One word: It’s dull.
Okay, that’s two words. Nevertheless, hockey is dull. Dull, dull, dull. Two teams skate back and forth for what seems like forever. And then the final score is something like 2-1.
Now, if they would triple the size of the scoring area, that would help. More scoring = more excitement.
Some of the most exciting hockey games I’ve attended ended up 1-0.
Sometimes it takes a great player to electrify a sport.
Bobby Orr in the 1970s was that type of player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acddnmmN8Js
At the time, the Boston Bruins were the toast of the town became top game in town. It was bigger than the Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics.