The Hockey Thread

Exciting news this week, what with lawsuits over the attempted move of the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton, Ontario. What do you think about this development?

I know you're lurking, Van. Speak up!

Hamilton might get an NHL team? Poor Bulldogs

Wouldn't that really hurt Toronto's chances of getting a 2nd team?

I say GOOD. I hate the fact that Arizona has an NHL team

I don't think it's gonna happen, Bettman wants teams in the States. If he didn't I think Winnipeg, Hamilton and other smaller Canadian cities would have had one by now.

This push into dead hockey cities like Phoenix and Florida is killing the league.

Getting out of Arizona would be great for the NHL. There are some fans there, no doubt, but people mostly don't care. Hockey has a niche market - they are much better served catering to that market than trying to force acceptance in non-markets.

I can't believe that Bettman is really closing the door on a sweetheart deal as is being offered by the RIM folks who want to move the team to Hamilton. I'm hoping this is just a bargaining ploy...but I wouldn't put it past him to fuck it up.

I think if Balsillie was a bit more diplomatic, he could have already bought a team and moved it (probably throwing some cash at Toronto and Buffalo). Of course, Bettman is an irritating little prick who could care less about hockey north of the border, so I'm ok if Balsillie manages to ram this through.

Bettman will probably fight tooth and nail not lose the big Phoenix tv market, as he's still trying to make the NHL the next big thing in the states.

Hopefully it goes through, Bettman resigns in disgrace, and the new commish gives the conferences (Campbell and Wales) and divisions (Patrick, Smythe, Adams, and Norris) back their proper names.

Octavian wrote:

I can't believe that Bettman is really closing the door on a sweetheart deal as is being offered by the RIM folks who want to move the team to Hamilton. I'm hoping this is just a bargaining ploy...but I wouldn't put it past him to fuck it up.

An NHL franchise in the region is a license to print money. Tickets to Leafs home games cost a fortune and are always sold out anyway, regardless of how crap the team is. Bettman knows that he could sell an expansion franchise in the Toronto area at a huge price. Balsillie is screwing that up for him.

Bettman sucks giant salty balls. The man has no business running the fryer at McDonalds let alone the NHL. In his tenure, you have seen the NHL go from being on ESPN and ESPN2 to Versus. I think the NHL ratings are somewhere south of Poker still....Poker!

And the call the other night in the Wings Vs. Ducks game was an embarassment. I meant to blow the whistle. What the fuck does that mean?

Yes, he has expanded the league but he's expanded it past the point of sustainability. The talent pool is too diluted, so you have a bunch of teams running New Jersey's trap.

My biggest gripe with Bettman has been that he's ground out every bit of tradition and legacy that gave ice hockey a real personality. The conference and division names are a sterling example of that -- they had the names they did for a reason, and they meant something to the stalwart fans of the game. In an attempt to turn hockey into a game for the masses he alienated the core fan base. Guess what? hockey isn't a game for the masses.

Hey -- here's an idea Gary: for the all-star game next year, let's play the short guys against the tall guys! That'll really pack 'em in!

I love to watch hockey on the Olympic-sized rinks -- the added width means that skaters really get to shine. THAT is hockey, not the sterile, side-show material you see in the NHL.

I gave up following the NHL about five years back, so excuse me if the opinions above seem a bit dated.

Sag.

Holy shit! I had no idea this was going on. I hope to hell Hamilton finally gets a team. Who is being cranky and suing? Buffalo and Toronto were always trying to keep Hamilton down. Thanks for the heads-up!

Octavian wrote:

Getting out of Arizona would be great for the NHL. There are some fans there, no doubt, but people mostly don't care. Hockey has a niche market - they are much better served catering to that market than trying to force acceptance in non-markets.

I can't believe that Bettman is really closing the door on a sweetheart deal as is being offered by the RIM folks who want to move the team to Hamilton. I'm hoping this is just a bargaining ploy...but I wouldn't put it past him to fuck it up.

OMFG. BETTMAN???? BETTMAN is trying to put the kibbash on this??? No wonder Juniper was taunting me...

I haven't gone on a good anti-Bettman rant in awhile! HE FUCKING DICK THEN BULLSHIT! THIS IS RECOCKULESS! That felt kind of nice.

Bettman has gutted the NHL. Color me unsurprised. Hamilton deserves a team. Arizona never, ever, ever in anyone's wildest imagination (except GB) did.

I wonder if Winnipeg would like a team? *sigh*

Here is an interesting take on re-alignment .

