Youth is served

Game on, baby. The National Hockey League is back!

That's right, I said it. Hockey is back, and not just because the Sabres are on some ridiculous pace. Hockey's back across the board, from Tampa to Tempe.

There's no denying it. It may not be considered one of the "Big 4" anymore, but hockey is quickly working to carve out the niche it previously held in America's collective sporting heart.

Nearly a year and a half separated from the biggest disgrace since baseball cancelled the World Series, a combination of factors has given rise to the "new" NHL.

The rule changes, combined with steady enforcement of the old obstruction rules, have helped open up the ice for the game's skill players, leading to increased scoring - a big attraction to the average sports fan.

But the best thing going in the NHL probably wouldn't have happened if not for the year long, season-canceling lockout.

Thanks to the cancellation of an entire season, an enormous youth phenomena took the NHL by storm all at once, instead of filtering in over several years.

Last year's stud rookie class of Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Dion Phaneuf, Henrik Lundqvist and Marek Svatos contained four legitimate Calder Trophy (rookie of the year) candidates. Goaltending studs Ryan Miller and Cam Ward just missed out due to eligibility and a late start, respectively.

This year's first-year wonders make up for a lack of name value with outstanding depth. By now, every hockey fan knows the name Evgeni Malkin, but not many know the names of Anze Kopitar and Dustin Penner. They will though soon enough as the trio leads a group on the rise.

Kopitar, a 6-foot 4-inch center, is an imposing force on the ice, and at the age of 19 shows maturity beyond his age. His soft hands have allowed him to compile 17 assists and 23 points on the season, both rookie-highs.

Penner leads a youth charge in Anaheim that is largely responsible for the Ducks' first place standing in the Western Conference. Penner, Chris Kunitz, Corey Perry, and Shane O'Brien are the corps of a balanced and skilled group, and the Ducks best young player hasn't even seen NHL ice yet. If he doesn't make it to the big show this year, watch out in the future for the incredibly-talented Bobby Ryan. He's the next big thing on skates.

While Kopitar and Penner are filling up the stat sheets, Malkin is filling up the highlight reel. His breathtaking backhanded goal against Martin Brodeur was an instant entrant for play of the year. The young Russian with a soap-opera past set an NHL record by scoring a goal in each of his six games and is considered the front-runner for the Calder.

While fresh, young talent is necessary for a hockey rebirth, today's fast-paced, consumer-based society makes it imperative that the talent is marketable. Crosby and Ovechkin became instant media and commercial successes, signing multi-million dollar endorsement deals.

Lundvqist, Miller and Ward are the apples of their respective hometown fans' eyes.

"King Henrik" as he is called by New York Rangers faithful, took Madison Square Garden by storm last year when he put the Rangers on his back. Along with a rejuvenated Jaromir Jagr, Lundvqist led the Rangers to their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade. The Garden faithful cheered his name many a night and he finished in the top three voting for the rookie of the year and the Vezina Trophy, given to the best goaltender as voted by writers.

Buffalo is no stranger to "Miller Time" and the young goaltender has become an icon in the Queen City. The Michigan State product backstopped the Sabres all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last year before they fell to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes. Thus far this year, Miller has shown no signs of last year being a fluke.

Unfortunately for Miller, he ran into Ward in the conference finals. Taking over for a struggling Martin Gerber in the second half of last year, Ward was a stabilizing force for the Canes drive to the Cup. He became the first rookie goalie since hall of fame goalie Patrick Roy to be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for the playoffs most valuable player.

If that spectacular flurry of youth wasn't enough, the group is buoyed by a group of young players making "the leap" from talented prospect to legitimate star.

Eric Staal, Olli Jokinen, Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathon Cheechoo are just some of the players who have taken their games to the next level in the past year and a half.

Thanks to this influx of talent and the rapid development of the game's young stars, hockey is becoming a sport relatable to the general public, instead of a fad among certain groups of fans.

I couldn't be happier. Let's drop the puck.