5 Things That Drive Us Crazy About the NHL

The NHL is a fantastic league to watch, featuring some of the most physically gifted athletes, demonstrating some of the greatest skill in the world.

There is a lot to love about the NHL, not the least of which being the Stanley Cup Finals which is suddenly providing fans with some fantastic drama. However, with the good sometimes comes things that make us a little bit crazy.

Here are some of the things that drive us as hockey fans a bit crazy.

Officiating

Officiating is something that drives fans of every sport a little bit crazy, and hockey is no different.

It's a lot easier for fans to see with their hearts than with their heads because of the fierce loyalties to their teams, but this season was a bit difficult at times with the officials.

I have never seen a group of officials that are so far apart on what is and isn't a penalty. You can see one game where the officials might call four penalties all game and really "let the players play." 

Switch to another game on the same night, and you might see six penalties in one period, it all depends on who the referee is.

The NHL really needs to get together with its referees and set out guidelines for what are and aren't penalties, and allow less room for interpretation.

Flopping

Flopping is becoming to be a bit too much a part of the game today. Don't get me wrong though, the occasional embellishment and bits of gamesmanship is a part of the game.

That being said, the level to which the flopping is going is beginning to get a bit ridiculous.

Ryan Kesler gives us a perfect example as he does his best impersonation of a tumbleweed.

The NHL is famous for tough, gritty players that are more physically competitive than any other professional athlete, and they need to remember that.

We don't want the NHL to start looking like the NBA.

Mike Milbury

Mike Milbury is a regular contributor on NHL broadcasts on the NBC Sports Network who is best known for his outrageous comments and shouting matches with fellow in-studio talent.

As a player, Milbury was best known for climbing into the stands and attacking a fan with his own shoe.

As an in-studio analyst, Milbury basically blows a lot of smoke, calls names and makes misogynistic comments.

Fans hate him, it doesn't seem like many in-studio guys like him and he doesn't do anything for the game of hockey.

Milbury is there to cause trouble and drama in the studio and that's really all he's good for.

Gary Bettman

The fans don't like Gary Bettman, and that's putting it mildly.

Though as the commissioner that has overseen two lockouts of the sport, and potentially a third with a new collective bargaining agreement needed before the start of the 2012 - 2013 season, it isn't any wonder so many love to detest him.

Fans like him so much there is a "Fire Gary Bettman" movement on Facebook.

To be fair to Bettman, the league has seen a surge in popularity during his tenure as commissioner and has surged to a $3.3 billion industry this season, as he stated in his State of the League address just before the beginning of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Still, his demeanor is something that draws ire from fans. His seeming inability to ever admit a mistake and his absolute refusal to move the Coyotes out of Phoenix, despite the fact that they have been bankrupt, owned by the NHL for the last three seasons, and no owner will purchase the team without the city of Glendale putting up serious money through taxpayers.  

Bettman has had some positives, but he is one of the people that drives people crazy in the NHL.

Lockouts

The NHL stands on the verge of a third work-stoppage since 1994 and it is something that makes the fans crazy.

In 1994, the NHL was at least able to salvage a season, playing 48 games and still awarding The Stanley Cup in the spring of '95.

However, in 2004, the NHL and the NHLPA were unable to salvage a season and locked out the NHL for the entirety of the 2004 - 2005 NHL season.

The fact that this is a serious possibility so soon after the last one is a cause for concern.

Hockey fans want to see hockey and it drives us all incredibly crazy to have to think about missing part of, or all of the next season to another lockout.

Make it work guys!