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The Everything NHL Thread

I've pretty much hated what the NHL has been doing since the year Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup, so to see them fucking up the league now comes to no surprise. I'm sure they sucked wll before that too I was probably just too young to notice it.

Detroit should have won the game. That was THE WORST whistle I have ever seen in the ~12 years I've been watching hockey. Other early whistles the puck pops free right around the time of the whistle. It was just sitting there a good foot and a half away from Hiller. The excuse that Hiller was blocking the ref's view is absolute bullshit. Hiller was laying on the Ice so unless the ref was doing the same he would have been able to see the puck over Hiller. Just a horseshit job by the ref. If he couldn't see the puck from his position, which I don't believe for a second, he was in a bad spot. You could see that puck from the damn moon. No excuses for fucking that up, it was all the ref's fault. He shouldn't be allowed to ref H.S. hockey after that. To screw up at that big a moment on a goal that could potentially determine the Stanley Cup champion is unbelievable. They had an early whistle in the first period too if anyone caught that, but atleast that one was understandable. I thought the penalty calling was bullshit too. What they called penalties a lot of the time shouldn't have been, and they didn't call some that should. The refs also got in the way of the players on more than one occassion. Seriously who the fuck did they send out their to ref that game.

Sure Detroit might have still lost in OT, but come on they absolutely dominated the second half of the game, can you really say Anaheim would have had a very good chance of beating them in OT? Yeah it's also true that Detroit sent the Dead Wings to play for the first half of the game and had they played like they did at the end of the game for the whole thing that fuckup probably wouldn't have mattered. Even so it doesn't excuse a mistake that big.

Phoenix is bankrupt. BIG FUCKING SURPRISE THERE. Gee let's put a hockey team in the desert. Not only is hockey not popular there, but it's a state of retired people. It's where more fans for the opposing team show up to Cardinals games even in a year where they went to the Super Bowl. Oh and Bettman is saying that he's committed to keeping the Cyotes there. Good luck if Wayne Gretzky taking over wasn't enough to gain some interest it's a lost cause. They only dumber idea would be to put two teams in oh i don't know Florida. Oh wait...

Mean while let's just get rid of all the Canadien teams. Canada doesn't like hockey right? Fuck US states like Wisconsin where people actually PLAY HOCKEY. Minnesota is the biggest hockey state in the country by far and they didn't have a team for what like 10 years. Boy I can't wait until 10-20 years in the future when the NHL has gone to hell and back again. They probably won't air any playoff games so you will buy their $10M NHL Extravaganza package to watch shitty streams on NHL.com. They'll play will no goalie to promote exciting goal scoring. Shootout if it's tied after 1 period. Crosby, or whoever the poster boy is then, will be allowed to do whatever the hell he wants and other players won't be able to touch him or even get in his way. Canadien teams will start with a 100 goal defecit if there are any around. Speaking of which way is Crosby the poster boy? Ovechkin is better. Crosby's not American. Hell does anyone outside of Pens fans really even like him? I would if he would grow up and stop being a baby, but until then no way.
 
Oh snap, we found a Coyotes fan! I guess I should go buy a lottery ticket.
Well, just to be clear, even though I am a fan, I've been hating the current management/coach for a hell of a long time, ever since they went from a playoff contender to just being gutted and crappy. Changing the logo/colors was also a rather dumb move I think.

I would be the last person on the planet to cry over the Coyotes moving to another city.

Hockey in the middle of the desert wasn't the brightest of ideas.

I think they have their eyes set on Las Vegas..... *sigh
You underestimate how popular it once was then, back in the first few years when they were doing well, you were easily getting large attendance. And this was back when they played in US Airways Stadium, before they moved to their current, big one. So having hockey in the desert was a great idea, at least until the team was gutted and they couldn't win to save their lives.

Phoenix is bankrupt. BIG FUCKING SURPRISE THERE. Gee let's put a hockey team in the desert. Not only is hockey not popular there, but it's a state of retired people. It's where more fans for the opposing team show up to Cardinals games even in a year where they went to the Super Bowl. Oh and Bettman is saying that he's committed to keeping the Cyotes there. Good luck if Wayne Gretzky taking over wasn't enough to gain some interest it's a lost cause. They only dumber idea would be to put two teams in oh i don't know Florida. Oh wait...
Something tells me you've never been to Phoenix...

For starters, back when the Coyotes arrived in the 90s, they were a major hit, attendance was high, and they even made a few playoff runs. But it was the management and Gretzky who came in and fucked it all up.

