NHL Thread

[Madness]

Not sure how many other NHL fans there are on here. I'm a pretty big fan.

The Season will be wrapping up in about two weeks and then the playoffs.

[90PercentGravity]

Hello. Coyotes fan here. We are fighting for a wildcard slot and our starting goal tender was just injured. Our backup is kicking as, though.

[carrier76]

Let's go BLUES!!!!!  Oshie has been on fire since his shootout extravaganza in Sochi. Love it.

[DaddyOfPayton]

Hi to all. I am a HUGE fan of the Blue Jackets (full disclosure: been an usher since the first game)

 

Jim

[Madness]

I'm a Canucks fan. Doesn't look like there will be playoffs for us this season.

[90PercentGravity]

I'm pretty new to NHL fandom. I've always liked hockey, but I never lived anywhere with a team before. So I had not even been to a live game before tonight. Now that I have experienced a live game, I am going to be itching for more. It was a blast, even though we lost.

[DiamondDoll]

Let's go Bruins. They are playing incredible hockey right now and I can't help feeling like this is their year. Tuukka Rask is the best goaltender in the league right now.

The Finn in me also has lots and lots of love for Teemu Selänne. The man is a living legend.

[AdorkableSars]

I'm an Oilers fan (thank you in advance for your sympathy) and a Kings fan. I sometimes get heck from people for having two number one teams, but the Oilers are my hometown team, and the Kings have a bunch of my favorite players, and I just adore the way they play hockey. I really became a huge Kings fan after the Mike Richards trade.

[Madness]

Canucks fired GM Mike Gillis today. It had to be done. Just with the way he handled the goalie situation and how poorly he's drafted. Plus all the damn no trade/movement clauses he's handed out. Torts is probably next.

[90PercentGravity]

Coyotes are playing the Blue Jackets right now. I missed the first period, because I didn't realize the game was starting so early. In Arizona we don't do daylight savings, which probably sounds great to people who do, but it has a lot of annoying side effects, one of which is that at the end of the hockey season a handful of the away games are suddenly on an hour earlier than normal. So, today the game started at 4 pm when they had previously started at 5 pm. I never quite get used to this.

[JTMacc99]

I was listening the radio this morning and heard the replays of the radio calls for the tying and winning goals for Colorado in last night's game.  Heh. (If you can Google them, it would be worth it.)

Of the many things that went through my head, the one that stuck was "Ah playoff hockey! So much fun."

Of course, my team also won last night, so I was in a good mood.

[Madness]

That St. Louis Chicago triple OT game last night was great !

[Taylorh2]

Avalanche fan here. 

GO AVALANCHE!!!!!!!!!!!
 

[90PercentGravity]

Wow. Sharks... I can't even believe it.

[Madness]

Kings come back 0-3 down in the series and win in game seven. Just the fourth team in history to do it. Wow !

[Taylorh2]

STUPID AVALANCHE!!!!!!!!!      : (

[Madness]

Habs vs Bruins and Rangers vs Pens game 7s. Awesome!

[JTMacc99]

I watched the entire second half of the Rangers/Penguins last night on the edge of my chair.

 

No other sport does that to me.

 

Or maybe it's just the Rangers and their long tradition of letting me down.

[xaxat]

I watched the entire second half of the Rangers/Penguins last night on the edge of my chair.

 

No other sport does that to me.

 

Or maybe it's just the Rangers and their long tradition of letting me down.

 

As a Penguins fan, I actually wasn't that anxious during the game, because I knew they would find a way to lose. 

 

Three straight seasons of memorable (for all the wrong reasons) eliminations and counting. 

[JTMacc99]

Seems like time for a coaching change.  Sometimes the message from a coaching staff gets stale, even from a great coach.

[JTMacc99]

Well, I'm in a good mood this morning. Not at all looking forward to playing either of the teams from the West, but I wouldn't count out the Rangers in any series at this point. They have a very talented group of young defensmen, very good team speed and a great goalie. They've been one of the best teams in the league since their really poor start and should not be taken lightly. Their biggest disadvantage going into the Final is that they'll be facing a team that has been there, done that. Going up against an experienced team could lead to them being down 2 games to 0 before they get their legs under them.

