Many hockey fans are still not familiar with the concept of Injured Reserve or IR as it is commonly known. It is a way for teams to keep their top stars fresh for the postseason. While it may not seem like that much of a novelty now, during the pre-existing ‘penske rule’ era, players would often sit out for stretches during the season due to injuries. Getting to the point where the team is no longer able to rely on its most important players is a sure way to lose a game or more.
Now that hockey has become a year-round sport, teams are realizing the importance of keeping their star players healthy and functioning at their best. Injured Reserve gives them the ability to do just that and there are multiple ways in which this strategy can help a team succeed.
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Keeping The Stars In The Game
The first and most obvious reason for using Injured Reserve is to give your star players some rest from game action to ensure they are at their best when the postseason rolls around. Just like many other sports, hockey can be a very physical sport and the toll it takes on your body is more than likely going to be different than that of the common person on the street. The most obvious example of this is the fact that the safety equipment that hockey players wear is much more sophisticated than that which is used by the average person on the street. Without the use of Injured Reserve, there is a good chance that your star players would be sidelined for long stretches during the season.
This is not beneficial for anyone, but it is particularly damaging to a hockey team. Keeping your star players healthy and in the lineup is essential for winning games and the best way to do this is by resting them and allowing them to recuperate during the off-season. A team can also choose to sit some of their top players during road games in order to even things out a bit and ensure that everyone is seeing and experiencing the sport from a similar perspective.
Strengthening The Team Morale
One of the main advantages of using Injured Reserve is to provide your team with some positive reinforcement during those down times when things are going well. The last thing any team wants is a negative vibe going around the locker room during a period of high activity. However, there are times when a little bit of bad news can be a good thing and improving the team morale is certainly a good thing. During those times when key players are out with injuries, everyone else on the team can step up and fill in the gaps in the lineup. This can give the players a sense of ‘we can handle this’ and increase the likelihood of an exciting comeback.
Reducing Tensions And Frustrations
In any sport, having your best players participating at a high level is essential for winning games and maintaining a good standing. If your star players are not happy with the amount of minutes they are seeing on the ice, then there is a good chance that they are not going to perform at their best. This can lead to frustrating games and bad feelings toward the team and its management. Having Injured Reserve allows the coaches to tinker with the lineups and match up the best possible combinations of players. It is also a nice way to give your top players some extra motivation to improve their game and prove that they can still contribute even though they may be injured.
The ability to keep your best players healthy and productive is certainly something to look forward to during the off-season as it allows for more convenient training and travel. Using Injured Reserve allows teams to take a longer break during the year and come back even stronger for the following season.
Hockey is a team sport and the players depend on each other to ensure that they are performing at their best. However, it is still a little bit of a novelty to fans that are not used to seeing players sit out during an entire season. Seeing the fruits of all their labors during the postseason is something that will surely stick out to these fans as a pleasant surprise. There is also the added bonus of having more games to follow and witness the talented players at work.