As I'm impressed by the quality of conversation on this site (and the whole SBNation "ecosystem"), I thought I'd pose a theory that's bugged me...

Whenever a player who has lost their stick (usually broken), the accepted traditional logic is for forwards to pass their stick to defenseman, if they are the ones without a stick, and the forward left stick-less skates around out there like a monkey _______ a football.  I don't get it.

You have no stick.  You're essentially useless.  GET OFF THE ICE!

Your team, has an excellent chance to survive without you for the 3.x seconds it takes you to get off the ice and another place to replace you.  Not only will the new player have fresh legs, but will be MONUMENTALLY more equipped to, oh I don't know...  PLAY THE PUCK!

If everyone knew that the second a player is without a stick he's going to B-line to the bench to get replaced, the players would all know that they have to play a man down for the time it will take him to do so.  It wouldn't be confusing, it would cause problems.

Here, I'll give you a choice.  You have a defensive zone faceoff (in the old spot just inside the blueline)... you can either have a player line up without a stick for the faceoff, or have a player, with a stick, lineup at center ice ready to jump into the play...  you choose.