Posted on 30th Jan 2012 @ 10:15 AM

Sydney Crosby's sad saga continues. His on-ice hits have now become off-ice hits as more information suggests that he has damaged two vertebrae in his neck, adding to his misery.

One would have to wonder if the "good ole hockey game" in North America had followed the Swedish model of finesse first, rather than chippiness first, if fans worldwide would be enjoying watching the best hockey and hockey player every nite now, instead of waiting for his return.

If you're a fan of harness racing, the Swedes have shown us finesse over aggressive driving and in Sweden harness racing is doing much better than in North America. In hockey we've been watching the Swedes for decades, trying to show us the finesse side of hockey over the more aggressive side that we've come to know here in North America. Maybe it's time to take a page out of the Swedish playbook so that we can enjoy the really talented hockey players over the head hunters and cheap shot artists who have cheapened the North American game. We hope Crosby is back soon, but will he ever be the same?