Second, despite the extremely fucking annoying numbers of snowbirds (old shits who come in winter and leave towards summer), it is not a retiree state, there's plenty of young people here too. It's one of the fastest growing cities also for that matter, right alongside Las Vegas (or was at any rate). Also, Wayne Gretzky becoming coach was the biggest fucking mistake ever, he almost single-handedly destroyed the team. And yet, he's practically immune to firing since he's buddy-buddy with the other higher management, not to mention he also owns a small stake in the team... That "Bettman committed to keeping Coyotes in Phoenix" remark is also BS, just heard on the news last night that the NHL has been displeased with Phoenix for a long time over some other issues.

I will agree with you about the Cardinals though, it's hilarious to see how many other team supporters come rather than the Cardinal's own fans. Though since they hit the Super Bowl last year, I'd expect to see less of it until they tank again.
 
Well, I don't see how the NHL will be able to explain to the courts that they need to block the move to Canada. Personally, I'd prefer Manitoba to Southern Ontario. Ontario has two teams already and I think Winnipeg wants their Jets back. That province really does need a sports team to cheer for! Or maybe an Atlantic province...

If they call it the Hamilton Blackberries I'll totally root for them.
 
Well, I don't see how the NHL will be able to explain to the courts that they need to block the move to Canada. Personally, I'd prefer Manitoba to Southern Ontario. Ontario has two teams already and I think Winnipeg wants their Jets back. That province really does need a sports team to cheer for! Or maybe an Atlantic province... If they call it the Hamilton Blackberries I'll totally root for them.
I was thinking Manitoba instead of Ontario too, lol. We should start finding some prime locations and come up with new team names!
 
Southern Ontario has so much fanbase that they could put a second team in Toronto even and they'd be a top 10 seller. I think that's what they are looking for in markets.

According to the Calgary Herald a month or so back, the top prospects in Canada are: Halifax, Quebec, Winnipeg and Southern Ontario somewhere.

Winnipeg seemed the logical choice, because they have that new NHL capacity rink, but they lack the population apparently. Halifax is questionable for population they said, quebec needs a new rink and they question the following there, for whatever reason. Southern ontario has the biggest fan base and it is a proven and hugely profitable hockey market.

That's just what I had read a month ago, and it is just a newspaper, so take it at face value I guess. Still, they do bring up reasonable points for the most part.
 
Imagine Balsille finally wins, and he's requiring Southern Ontario.... although I'm sure Bettman will fight it since he is obsessed with stopping it, lol. That'll be fun off season drama.


Officiating in Caps/Pens is almost as exciting as the Wings/Ducks even though it's less blatant - rather than waving an obvious goal, 6 straight penalties on the Caps in site of the Pens holding left and right in the offensive zone... try harder to extend the series, NHL

EDIT: Make-up call into a PPG much? Still owe the Caps a few, but write a script much?
 
Imagine Balsille finally wins, and he's requiring Southern Ontario.... although I'm sure Bettman will fight it since he is obsessed with stopping it, lol. That'll be fun off season drama.


Officiating in Caps/Pens is almost as exciting as the Wings/Ducks even though it's less blatant - rather than waving an obvious goal, 6 straight penalties on the Caps in site of the Pens holding left and right in the offensive zone... try harder to extend the series, NHL

EDIT: Make-up call into a PPG much? Still owe the Caps a few, but write a script much?
I am so sick of penalties and freebies to the Sidney Crosby's and also penalizing the Wings because they stopped the Crosby's from winning the cup last year...
 
write a script much?

I'm assuming you were a fan then of the way that the all star game was won by a popular member of the hosting team? Putting it into overtime woulda made it TOO obvious.

Honestly, the same fucking thing happened as soon as the flames turned the tables on the blackhawks. Just a flood of penalties for the flames, nothing for the hawks who have demonstrated themselves to NOT be the disciplined squad (versus the nucks) the NHL would have you believe.

The officiating is getting so bad it's borderline rigging at times.
 
Winnipeg seemed the logical choice, because they have that new NHL capacity rink, but they lack the population apparently.

Actually I believe it barely sits 17k, it is too small compared to other modern new arenas. However, they made clear they would enlarge it should they get an NHL team back.

quebec needs a new rink and they question the following there, for whatever reason

sorry? no.

If by following you mean attendances, they certainly wouldn't question that. What they would question however is corporate support and indeed, their lack of a modern arena.

morm again said:
Southern ontario has the biggest fan base and it is a proven and hugely profitable hockey market.

The Maple Leafs likely have more pull on the league than any other team, fuck me the day they allow a second team in the city.

Hamilton remains a possibility yet I dont think Toronto still will be high on it and the Sabres also had an issue with it, I believe.
 
Yeah, I think the most likely solution to where to move the team is to send it to a place where an AHL team is thriving and move the AHL team to Vegas to test the market.
 
Do you guys think if Phoenix (assuming they're still the coyotes) made the playoffs next season, people will actually start coming to the games?

