Hockey was once one of the four major American sports. The big four were the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League. But yet, even as some in those group dominate the others (the NFL dominates all sports in terms of popularity), the NHL has not been able to really keep up with the others.

In fact, hockey is not truly considered to be in that big four grouping any longer. Of course, a more accurate description of the sports climate might show that NASCAR and MMA have joined the NFL, NBA and MLB in that top tier. Hockey however is on the outside looking in, no longer enjoying the popularity it once did.

How did this happen to the NHL? Was it the entire season that was lost to the lockout that did this? No, that wasn’t the reason, that lost year to the lockout was actually a symptom of the problem itself. The lockout was held because salaries were getting out of control and many franchises, outside of the most popular ones such as the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings, simply could not afford to keep paying as much to their players as they were.

As any fan who lives in a city with a NHL franchise knows, declining ticket sales aren’t the cause of NHL franchises’ slumping revenues; games continue to be well attended and eagerly looked forward to. The reason for the lower revenue has to do with broadcast rights, a significant source of income for the NHL. Hockey is simply less popular as a televised sport than it once was.

While the lockout wasn’t in itself the cause of the NHL’s problems, it certainly didn’t help. When hockey returned to television in the 2005-2006 season, ESPN passed on the broadcast rights for NHL games. OLN (now known as Versus) picked up the broadcast rights - this network has a much smaller reach than ESPN and correspondingly shallower pockets. As a result, the NHL continues to have financial difficulties and many hockey fans are unable to receive NHL games at all, something that does not bode well for the NHL’s ability to recapture the attention of sports fans.

Adding to this problem is the fact that hockey isn’t the most captivating sport to watch on television. It is a fantastic sport to take in live. This helps explain why the sport is so popular in major metropolitan areas where there is a hockey team. These fans get to go to the games and take in the rabid culture. You can hear the turns and stops of the skating, you can feel the jarring checks as players hit the ice and fall into the boards. The speed and precise nature of the game comes out in a way that it simply cannot on television. Those people who never see a game in person therefore, may not even know what they are missing out on by not being a hockey fan.

Therefore the answer to the question is that no, hockey is no longer one of the major sports in this country. It has lost it’s place in that upper echelon, and is struggling for a strategy to get back. It needs to find a way to make its television games more exciting, while also getting those games aired in a spot where more people can view them. Until both of those happen it may be hard for the NHL to regain the spotlight it once had.

The rules of hockey allow for many different types of penalties. Of course, any game that has blood in the rule book will probably require the intervention of the referees on a regular basis.

Penalties come in a variety of categories. There are both minor and major penalties, and variants of those. There are also severe misconduct, game misconduct, and match penalties which can be incurred. Below is a basic explanation of these penalties and how they are enforced.

Minor penalties are the most common in the game. If a player commits a common infraction, he is sent off the ice for two to four minutes of play time. His team will play minus one player for the duration of the penalty; this is called playing short-handed. If the opposing team scores a goal during the time of the penalty, the penalty ends immediately. If both teams have incurred a minor penalty, then neither is considered to be playing short handed, and so the penalty is not ended in the event a goal is scored during the time the players are off the ice; but the penalty time is cut in half upon a goal. If multiple players on a team are assessed minor penalties, they are put in to the penalty box immediately, however, the penalty time is not run down until the first player is removed from the box. If the opposing team scores a goal while there are multiple players in the penalty box, only the first minor penalty is ended. The remaining player or players will have to sit out there penalties.

Most often, minor penalties are assessed for such infractions as: roughing, tripping, cross-checking, high-sticking, interference, delay of game, slashing, holding, holding the stick, and hooking. A player might incur a double minor penalty if, for example, he was caught high-sticking and that resulted in a laceration to the other player. Double minor penalties are basically two consecutive minor penalties. The player is removed from the ice for two two or four minute penalties. If the opposing team scores during a double minor then the first half of the penalty expires, the second half of the penalty is still in effect. Bench minor penalties are assessed on the entire team. One player is elected to sit out the penalty.

Major penalties are given for more severe offences. Correspondingly, the penalties are more severe. Fighting always results in a major penalty. Other infractions that result in major penalties include: butt-ending, charging, spearing, and boarding. Most major penalties are more serious instances of minor penalties. Major penalties cost the player five minutes in the penalty box, and his team will be short-handed during this time. If a goal is scored, a major penalty does not end. If both teams have a player out on major penalty, they may substitute for that player, and neither team will play short-handed on that penalty. Major penalties are most often incurred for fighting.

In the event that a player accrues three major penalties during a game, he is then assessed a misconduct penalty. A misconduct penalty results in the player being removed from the game for ten minutes. The team is allowed to substitute a player. After the penalty has expired, the offending player may return to the ice at the first stoppage of the game, unless other penalties have been assessed.

Unsportsmanlike conduct usually results in misconduct type penalties. Any player who incurs two major penalties during the course of one game is then assessed misconduct. A game misconduct penalty means the player is ejected for the game. The team is able to substitute in another player since that penalty is assessed against the individual player and not against the team.

Over the course of the season, if a player is ejected from play three times, he is then banned for his next game. The result of this is not only an un-played game, but also unearned salary. That games salary is usually donated to a league-supported charity. In addition to being penalized salary, additional disciplinary may be taken, as deemed necessary by the league.

Match penalties also result in the player being ejected from the game. A match penalty is assessed if a player attempts to deliberately injure another player. The team must select any player other than the goalie to serve a five minute major penalty and he cannot be substituted for on the ice, meaning the team plays short-handed for that five minute penalty. Players who receive a match penalty are suspended from their next game and often are subjected to hearings with the possibility of lengthier bans.

