2008/2009 Hockey Thread v2.0

[Toe]

I signed up to Balsille's website and just got an e-mail from his group stating that, to alleviate scheduling conflicts, he is willing to keep the team in Phoenix for the 2009/10 season before moving.

[Gabriel]

I signed up to Balsille's website and just got an e-mail from his group stating that, to alleviate scheduling conflicts, he is willing to keep the team in Phoenix for the 2009/10 season before moving.

I think that will help to alleviate SOME of the concern about Balsillie purchasing the team... but not a very sizeable amount.

[Lowerdeck]

But how good would it do being in Phoenix for a year knowing it's going out of town? The fans, if there were any, probably wouldn't bother showing up knowing they'll have nothing to support next year.

[Gabriel]

But how good would it do being in Phoenix for a year knowing it's going out of town? The fans, if there were any, probably wouldn't bother showing up knowing they'll have nothing to support next year.

It's not to make the fans happy. It's a powerplay by Balsillie to let Bettman know that he's not trying to screw with the NHL at all. Moving to Hamilton for the upcoming season means either a complete rescheduling of all games, or nightmare travel for a lot of teams who have to go to Hamilton instead of Phoenix. For instance... I'm sure there are some teams who are scheduled for games in LA, Anaheim, San Jose and Phoenix as a road trip... well, if they move and they don't fix the schedule, that road trip becomes LA to Anaheim, to San Jose, to Ontario.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

[Enter Blue Guy]

Lets keep hockey in Phoenix. I expect to see Gary show his full support for his baby Yotes next season. Showing up to every single home game. Paying full price for his ticket (use up that spare change from his morning Starbucks' runs). Sitting first row, center ice. Stocking up on enough hot dogs and pizza to last him three periods. Buying all those left over Ollie Jokinen jerseys that were sure to be hot sellers for years to come.

And if that doesn't rally the fans and generate success, they can just move the team to New Mexico or something. You wouldn't need to change the logo or name or anything.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

And here I thought you'd make your dramatic return being the first person here to talk about the actual hockey still being played.

Pens looked awesome tonight, Canes looked like a team that tried hard but wasn't quite up to their opponents' level.

[SeanDMan]

Lets keep hockey in Phoenix. I expect to see Gary show his full support for his baby Yotes next season. Showing up to every single home game. Paying full price for his ticket (use up that spare change from his morning Starbucks' runs). Sitting first row, center ice. Stocking up on enough hot dogs and pizza to last him three periods. Buying all those left over Ollie Jokinen jerseys that were sure to be hot sellers for years to come.

And if that doesn't rally the fans and generate success, they can just move the team to New Mexico or something. You wouldn't need to change the logo or name or anything.

Don't forget pretzels. Gary Bettman loves pretzels.

[Enter Blue Guy]

So, Adam Burrish was a few inches away from tragedy yesterday. That would of sucked.

Sorry, MPH, the two first games did little to excite me enough to comment about something topical on the ice.

I like Detroit, but even I'm praying for Chicago sewer Ozzie. Ozzy. Ossie/y? Chris Osgood. Good thing is that if the first two rounds have taught us anything, it's that momentum means nothing in this post season. (I stole that from James Duthie, in case anybody pays attention to that annoying voice at the side of the panel)

Edited May 19, 2009 by Enter Blue Guy

[Gabriel]

Wow... nothing to excite you? Both games were phenomenal to watch.

[Enter Blue Guy]

The games were plenty exciting, the gut feeling of the prospects coming out of the conference finals are what is failing to excite me. It just seems inevitable that it's going to be Pens/Wings again. Which is fine, world class hockey is great any way it's served to me. Pens/Wings is interesting, the Golden Boys getting a second crack at the Cup against God's team, but man was I holding out my excitement big time for the Original Six resurgence showdown between Boston and Chicago.

I'd gladly take Pens/Hawks in the finals too. As much as I hate to be one of those guys who are saying the Hurricanes killed a bit of the playoff intrigue... Yeah. As soon as Boston was ousted, my interest level dropped a few pegs.

