Nick Against the World (51 Viewers)

[Ian]

++ [ originally posted by Andy ] ++
Thats a load of crap Sergio. This "downfall" of the NHL was started by the idiot League commisioner Gary Bettman and his desire to put a team in some of the most idiotic locations in the country. This stupid expansionary plan put a team in Phoenix, which has basically never had a real fan base for hockey considering its in the MIDDLE OF THE DESERT. Moreover, he decided to put a team back in Minnesota; a place wgere the North Stars came and went and for some strang reason pro hockey is not valued there. Also he puts another team in Atlanta of all places. Idiot Bettman put strain on the system by making teams that are not at all profitable. Dont blame Mike Illitch for having a lot of money to spend and making good Pizza. Without the success and marketability of the Red Wings the league would be shovelling shit behind the local Ice rink.

Here are the teams that should have never been:

Phoenix
Florida
Atlanta
Minnesotta
Nashville Predators WTF

That's more or less true. The expansion teams were not competitive and put a strain on the league's profits, but those teams weren't the ones losing the most money. If I remember correctly, the Senators have been bankrupt for two seasons now. The real problem is that hockey is not as big a sport as hockey players and owners think that it is. They built the infrastructure of the league like it was a major sport on the level of basketball or baseball, but the interest just wasn't there. Most people I know wouldn't watch a regular season hockey game. They just didn't matter. All the decent teams got into the play-offs and that's the only thing worth carring about.

Personally, I'm looking forward to the formation of a new league. Maybe they can finally get rid of the red line and implement no-touch icing...

 

Buy on AliExpress.com

[Bjerknes]

++ [ originally posted by Ian ] ++


That's more or less true. The expansion teams were not competitive and put a strain on the league's profits, but those teams weren't the ones losing the most money. If I remember correctly, the Senators have been bankrupt for two seasons now. The real problem is that hockey is not as big a sport as hockey players and owners think that it is. They built the infrastructure of the league like it was a major sport on the level of basketball or baseball, but the interest just wasn't there. Most people I know wouldn't watch a regular season hockey game. They just didn't matter. All the decent teams got into the play-offs and that's the only thing worth carring about.

I agree to a certain extent. However this crisis cannot be blamed on owners like Mike Illitch who get players and then win the Stanley Cup with them. The Red Wings are the most supported team in the country because of the stars they have had and the Cups they have won, and I know a lot of people who would not care about hockey if it was not for the Wings. In Michigan the biggest sport is hockey, and if the Red Wings were a complete shite team the largest hockey-supporting sector in the country would not have been. These areas, like Detroit, are critical to the sport's well-being.

Personally, I'm looking forward to the formation of a new league. Maybe they can finally get rid of the red line and implement no-touch icing...

Ian, you have got to be kidding me on the the no-touch icing crap. If that rule was implemented into the league there would be more stopages of play and less flow and pace. With the touch icing rule it makes players work their ass off to get to the puck and if the offensive team wins the puck they will most likely get a scoring chance. Like I said, the game would suffer from lack of pace and too many stoppages, something that the league does not want to happen because it makes the sport "more boring." Dont know how that is possible after watching baseball games.

BTW-When I played hockey the no touch icing rule was horrible. There were so many stoppages of play that it took the fun out of it.

 

[KB824]

You can't expect expanison teams to be competitive right away, however, there are a couple of examples of expansion squads who did quite well this year, including Nashville, who gave Detroit quite a run for their money, Minnesota, who was in the playoff race until the last week of the season, and your Stanley Cup champion tampa Bay lightning.

Are there too many team, yes. However, its not the expansion teams that are causing the problems. take a look at the rangers, Blackhawks, capitals. High spending squads (Chicago finally changed their ways last year) who consistently drive up the player salary market (Hello jaromir Jagr), thereby causing the entire league to have no choice but to follow suit.

It may have been harsh for me to single out Detroit in all of this, but to me, they are the ones that are going to be the fastet to fall once a salary cap comes into play.


Don't blame the expansion teams, blame the re-lcoated ones (Carolina, Phoenix) for moving to cities that have no business having a hockey team.

