NHL impressions

Published 11:09 pm Tuesday, September 22, 2009

The NHL came to Comcast Arena tonight.

Minus Wayne Gretzky.

Minus Peter Mueller.

Minus all of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s big stars.

And it didn’t seem to matter a lick. The fans still treated it as a big event, and they still had a former Silvertip to cheer in Shaun Heshka, who received all of the night’s biggest ovations.

As for me, I was looking forward to seeing a live NHL game in the same building and from the same vantage point from which I watch WHL games. I figured this afforded me the opportunity to get a good read on the difference between the two levels.

What I saw was the same game, but just a little moreso. The players were a little bigger. They skated a little faster. Their execution was a little quicker. I guess the execution difference was what stood out to me the most. The players move the puck harder and quicker and more accurately, and everyone can handle a hard pass.

But I have to admit, I found myself surprised that the gap wasn’t bigger. Having watched the NHL on television, I was always under the impression that there was a huge gulf between the NHL and the WHL. Don’t get me wrong, there certainly is a major difference. But I’m acutely aware that watching hockey live is not the same as watching it on television, and I was sort of expecting the live version of the NHL would amplify the differences between the two levels. That didn’t really happen for me. Perhaps that’s because it was preseason, or because the teams didn’t field full-strength lineups. But if anything, this game solidified my respect for the WHL players and just how good they are.