I like the ""I'm not sure what to call it" Division" Ooh ooh, I know!, I know! How about the Smythe Division!

Van "Bringing NHL Tradition back!"

vandemonium wrote:

Holy shit! I had no idea this was going on. I hope to hell Hamilton finally gets a team. Who is being cranky and suing? Buffalo and Toronto were always trying to keep Hamilton down. Thanks for the heads-up!

Didn't Hamilton have one of the first NHL franchises back in the 1920's?

I always wondered about hockey in the Sun Belt, but then again I got to watch the Tampa Bay Lightning for years when I lived down there at great prices because they couldn't sell out (this was before the strike and they Stanley Cup). Is the Phoenix problem because the owner's an idiot or that he just wasn't making any money?

Go Penguins!

In my opinion much of modern hockey's problems are the clutch & grab, and the dump & chase. Even hockey fans find it tedious. The game is magical when the skaters get their chance to zoom. I concluded ten years ago that the only way that will return is with Olympic-sized rinks, and I have not found anyone that could give me a compelling argument against it.

That's the easy part. That gives the NHL an opportunity to appeal to a broader audience. All that remains is the miracle of selling the game to the uninitiated and hoping it sticks with a few of them.

Sag.

Sagrilarus wrote:

In my opinion much of modern hockey's problems are the clutch & grab, and the dump & chase. Even hockey fans find it tedious. The game is magical when the skaters get their chance to zoom. I concluded ten years ago that the only way that will return is with Olympic-sized rinks, and I have not found anyone that could give me a compelling argument against it.

That's the easy part. That gives the NHL an opportunity to appeal to a broader audience. All that remains is the miracle of selling the game to the uninitiated and hoping it sticks with a few of them.

Sag.

Meh. I don't agree that "even hockey fans find it tedious." Some do, no doubt but not all... And there is plenty of skating. On the bigger rinks there tends to just be more stick work so while the emphasis shifts, trying to prevent the skaters from being able to waltz around like Nancy Kerrigan is always going to be part of the game.


Hockey is a niche sport in the US. Olympic rinks, glowing pucks, cheerleaders, or sissy white skates *cough*cough*Federov*cough*cough* won't change that. That is what Bettman has never gotten. He want(ed)(s) the NHL to be the NBA and it AIN'T NEVER gonna be that. I have argued for years that the NHL is MUCH better off making the best NHL it can be and concentrating on its meat and potatoes. That is Canada, and the US northern markets (where there is a cold winter season and kids can play hockey). I am not saying there should be no southern teams, but there should not be such a delibrate push into those markets. The California teams seem to be doing fine, Nashville, Carolina (although weren't they going to move not so long ago?). But don't for the love of god say, Hamilton shouldn't have a team, but let's talk to Las Vegas??? Really? Seriously? This is what it has come to?

From what I've been reading since I saw this news, the NHL is dead set against any more Canadian teams. This is beyond mind blowing to me. Are they truly, that out of touch? At some point I wish they'd just come up with the SGL (Skating Game League) make a 8'x8' goal, and goalies have to be 5' or shorter, use Olympic rinks, and make touching anyone on the other team in any fashion illegal. Then sell the NHL name to someone (George Gillette I am looking at you) and teams can can decide which league they wish to play in. The NHL can go back to playing HOCKEY again, and the SGL can do whatever the fuck they want to do in Las Vegas, and god knows where else.

Give me back my NHL!

Regardless of my general bitchiness. I love my Red Wings and even if they stayed in the SGL *shudder* I would still follow them.

Goooo Wings!

jhuntin1 wrote:

vandemonium wrote:

Holy shit! I had no idea this was going on. I hope to hell Hamilton finally gets a team. Who is being cranky and suing? Buffalo and Toronto were always trying to keep Hamilton down. Thanks for the heads-up!

Didn't Hamilton have one of the first NHL franchises back in the 1920's?

I always wondered about hockey in the Sun Belt, but then again I got to watch the Tampa Bay Lightning for years when I lived down there at great prices because they couldn't sell out (this was before the strike and they Stanley Cup). Is the Phoenix problem because the owner's an idiot or that he just wasn't making any money?

Go Penguins!

Well, the Original six were, Toronto, Montreal, New York Rangers, Boston, Detroit, and Chicago. Hamilton probably did have a team earlier than the O6 I think that was in the 40s or thereabouts.

I'm off to walk the dogs so I don't have time to look it up just now.