We've had these pseudonyms in hockey -- words like 'character' or 'grit' or 'toughness' that were used to replace the politically incorrect, but more accurate description -- cheating.

Two years ago 'good solid defense' meant 'good stick work,' and 'backchecking' meant 'put your stick in his gut and let him pull you back to the D-zone.'   Coaches didn't say, "Go out there and interfere," but that's what they meant.   When we got to the playoffs, and asked the refs to 'let the players decide the outcome,' we really meant, 'let the cheaters win.'

I still recall the head of the WCHA officials response when I asked him in a quiet moment away from the arena, "How can such good refs let the stick work and interference go to this extent?  Are they required by the league to keep the number of penalties equal for each team."

"It's simple," he said.  "If we called penalties by the rule book, the top two teams would dominate every game, and we'd lose our jobs."

Well, the NHL refs had the courage this season to call it by the book.   The result was exciting, skillful, fast, hockey -- and it was just as tough and gritty as it has always been.   Great hits, battles along the wall, and some exciting fights -- fewer, perhaps than the days when teams would each have their designated goons, but fights that brought the fans out of their seats, just like the shootouts.

The difference is that 'good solid defense' required defensemen to skate -- mirroring the forward step-for-step -- skate to maintain body position.   Forecheckers couldn't just reach out a stick when they were too lazy to take that extra step, and backcheckers -- well, they had to hustle back 200 feet.   They could no longer hitch up and coast back like a trailer.

In the Olympics we saw early exits by the U.S. and Canadian teams -- at the same time as Switzerland.   The reason?   Players who couldn't defend -- couldn't forecheck -- couldn't compete for pucks without taking penalties.

In the NHL, we were treated to the awesome talents of young superstars like Ovechkin and Crosby.   It is likely that if they entered the league two years ago, they would have been hooked, held, and slashed to death.

If you want to see incredible skills and athleticism in a single package, Ovechkin's amazing talents can be seen at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3957094422427700341

I'm sure there's a similar piece for Crosby or Dion Phaneuf, the brilliant young defenseman in Calgary.   But without rules enforcement, all we'd see is hooking, slashing, and interference by someone with inferior skills.

How fun is it to watch Tiger Woods?   But if a hack like me could nullify his skills by cheating, he'd never get on TV.   We'd just see the hackers.   If sprinters could start before the gun, even I could waddle down the track ahead of the best in the world -- but we watch the Olympics because we want to see the fastest sprinters, not the best cheaters.

The word "sport" implies a competition of skills, courage, athleticism, and effort, but when we tolerate cheating, our game can no longer be called a sport.

After the first few NHL games in the fall, the question spread around the league, "Are they really going to call it this way all season?  How about the playoffs?"

They've answered, "Yes, and if your team can't stay out of the penalty box, you're going to be watching from the sidelines at playoff time."

We're watching.  The Capitals took more penalties than their opponents -- especially the first half of the season.   The opponents also had the puck more, and I'd hazard a bet that if we had accurate statistics of such things, we'd see, for the entire league it could be said that the number of penalties for any team is inversely proportional to the time of possession.

Wow.  Read that again.   It means the NHL refs have succeeded in putting the domination back in the hands of those who earn it with skill -- call it the Tiger Woods syndrome.

If we want to see more Ovechkin's and Crosby's in our game, we better copy the lead of the NHL at all levels -- even college and junior hockey.  You're thinking, "Jack's lost it.   He actually believes they can enforce the rule book in the USHL, the Western Hockey League, and the WCHA."

Well, maybe that's a little too ambitious.   Let's start with high school and bantam hockey.