The NHL Players' Poll

While the media (including us) and fans love to air their views on every hockey topic from goal scoring to the instigator rule, we often forget to think about how the players, the most important cog in the machine, about how they see things around the league. Despite what we might think, the players aren't simply pieces of robotic meat that are out there to simply take orders and be traded like currency.

It is with great anticipation, then, that I look forward to the players being polled for their views on a variety of topics. The answers tend to throw us a few surprises, and show us that the players, en masse, aren't a bunch of dumb jocks.

What might or might not surprise you?

The players do not *love* Sean Avery, and voted him to be dirtiest SOB. One player even suggested banning him for life. That's a little extreme, but shows you how annoying the little pucker really is.

Most overrated? Todd Bertuzzi and Bryan McCabe. This is how many fans feel, and it is interesting that the players say the same thing.

Most underrated = Mikko Koivu? Yeah, that caught me off guard.

The players do NOT like the instigator rule, and would also like to get rid of touch icing. Given the risk of injury from touch icing, why does the NHL still insist on it? Many other leagues do not use this rule, and it hasn't killed them in any sense.

Kerry Fraser, who often hears jeers from fans, is the players' second fave referee. Who knew?

Lots of interesting stuff there. The players aren't as different from the fans as you might think.