[Oosala]

I'm so amped.  Last night's Kings/Blackhawks game was amazing.  Quick's goaltending in the 3rd period and in overtime was stellar.  This was a great series with two evenly-matched teams.  So excited about the Kings playing in the finals, and an L.A. / New York playoff series is ALWAYS fun, no matter what the sport.  Can't wait for the face-off !!!!

[muffkins]

I don't really have a horse in the race this year, as the Canucks sort of tanked, but Vigneault used to be the coach here, so I could root for them.  Or since LA is a West Coast team, I could root for them.  Either way, I hope it goes 7 as well.  It's sort of relaxing not really being worried about who wins what game.

[JTMacc99]

As a Rangers fan, I'm just rooting for no overtime games. I can't take overtime. I either go to bed absolutely miserable, or I can't fall asleep at all from the last minute adrenaline rush.

[Oosala]

I can't take overtime.

OMG, JT, me neither. After the Chicago/L.A. game 7 OT win, I was so wired I couldn't sleep, and it was still early because I'm Pacific time. I can't imagine an overtime game ending at like 11:00 at night and then you have to go to work the next day? Riiiiiiight. Anyway, I'm excited and nervous and slightly queasy, so you know that it's the playoffs.

[katbirdy]

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Kings! Go Kings Go! Been a fan since the 90s. So happy!!

[Victor the Crab]

The Los Angeles Kings are like vampires. You cannot kill them.

[JTMacc99]

Well, as it ended up, things didn't go quite the way I had hoped they would, eh?

I did however have the chance to watch a couple of the games with Kings fans (while in the neutral site of Boston) and had a very good experience. It was an odd thing for me to watch a game with people rooting for the other team, but their rooting interest had nothing to do with the fact that they experience joy when my team fails.

[bosawks]

Good lord, William Nylander is pretty.

[ketchuplover]

i think only the goalies should ever be allowed in that marked area in front of the goal

[eyetotelescope]

Anyone else counting down the days till the season begins?

[MyAimIsTrue]

Anyone else counting down the days till the season begins?

 

My boyfriend is!

[Madness]

I am! Can't wait

[Rick Kitchen]

The NHL is looking to expand to four more cities.  Possibilities mentioned are Quebec City, Seattle, Las Vegas, and, surprisingly, putting a second team in the Toronto area.

 

I could see a team in Hamilton, but they've mentioned Markham.  And would the NHL risk putting a team in Vegas?

 

If they put a team in Seattle, I'd love it if they named them the Metropolitans, after the first US team to win the Stanley Cup.

 

http://nesn.com/2014/08/report-nhl-could-add-four-expansion-teams-including-quebec-city-las-vegas/

[xaxat]

I think Vegas would be a disaster. Phoenix is a much bigger market (probably with more Snowbirds) and they survive only because the city is literally paying them to stay there. Plus there are all kinds of stadium issues with both US cities. 

 

I know they have cleaned house, but as a Penguins fan I am still dreading their annual tradition of a great season followed by spectacular implosion in the playoffs.

[Daisy]

Hockey is Coming

 

about damned time. missed it. (even though my team (sigh) sucks LOL <3 you Toronto 

[MyAimIsTrue]

I know it's not the NHL but I am a half season ticket holder for the Orlando Solar Bears, an ECHL team affiliated with Toronto and Minnesota, and I just selected my games for the 2014 - 2015 season.  Can't wait!

 

And speaking of NHL expansion would there be any concern about pulling from Vancouver's fanbase if a team is awarded to Seattle?  I'm thinking in baseball terms (my first love) and how batshit crazy the owner of the Baltimore Orioles went when the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, DC.

[shok]

And speaking of NHL expansion would there be any concern about pulling from Vancouver's fanbase if a team is awarded to Seattle?  I'm thinking in baseball terms (my first love) and how batshit crazy the owner of the Baltimore Orioles went when the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, DC.

 

I don't think so. It's my understanding that all the team and management and the fans would love, absolutely love there to be a team in Seattle. The rivalry that could be built up between the two teams and fanbases would be awesome and would be exploited by both sets of owners. Plus it would cut down on some of the insane traveling the Canucks have to do and that would be a very very good thing.