 

[KB824]

And don't mind me, I'm mad as hell because I can't find my Wu-Tang CD

 

[Bjerknes]

++ [ originally posted by Sergio ] ++
You can't expect expanison teams to be competitive right away, however, there are a couple of examples of expansion squads who did quite well this year, including Nashville, who gave Detroit quite a run for their money, Minnesota, who was in the playoff race until the last week of the season, and your Stanley Cup champion tampa Bay lightning.

Are there too many team, yes. However, its not the expansion teams that are causing the problems. take a look at the rangers, Blackhawks, capitals. High spending squads (Chicago finally changed their ways last year) who consistently drive up the player salary market (Hello jaromir Jagr), thereby causing the entire league to have no choice but to follow suit.

I agree to some extent. Although some expansion teams did turn out to be good, and had great performances in the Playoffs, they were still losing money and the fan bases were still not there. However horrible teams like Atlanta were just a disaster waiting to happen because they could not perform in any of the before mentioned characteristics to ensure success. I blame Bettman for being greedy with hockey.

It may have been harsh for me to single out Detroit in all of this, but to me, they are the ones that are going to be the fastet to fall once a salary cap comes into play.

I doubt that will happen my friend. We have one of the best scouting systems in the entire league, with many players waiting in the wings to break into the Red Wings. We have class farm teams that usually do very well, and thats because of the players we have in our books. Obviously our chances of success will be reduced because we usually have the top players to compete for the Cup. Hopefully teams will not be reverting to using the trap system or slap and check hockey, the latter which Calgary used to fock up the Wings. That system is for talentless no-good hockey clubs. I hope all the teams do not turn into the Devils or the Flames.

 

[KB824]

You may want to retract that last statement about Detroit having a "class farm system". With the exception of the needle in a haystack like Zetterberg in the 7th round, detroit's farm system has been consistently ranked in the lower 3rd for the last 4 seasons, due mainly to the fact that they trade away all their draft picks to get older talent.


http://www.hockeysfuture.com/orgrankings.php

 

[KB824]

Wel, it s1 AM, and I still can't find my Wu-Tang Clan CD.


In other news, the Lakers won again without Kobe.



















TRADE KOBE.

 

[Bjerknes]

We might have traded away a lot of the talent, but when this salary cap comes into place I can assure you we will not be doing that anymore. There is still loads of talent out in Europe thats waiting for us to come and take them away. Its not as dry as you think with that inaccurate standing.

Oh, we also have the next Lidstrom with Nick Kronwall. That guy is sick and probably should have played for us in the Playoffs last year.

 

[KB824]

The next Lidstrom in Kornwall?


Oh, so that must mean that Montreal has the next Rod Langway in Mike Komisarek.

 

[Bjerknes]

Great. I forgot that the Player's Association spokesman is Trevor Linden. This guy is notorius for wanting more than he deserves.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=1970647

 

[Bjerknes]

++ [ originally posted by Sergio ] ++
The next Lidstrom in Kornwall?


Oh, so that must mean that Montreal has the next Rod Langway in Mike Komisarek.

Okay, it was a bit of a stretch, but the guy has loads of talent. He might be more mobile than Lidstrom as well.


Now, time to play Barcelona in the 2006 Champion's League Final in Turin. Ibrahimovic will have a brace.





Oh shit, Ronaldinho.

 

[KB824]

THERE WILL BE NO HOCKEY THIS YEAR.


And if there is, no one will care.


Don't look for hockey next year, either.


I'm going to bed.

 

[Bjerknes]

++ [ originally posted by Sergio ] ++
THERE WILL BE NO HOCKEY THIS YEAR.


And if there is, no one will care.


Don't look for hockey next year, either.

Yeah, I will care. So will 15 million people in Michigan. I hope you burn in hell Bettman, burn in hell.

 

[Codino]

NHL 2005. my new fav game.

theres my 2 cents. so long and goodnight!

 

[Respaul]

http://www.juventuz.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=33

 

[Bjerknes]

++ [ originally posted by Shadowfax ] ++
http://www.juventuz.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=33

www.whogivesashit.com/nobody

 

[Respaul]

oooohhh.... Put the silver spoon away

 

[Dragon]

Id rather talk about baseball than hockey


So whos ready for Bush's second period

 

[Dan]

++ [ originally posted by Andy ] ++


www.whogivesashit.com/nobody

:LOL:

 

[ßöмßäяðîëя]

++ [ originally posted by fabiana ] ++

So whos ready for Bush's second period

Not I.