Americans don't really care about hockey, it seems. They like football or basketball. Not hockey.

The 2004-05 National Hockey League lockout sure didn't help the sport's popularity; I'd be surprised if anyone States-side even noticed the missed season.

When the lockout ended, the league had a plan to lure their old fans back and try to net new ones: the "new" NHL came back with fewer stoppages, smaller goalie pads and bigger nets, all to encourage fast-paced, non-stop action and increased scoring.

Did it work?

Well, this year's post-season is certainly drawing crowds, both to the arenas and to the television; but has it all been a clever ploy orchestrated by the league's bigwigs?

The suspicion starts with Sidney Crosby, a cute, young player (from Canada) who has been hailed as the saviour of the NHL. He was picked by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005, just in time for the rebirth of the league.

Since then, "Sid the Kid" has won numerous awards and is a well-known captain of his team.

This is the kind of player fans either love or hate. Gals enjoy Crosby for his boyish looks, while everyone can appreciate his credentials. But, that same cute face has prompted accusations against the player, people calling him a wuss and a faker.

"Real players don't design fashion lines," I've heard more than once.

But nasty rumours have been passed around this year's post-season play, like a puck that's lived in a player's gear bag for too long: is the NHL setting the Penguins up for the cup?

What better way to encourage viewers than by bringing the two final teams down to the wire in a nail-biting seventh game, ultimately giving wonder-child Crosby's team the win and the Stanley Cup and leaving fans pumped for next season?

Fans have been complaining about biased officiating more loudly for the last two rounds of the playoffs — they aren't Penguin fans, mind you.

OK, so let's make a deal: if Detroit wins, I'm obviously wrong. If the Penguins win in regular time, I might be right. However, if the teams go down to tense overtime play and the Penguins win in heroic style, I am soooo right.

Let's hope I'm not.