[eyetotelescope]

I am super excited for the new season to begin.  I'm a fairly new NHL fan, although I've been a fan of international hockey going back a number of years now, and am having a hard time recalling how I lived without the NHL for so long.  I'm also going to my first NHL game this season, so I just can't wait to get the season started.

[shok]

Moves faster plus there's usually a lot going on in the corners or on the benches or something that the tv doesn't pick up. I think it's the most exciting team game there is.

[eyetotelescope]

I'm seeing Pittsburgh @ Chicago in February!  I'm so excited - the Hawks are my #1 team, but I also root for the Pens (and the Leafs - I was raised and still live in Toronto), so seeing two of my favourite teams play each other is going to be an awesome first NHL game to attend.

 

It's really hard to get Leafs tickets here in Toronto without paying an arm and a leg, so I've never gone to a game here in Toronto before, but I'm making the effort this year (aka going to pay an arm and a leg) to see a few games in town this season.  I can't wait to see the action live!  Plus I recently bought two jerseys and would like an occasion to wear them.  ;)

Edited September 13, 2014 by eyetotelescope

[ohhellsyeah]

Putting a second team in Toronto is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard of. The Leafs are pretty brutal, but they have the most loyal fans in the league. They aren't going to suddenly abandon an original six team for something new and shiny.

Although, it's still a better idea than another team in the desert. Seattle and Quebec City are the only places I could see possibly working out. In general, however, I don't think the sport is popular enough outside of Canada to merit expansion.

[HalcyonDays]

Putting a second team in Toronto is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard of. The Leafs are pretty brutal, but they have the most loyal fans in the league. They aren't going to suddenly abandon an original six team for something new and shiny.

Although, it's still a better idea than another team in the desert. Seattle and Quebec City are the only places I could see possibly working out. In general, however, I don't think the sport is popular enough outside of Canada to merit expansion.

 

I heartily agree. I live in Toronto and my love for the Leafs is long gone. The problem is that they are all about the profit, and none about the fans.

Yes, I know, all teams want to make money, but with the Leafs, its like their sole focus. Toronto is always the most profitable team in the NHL, so MLSE makes no effort to draft a winning team. Why would they? - they make tons of money and don't have to.

 

I don't want a team here because I don't want a ton of suits to infest these games with their lack of enthusiasm. The true fans of the Leafs can barely afford to buy tickets. Instead, they get sold to boring corporate suits, who may go to the game, but do not cheer, do not behave like awesome fans should. It's boring. It's the same reason I don't want an NFL team here. I've seen how fans in the US are for their football teams. Insane but awesome. I want that here, but we just don't seem to do that...

[eyetotelescope]

I agree, HalcyonDays, about the problem with the Leafs/MLSE and fan atmosphere at games (based on the complaints of many of my friends and acquaintances).  I'll have to see the actual result before I can believe it, but I did like that Leiweke said that MLSE's aiming to create a better fan atmosphere at games, and followed it up with this new seasons tickets electronic delivery system that's aimed at removing the incentive of selling on the secondary market (thus making tickets more affordable and of course also creating some extra profit for MLSE as well), so at least someone at MLSE knows that the dominance of suits at Leafs games is killing the fan atmosphere and may actually be doing something about it.  It was interesting that Leiweke actually said just last week that he thinks the Raptors will be more popular than the Leafs in Toronto in 10 years based on changing demographics (I'm not sure I believe it, but I can see why he'd think so), and I hope that this kind of thinking motivates MLSE to think, for once, how to keep the Leafs relevant in this city, and one of those things is to think about what they need to do to get the next generation of Torontonians excited about the Leafs (well, other than winning more, heh).

 

At the end of the day, I'm not sure how much more MLSE can do to change the atmosphere of games beyond initiatives like this online ticket thing to reduce the incentive for scalpers.  I think that Toronto being the business centre of Canada means that there are a lot of companies here wanting to take their clients to the top event in town and because hockey is #1 in Toronto, all of the companies want to be able to take their clients to a Leafs game, meaning a lot of suits will be at games.  It's a pretty unique phenomenon, because in bigger cities in the US with huge commercial activity where companies want to take their clients to the top event in town, the local NHL team isn't the #1 event, so companies are more likely to take their clients to see the local NBA team or something instead, while in smaller cities with less commercial activity, there are simply less suits taking their clients out, period.