Finally, if an infraction results in the opposing team missing a scoring opportunity, then the opposing team is given a penalty shot. They are allowed one unimpeded shot at the goal, with only the goalie of the offending team left to protect the net.

How does a player incur a penalty in Hockey? In the National Hockey League, a penalty is charged to a player when he does something that is not allowed according to the rules of the game. When a player incurs a penalty the referee will whistle the play dead and the offending player is removed from the ice rink for a certain period of time. During this time period the player is confined to the penalty box; obviously he cannot participate in game play during this time.

When a player is removed from the ice because of a penalty, his team is forced to play for the duration of that penalty without him or a replacement player. This is often referred to as playing short-handed because they are playing with one less player than the competition. The other team is then considered to be on a power play.

When a player is sent to the penalty box, they will stay there and not be able to play for several minutes of game play. Often those penalties are referred to as minor penalties. Those penalties last two minutes long. That means that the penalized team must play the game with one less player for two minutes of game play.

The opposing team is on, what is referred to as a power play. By playing with more players than the opposing team, they will then have a great likelihood of scoring a goal since they have additional players in the game. The penalty expires at the end of two minutes of playing time, or if the opposing team scores a goal while they have the power play. If the opposing team scores a goal, then the penalty is considered over and the player may return to the game.

Playing with one less player isnt always such a disadvantage. But things get a lot more difficult for teams as more players incur penalties. Multiple players can incur penalties at any time. If one player is in the penalty box and a second player incurs a penalty, he is sent to the penalty box immediately. However, his penalty time only begins to run down after the first players time is up. So for example, if the first player has only been in the box for thirty seconds when the second player commits an infraction, then the second player is in the box for one minute and thirty seconds BEFORE his two-minute penalty clock starts running; in essence he would serve three minutes and thirty seconds. During this time the opposing team has two more players on the ice since the team with penalties has two players sitting in the penalty box.

During an overtime period, in the NHL, the game is played with only four skaters on each team instead of the usual five players. The idea here is to try to have more open ice, which should encourage more scoring. If during the overtime, a team has a penalty called against them, they then are forced to play with one less player than their opponent. The penalized team will skate three players, while their opponent, who will be on a power play, will skate with four players ” the full compliment of players during overtime. If while down a player, they have another penalty called on them, their opposition will have the opportunity to skate with five players. So they will have a five on three advantages, thus increasing their chances of scoring the game-winning goal.

When a skater has a penalty called on them, they serve time in the penalty box. But goaltenders do not serve time in the penalty box for minor infractions. When a penalty is called on a goaltender, another player on their team will serve the penalty in their stead. If the goaltender has too many major penalties or if he commits one of the most severe penalties, her may be ejected from the game.

When teams are playing short handed, they are given the opportunity to send the puck the length of the ice without an icing infraction being whistled against them. This is very helpful as these teams are often in a defensive posture and are trying to keep the puck out of their defensive end because they are playing with one or more fewer players than their opponent. But this is the only advantage to incurring penalties. As in most sports, you dont really want to incur penalties; it hurts your chances to win.

The New York Rangers acquired Blair Betts in the 2005-06 NHL Hockey season and he has been with them, centering on the defensive 4th line. He is one of the New York Rangers most consistent face-off men winning a more than losing them.

The New York Post wrote that Blair Betts and his teammate, Sjostrom, could be the best penalty kill tandem in Rangers history and they had a franchise high of 87.6 percent. He has also been declared one of the most underrated players in the league.

Betts played for the Calgary Flames from 1998 to 2005 before being drafted by the New York Rangers. His professional career began in 2001. Regardless of which team he plays on, the Edmonton native is well known as a strong defensive center.

The New York Rangers, however, have not done so well. They are going through their highest losing streak, so it may be hard to determine where some of the praise for Blair Betts is translating into winning games for the team.

Blair Betts has been also plagued with injuries, suffering a broken orbital bone around his left eye in May, 2008, and recovering from an upper body injury in December, 2008. Prior to that injury, he had three goals and five points in 28 games this past season. In his fourth season with the New York Rangers, he has missed time with injuries to his knee, foot and face.

Of course, ice hockey in the NHL can be a rough and tumble game and many defensive players can get injured from rough play or fights on the rink. Blair Betts, at 28 years old, has been playing professionally since 2000, when he joined the AHL, Calgary Flames.

He actually began his career in 1996 playing for the Prince George Cougars in the Western Hockey League, before being drafted by the Flames in the 1998 NHL draft. Some may wonder if it is taking a toll on his health and ability to be a consistent player.

In the 2005-06 NHL hockey season, he scored eight goals and two assists with the New York Rangers. Since that time, he has been used primarily on special teams and has done well in penalty killing and winning face-offs.

In his over 300 games played since the 2001-02 season, Blair Betts has scored 27 goals and 18 assists, with the majority of those being since he joined the New York Rangers. The Rangers are suffering as a team this season with their record, and his time out with injuries could be part of the reason, although it seems that the offense of the Rangers could be the primary reason, having difficulty scoring points all year.

Experts blame the Rangers last place position on a lack of confidence and a failure of the players to gel as a team. Whether Blair Betts can do much to help bring the Rangers out of the slump remains to be seen. Other players, and Rangers General Manager, Sather could shoulder much of the blame. Blair Betts has a lot of work cut out for him with this team, and could probably do better on one that would do him justice.