Airing hockey grievances for this Festivus day

While the ninth and final season of Seinfeld was far from the sitcom’s best, it still delivered some iconic episodes. Perhaps none have become more memorable than Episide 10, The Strike, which features the idea of Festivus, an alternative holiday to Christmas that takes place on December 23rd and was created by George’s father. Unlike the cheer ang gift-giving of Christmas, Festivus’ traditions include feats of strength and, most hilariously, an airing of grievances.

If you exist within the hockey world at all, you probably have no shortage of grievances to air on this Festivus Day. For example, why did the NHL take eight years between participating in best-on-best international tournaments? Why won’t the NHL go back to a one-through-eight playoff format? Why can’t the NHL just get rid of the loser point and go to a PWHL-style 3-point system? All worthy grievances, and that’s not even getting into the complaints of Toronto Maple Leafs fans.

On Tuesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton decided to air some hockey-related grievances in honor of Festivus.

Tyler Yaremchuk: What do you want to go to first here with your airing of grievances, Hutts?

Carter Hutton: I guess it’s just the traditional hockey interview. We have to get away from it. The one in between periods that wastes our time and we hear about pucks getting in deep. We want more character, we want more content from the players. I think that is a sign where it’s been a little rough.

The other one for me, two things actually, and I might die on this hill and I know I sound like an old guy here, is diving. I want diving to be reviewable, maybe a big fine, a big suspension, something like that, because I don’t want to turn this into soccer. The other one for me is stick breaking. I hate when guys break their sticks. I hate it to my core. I don’t think kids watching the game, fans paying good money to come watch, need to see players that are making millions of dollars smash their stick over the post every time they’re upset.

Tyler Yaremchuk: I went and got my skates sharpened the other day, and listen, I’m not buying top-of-the-line sticks anymore, Hutts, but top-of-the-line sticks are going for like $450 now, that is absolutely insane. You’ve got a young one in hockey right now, I couldn’t even imagine trying to bring someone up through this sport right now. That’s one grievance I have, is just the cost of everything.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…