 

Anyway... is it October yet?

[ohhellsyeah]

Not yet, but training camps are starting soon which means we're that much closer to the start of the season.

You can look at demographics all you want, but I'll never believe a time will come when hockey is not the #1 sport anywhere in Canada.

As far as the Leafs effect goes, I think it's a problem in other markets too. I know it was in Vancouver for those two years when the Canucks were actually good. Now they can't sell tickets because Vancouver is not Toronto and they refuse to drop ticket prices. I can't believe ten years ago I was going to games for $30 or $40!

[eyetotelescope]

You can look at demographics all you want, but I'll never believe a time will come when hockey is not the #1 sport anywhere in Canada.

As far as the Leafs effect goes, I think it's a problem in other markets too. I know it was in Vancouver for those two years when the Canucks were actually good. Now they can't sell tickets because Vancouver is not Toronto and they refuse to drop ticket prices. I can't believe ten years ago I was going to games for $30 or $40!

 

I agree with you in that I personally think hockey will continue being the #1 sport everywhere in Canada, but I can see why some people think this may change in a city like Toronto where changing demographics suggest that the Raptors may increase in popularity while the Leafs will decline - unless they win the Cup, of course.

 

I'm sure the "Leafs effect" that you mentioned has existed/exists to different degrees in other markets too (and perhaps for various periods of time), but what I was discussing earlier was this rather weird phenomenon of the Leafs being the #1 event in town (unlike big cities like New York, Chicago, etc.) combined with Toronto being the business capital of the country (unlike smaller cities or cities with less of a business presence) leading to a ridiculous demand by a large number of corporate suit-types for Leafs tickets for business development/client entertainment.  Much attention in the media and among the Leafs fanbase is given to the fact that the Leafs sell out no matter how poorly the team is doing, and I do think that Leafs fans are among the most loyal fans in the NHL, but I think the demand for tickets from the corporate world in Toronto is another big factor in why Leafs games sell out no matter what, why ticket prices can continue to be so high and unattainable for a large segment of the Leafs fanbase and why the live atmosphere can be lacking even though the Leaf fanbase is huge and passionate.

Edited September 18, 2014 by eyetotelescope

[bosawks]

Woo Hoo real games!

[HalcyonDays]

eyetotelescope said: Much attention in the media and among the Leafs fanbase is given to the fact that the Leafs sell out no matter how poorly the team is doing, and I do think that Leafs fans are among the most loyal fans in the NHL, but I think the demand for tickets from the corporate world in Toronto is another big factor in why Leafs games sell out no matter what, why ticket prices can continue to be so high and unattainable for a large segment of the Leafs fanbase and why the live atmosphere can be lacking even though the Leaf fanbase is huge and passionate.

 

Ever see the people sitting in the stands at a Leafs game? Half are wearing suits and fiddling with their Blackberry's or iPhones looking bored. The true fans either manage to get seats in the 500 section, or the few scalped tickets and can go to a game. There is an area close to the ACC (Air Canada Centre) and has a large screen TV broadcasting the games - that's where the true fans gather and cheer and have a good time. Most of the seats are sold as corporate seats. I mean, can you blame MLSE? If a company is willing to pay over $500+ per seat and guarantee to have most of the seats sold right at the the beginning of the season, then why not? Doesn't mean I don't hate them for it.

[shok]

Woot! The Sedins and Vrbata sure looked good in their opener last night. It will be such a treat to see the twins play their magical style of hockey with a good winger this year, if they can stay healthy. #touchwood

[Athena]

I am part of a Fantasy Hockey League this year which means I am semi-following the season. I went out to a bar see the Leafs/Habs game and it was a pretty good game actually. I'm not a fan of the Leafs partly because I've never been a big fan of Toronto as a whole. I also have Price on my roster so it helped. It was a very good game at the end. The bar went wild because it was about 60/40 Habs/Leafs.