I have to give the Canes credit, they shut up everybody and did work against two East favorites, but I think Pittsburgh was meant to be the beast coming out of the East since the post season started. Carolina just did their part taking out the other contenders. MAF is playing lights out, Sid is playing on Jesus like levels of hockey, Geno can turn it on in an instant, and they are playing with much more depth than I was ready to give them credit for at the start of playoffs.

I'd like to think Detroit has been softened up by the Ducks and all the Hawks have to do is work the same comeback magic they have all post season, but I'll believe it when I see it. Youthful exuberance, heart, and skill has taken them far, but experience is king in playoff crunch time.

Edited May 19, 2009 by Enter Blue Guy

[TGWL]

The wings are just amazing to watch. Even if they're not scoring on their powerplay, it's freakin' awesome to see. The way they support each other and keep moving makes it real exciting.

[Hajjhowe]

Oh Salo.

[The Sultan of Swank]

I really don't want to see Detroit/Pens again, because I think it'll be somewhat boring. I mean the quality of hockey will be top notch, but its a movie we already know the ending to. The only way that changes is if Chicago miraculously closes the 2-0 gap and wins the series because I don't see Pittsburgh or Carolina as much more than a speed bump in Detroit's inevitable 12th Stanley Cup.

[Gabriel]

I really don't want to see Detroit/Pens again, because I think it'll be somewhat boring. I mean the quality of hockey will be top notch, but its a movie we already know the ending to. The only way that changes is if Chicago miraculously closes the 2-0 gap and wins the series because I don't see Pittsburgh or Carolina as much more than a speed bump in Detroit's inevitable 12th Stanley Cup.

Pittsburgh is a much different team than they were last year. I think they're going to win the cup now, regardless of who else makes it on the other side.

[The Sultan of Swank]

I'm going to have to disagree if only for the fact that Detroit has the same team as last year but now with Hossa. They've got more Stanley Cup rings in that room than probably any other team, they're deeper than any other team through all 4 lines. Their only weakness could be in goal, but Osgood has been good enough when he's had to be but the Wings defense and awesome 2 way forwards make his job far easier. To me, the Wings are lightning fast, deep as the ocean, disciplined and have more experience than any other team. Pittsburgh's got the experience from last year, but really when you look at the veterans on both team, when you look at the top players on both teams, when you look at who both teams rely on. It's just impossible to stop Detroit. If it comes to Wings/Pens... maybe the Pens stick around a game longer than last season, but when compared to Detroit they just don't stack up.

[Guest Zeddy]

Bwahahaha, something I never even thought of.

Pop quiz, EWB.

What do NHL teams' territorial rights cover? i.e. What do the Leafs stand to lose if we have Hamilton Coyotes in the league?

[Lowerdeck]

Isn't that why it was originally proposed to put Nashville (at the time it was Nashville being considered) in Kitchener? Far enough away from Toronto and Buffalo.

[gunnar hendershow]

Bwahahaha, something I never even thought of.

Pop quiz, EWB.

What do NHL teams' territorial rights cover? i.e. What do the Leafs stand to lose if we have Hamilton Coyotes in the league?

The Leafs lose the Hamilton market for like 7-8 years until the Leafs get good again, and this Hamilton team moves either to some other barren American market or Winnipeg.

[The Sultan of Swank]

I'm living in the Hamilton area now and I find that while they love the Leafs, there's a lot of resentment at the price and inaccessibility of the tickets. The Leafs could be the worst team in the league for 10 years in a row and they'll still sell out. I mean yes I'm sure there's plenty of people who get tickets in and around Hamilton, but from what almost everyone in the lab I work in feel is that if there were a team in Hamilton, they'd go to see them because it gives them a real hometown team (Toronto's about an hour away for those unsure), it'd hopefully be cheaper than the Leafs, they wouldn't have to try to brave the traffic to get to Toronto for 7pm and it's nigh impossible to get Leafs tickets anyways considering that most of the tickets belong to companies, and the rest have been in the same family for 75 years and they'll keep getting passed down, so a lot diehard Leafs or even just hockey fans are stuck paying well over 100 bucks a ticket to sit in the nosebleeds or just not going.

I'd be more concerned if I were Buffalo than Toronto. Toronto has and always will be a money making machine, with or without a team in Hamilton.