game now. We?re going to go in a game where you?re not really sure and you never really have control over it. It?s a little bit like junior hockey, in that you know that there?s a potential for big plays and big mistakes, and you have to learn how to operate in that atmosphere. I think that?s the bigger factor for players is there?s no safe areas now. Even if you have a one or two goal lead, you can still get unnerved by a quick play. Or, if you ice the puck two or three times and get caught with the same people on the ice, you basically are going to give up a goal because they can?t defend.
?The shootout, for me, makes coaches an emotional wreck. It?s very emotional for us as coaches, so we?re going to have to deal with that atmosphere as well.?
Flyers (http://www.philadelphiaflyers.com/pressbox/archive/2066.asp)
On the Rules Changes:
?Everybody is focused on the red line. But, it?s more where the goaltenders can?t freeze the puck unnecessarily, so those pucks have to be put back in play now. It?s the icing that you have to keep your players on the ice now, so you?re going to have the offensive team make a change, and the defending team has tired people on the ice, so that?s a great advantage. On a defensive zone face off you?ve got tired people on the ice, so you?re in real trouble, and most teams ice the puck because they?re getting outworked. The other one for me, which is huge, is they?ve made significant changes in the size of the offensive zone. As a team killing penalties, if you?re overly aggressive, you?re going to pay a big price now. Now, power plays have more room to work and there?s more space. The plays off the goal line on the power play were basically useless, when the net got moved out, and now they?re back in play again. So all of a sudden, those cross the crease plays have become really effective now. They?re very useful tools now on the power play. So, teams that want to work that and teams that want to use the width on the ice on the power play can use it.
?The hoopla stuff is on shootouts and redlines, and it?s the other ones that are really significant, and over time will become huge. That?s what I?m more focused on. It?s not just creating a bunch of space on the ice for offensive players, these rules reward hardworking offensive teams. If you?re lazy or you?re not committed defensively, the price you pay is much bigger today than it was last year.?
On Increased Media Access:
?Of the four major sports, we?ve been the least accessible. I think we?ve been very cooperative, but we?ve also been kind of closed door. Whatever they tell us to do, we?ll do, and we?ll do it gladly. But, I think we have to become part of the marketing strategy of selling the game, too. People want access.?
On Last Season?s Phantoms On this Season?s Flyers:
?The obvious choices that should have been with the Flyers anyway are [Jeff] Carter, [Mike] Richards, [Patrick] Sharp, [Joni] Pitkanen, [Dennis] Seidenberg and [Antero] Niittymaki. All of those players probably would have been there anyway. To see them grow is more exciting than who is going to be there. Those players grew and were excellent players for the Phantoms, and they deserve to be good players for us. Those players are certainly guys we?re going to make room for.
?The other guys are going to get a chance to try out. Guys like [R.J.] Umberger, [Riley] Cote, [Ben] Eager, [Freddy] Meyer and [Randy] Jones. All of those guys are going to get a chance to try out, too, for a spot.?
On the Flyers Having a New Club Dynamic:
?There?s a balance now. This is a team that has a youthful feel to it, but it also has veteran presence. It?s a good balance. This is a team when it?s put together, is going to have great balance between young players who are eager and ready to go, and veterans players who have been through the wars before.?
On John LeClair and Tony Amonte Not Returning:
?It?s not based on their play, it?s based on the economics. I just think that the things that both John and Tony had not just for the Flyers, but for the game of hockey is they were two guys that came with a lot of class. They brought a lot of class to the way they did things. They were terrific in the community, they were great for charities, they supported their teammates in a very classy manner, and they were great ambassadors for the league.?
On Players Being Able to Adjust to the New Rules:
?I think that biggest adjustment will be learning to move through the neutral zone with speed rather than be worried about the red line on transition. I think that?s probably the biggest adjustment, learning to plow through it. There will be hesitation, but once you learn mentally to eliminate the red line on transition, everything is going to be a lot better.
?We?re about to go into a very chaotic game now. We?re going to go in a game where you?re not really sure and you never really have control over it. It?s a little bit like junior hockey, in that you know that there?s a potential for big plays and big mistakes, and you have to learn how to operate in that atmosphere. I think that?s the bigger factor for players is there?s no safe areas now. Even if you have a one or two goal lead, you can still get unnerved by a quick play. Or, if you ice the puck two or three times and get caught with the same people on the ice, you basically are going to give up a goal because they can?t defend.
?The shootout, for me, makes coaches an emotional wreck. It?s very emotional for us as coaches, so we?re going to have to deal with that atmosphere as well.?
Flyers (http://www.philadelphiaflyers.com/pressbox/archive/2066.asp)