I have watched a few Phoenix games (more so when I had center ice) and they don't really have that bad of a team. The only thing I hate about Gretzky's coaching is that he has the Barry Melrose thinking when it comes to rookies (i.e. Turris/Tikhonov played less than 10 minutes for most of the year). They were at one point 5th in the West, but Bryzgalov pretty much fucked them over. I think Montoya is their new man, and the trades they made at the deadline were pretty good.
 
Something tells me you've never been to Phoenix...

For starters, back when the Coyotes arrived in the 90s, they were a major hit, attendance was high, and they even made a few playoff runs. But it was the management and Gretzky who came in and fucked it all up.

Second, despite the extremely fucking annoying numbers of snowbirds (old shits who come in winter and leave towards summer), it is not a retiree state, there's plenty of young people here too. It's one of the fastest growing cities also for that matter, right alongside Las Vegas (or was at any rate). Also, Wayne Gretzky becoming coach was the biggest fucking mistake ever, he almost single-handedly destroyed the team. And yet, he's practically immune to firing since he's buddy-buddy with the other higher management, not to mention he also owns a small stake in the team... That "Bettman committed to keeping Coyotes in Phoenix" remark is also BS, just heard on the news last night that the NHL has been displeased with Phoenix for a long time over some other issues.

I will agree with you about the Cardinals though, it's hilarious to see how many other team supporters come rather than the Cardinal's own fans. Though since they hit the Super Bowl last year, I'd expect to see less of it until they tank again.

I can't argue with you there I have never been to Arizona or Phoenix. My knowledge or the state is pretty much that when people retire around where I live they move to Florida or Arizona for winters. I guess I'm basing it on the fact that when I go to Florida for vacation I stay somewhere close to where my grandparents live and am surrounded by a large amount of retirees so I figured the same held for Arizona. Also I was pretty pissed when Tampa Bay couldn't sell out their home Stanley Cup Finals games the year they won the cup. I'll stop comparing the states and maybe shouldn't think so poorly of Florida either.

I don't really see any way Gretzky screwed up the Coyotes but I don't follow them very much either. Unless I'm missing something, we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one. If Phoenix is able to get excited over their hockey team it would be a shame for them to lose it. As for Bettman, it was just a headline I read on NHL.com.

As for the Caps-Pens series, I'm kinda glad the refs are being dipshits in that one too. It's been a damn good series so far and seeing it last wouldn't be too bad for me. Although I want the caps to win I don't really care too much either way. I feel bad for any Caps fans though, if I was one I'd be pissed too.
 
PITTSBURGH - Police say they've traced an Internet death threat made against Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin to a 17-year-old boy.
Pittsburgh police say the boy lives in Chambersburg, which is east-southeast of Pittsburgh. State police have talked to the boy, but no charges were immediately filed.
The boy's name wasn't released because he's a juvenile.
The posting on a hockey message board read: "I'm killing Ovechkin. I'll go to jail. I don't care anymore."

New plan for Pittsburg to win this series? Sad people around on this globe, but we were aware off that already.
 
I really want to see the coyotes come to southern ontario. We could definitly support them. The Leafs games are always sold out and they suck. It'd be nice to have a local alternative that is at least somewhat affordable to see and there are tons of people in Toronto and Ontario that can't stand the leafs either. If not southern ontario anywhere else in Canada would do. I'd really like to see a team out east like in Halifax or St. Johns.
 
the real question is this: In a league that is so money oriented as to change the rules to increase scoring and thusly 'get more money', why the fuck would they not want to move a failing and low money team to a market that is now dominant in the NHL? The Canadian Market, especially in southern ontario, is dominating almost every other market in the NHL.

This attempted block makes little sense, when the NHL has been so invasive and forceful throughout the 90's with trying to move the flames twice, the oilers twice (I think twice) and successfully moving the nords before they won the fucking cup as well as winnipeg. Unless, of course, Bettman believes Canada has no place in the NHL (lol).
 
the real question is this: In a league that is so money oriented as to change the rules to increase scoring and thusly 'get more money', why the fuck would they not want to move a failing and low money team to a market that is now dominant in the NHL? The Canadian Market, especially in southern ontario, is dominating almost every other market in the NHL.

This attempted block makes little sense, when the NHL has been so invasive and forceful throughout the 90's with trying to move the flames twice, the oilers twice (I think twice) and successfully moving the nords before they won the fucking cup as well as winnipeg. Unless, of course, Bettman believes Canada has no place in the NHL (lol).


The answer to that question is simple. The league is so money oriented that the higher ups of the league want "hockey pockets" all over the states. This is because of the national TV contracts. Attendance doesnt matter too much because if you have teams all over the US people will watch the game. It's all about the TV contracts.
 
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Honestly, I don't see how the courts are going to side with Bettman.
 
Did you guys want a thread for NHL '10 in IR so you can talk about the game specifically or should I post stuff here? >.> There are two producer interviews out now.
 
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