Now that the National Hockey League has officially driven itself six feet under, it is time to look at what exactly drove it to this point and what was driving fans away long before the lockout.

First, the league got a little too large for the talent pool that is around. Thirty teams spread out around the country just do not add up.

The major cities draw the biggest crowds, without a doubt. Detroit, Colorado, Philadelphia and all the Canadian teams were watched by the largest crowds. And other Original Six teams struggle to draw 5,000 fans, such as the Chicago Blackhawks.

The talent level in the NHL dropped off when teams started spending a lot of money on recruiting players to come to its teams. There just is not enough talent to go around the league with the prices that are being paid.

That leads me into my next point, a salary cap. I know that the two sides - the players' association and the owners - tried to come to a salary cap total, but were unable to reach an agreement because the players are too selfish and the owners are too stubborn, a combination that won't get them where they need to be.

Those are the basics that I see wrong with the league. Now let me take a closer look at the game itself.

First, the ice needs to be expanded - widen the ice a little bit and add some space between the goal and boards. Let the players have more room to skate around. These guys are in great shape and can handle having some extra room.

This is going to eliminate most of the clutching and grabbing that takes place, another thing that needs to be taken out of the game. The skilled players are not able to get free because they are constantly being grabbed and held and not allowed to advance toward the net.

Some of the players are not as big as the defense, but they are faster and are not allowed to show the speed they have because of all the grabbing that goes on. The league and referees need to crack down on the clutching and grabbing.

Next are the goalies. The equipment needs to be regulated more than it has been. The league was going to regulate for this season, and although we know what happened to this year, it still needs to do more. They have to make sure that goalies abide by the rules, and if they don't, they should be suspended or kicked out of the game when they are caught. They should not be able to play until their equipment is fixed.

I honestly wonder sometimes how some of these players even score goals. I mean, just look at the goalies when they stand in the net. There is close to no room available. I just don't understand it.

The league always talks about scoring being so important. Everyone wants to see more goals. What about the people that come to see the fights? I know there are people out there that love to see the fights that take place, or used to take place.

Fighting was run out of this game about three years ago. A fight in a game is great. I love going to a game, and all of a sudden play stops because two players dropped the gloves and start going at it. Unfortunately, the league does not feel the same way. The league has told the zebras not to allow too many scuffles after the whistle. When something does start, they don't let it go long before they step in and break it up.

Fighting needs to be allowed, and if the game is opened up a little bit it might allow for more fights. Another thing they need to do is get rid of the red line at center ice.

What is the use for it?

To get rid of two-line passes? Well, yeah that is the only reason it is there. Honestly, how often does play get stopped because of a two-line pass? I don't think the refs actually know what a two-line pass is, which is all the more reason to get rid of the red line and allow players to cherry-pick at center ice if they want to. It will help open the game up.

Finally, I come to my last and most important point. If you noticed, I have been talking this whole time about opening the game up. I want more goals, but I also want more fights. I just want to see the players do what they do best, which is skate and make plays.

The final part of this process is to get rid of the neutral zone trap - more commonly know as a zone defense in hockey.

When a team gets up it just sits back and plays defense with the trap, it doesn't allow the other team into its zone unless they dump and chase, which normally results in the team using the trap getting the puck and clearing. It's ridiculous.

I know of probably three teams that have the trap mastered, and when they get the lead it is almost impossible to come back on them. The best team is the New Jersey Devils, and they are just one of them.

That's what I see going wrong in the league. I truly think that, if the league ever makes it back, it is going to have to address some of these problems. I hope the salary cap will spread out the talent in the league and give some of the smaller market teams a chance to compete for the top-notch players, and a chance to compete overall.

The NHL is in trouble. Let's just hope it knows this and can get over their superegos to put the greatest game on earth back where it belongs: the ice.

Chris Barsotti is the State News women's basketball reporter and would love to be reached at barsott1@msu.edu.