Does Player Size Affect Productivity in the “New NHL”?

After the 2003-2004 hockey season, the players’ union and NHL team owners failed to reach common ground on a new collective bargaining agreement resulting in the cancellation of the 2004-2005 hockey season. The cancellation brought fear among team franchises that a yearlong lockout would cause a decline in ticket sales, television ratings, and merchandising. During this time, the popularity of hockey was extremely low and with ESPN’s refusal to renew its television contract, the league was in a tough position. The NHL needed a solution to reclaim its fan base and stimulate enthusiasm for the sport of hockey. To make the game more exciting, league officials and team franchises agreed to implement new rules to increase the penalty stringency. The stricter penalty calling eliminated player obstruction, aggressive stick work, and holding, which resulted in a faster European-style play. Players who once used their large size as an advantage soon found themselves admonished by fans and management for their lackluster performance. Teams that built themselves around large, bulky defensemen, like the Philadelphia Flyers, saw some players unable to transition to the new style of play. The rule changes were widely criticized for assisting smaller players, while at the same time substantially hindering the performance of larger players. Has the stricter penalty calling for player obstruction, aggressive stick work, and holding affected the way hockey is played? The purpose of this study is to determine if larger players experienced a drop in productivity following the rule changes, as measured by points-per-hour.