NHL Offseason Omnibus 2014

[Death From Above]

Also, listing another eastern team in a league with a 14-16 imbalance as the most likely expansion site is crazy. I think everyone gets that isn't where they're going.

 

Quebec is on the radar as a relocation target, but I'd be stunned if they got an expansion team.

[evilwaldo]

Arizona was owned by the league because nobody wanted to own that mess, that's what people complain about. Florida plays in front of so many empty seats most nights it's a joke. The rest of those franchises are fine, and if you hear people complaining about LA having a team, it's because you want to hear that complaint.

 

There isn't a large US National television contract. There IS a large Canadian television contact. Maybe one of these years they will cater the playoff schedule to the Canadian broadcaster's needs, instead of playing afternoon games during the conference finals because NBC wants to air a Best of Adam Sandler on SNL re-run during prime time on Saturday nights.

 

 

...and the Canadian TV contract dollars are based off of the US deal.  Without a growing US deal and the big media footprint Canada's deal becomes stagnant.

 

Arizona did well with no marketing because they were haggling over the franchise.  Now that ownership is settled they can grow the market.

 

Florida may be a relocation candidate but the team is coming along nicely with respect to their rebuilding.

 

Winnipeg has the smallest building in the league (15,000) and one of the smallest markets so they should not be complaining about anything.  The Jets could have gone to much larger markets but the league is stable enough where they can support that team being located in a tiny market.

 

 

Also, listing another eastern team in a league with a 14-16 imbalance as the most likely expansion site is crazy. I think everyone gets that isn't where they're going.

 

Quebec is on the radar as a relocation target, but I'd be stunned if they got an expansion team.

 

 

Yeah, chances are the targets will be Portland, Kansas City, and Houston; maybe Milwaukee if they get their arena situation sorted out.  Those are four cities that will fit in the Western markets.  

 

Quebec will get something though.  Either an expansion team or a relocation.  There is too much tradition and when you visit the NHL store at the Hockey Hall of Fame it is filled with Nordiques jerseys.

[odessasteps]

Bell will end up owning the quebec team or the second mythical TO team.

I dont kniw whio long MLSE can coexist.

[Charlie M.]

One positive in terms of talent is that the Russian vanity project known as the KHL is a failure so we should be getting more Russian players in the NHL again.

[sabremike]

My Devils rep told me tickets will be sent out in a week, and the thought of that makes me so happy because I'm just starved for hockey at this point. Why can't they come up with a WNHL so we can have hockey year round?

[sabremike]

Here's a good one the Devils are pulling: they are putting together a date and time for people to pick up their tickets in person at the arena. The hook is that they will take a picture of you with a player to be determined. That's all fine and dandy, but all STHs paid $20 for processing (ie: mail you your tickets). Unless I am missing something there are no plans to refund that money if you pick up in person.

In an unrelated note my friend I go to the games with received his Flyers tickets today. Flyers may charge top dollar but when it comes to customer service they don't fuck around. Think there are 3 days I can do a Flyers/Devils doubleheader (Flyers at 1pm, Devils at 7pm). Also the Sabres lone visit is the Eric Desjardins Flyers HOF night. One of my goals for this season is to see the Sabres in 5 different venues (hoping some friends do a trip to First Niagara so I can tag along).

[DouglasC]

[sabremike]

Who was the coach who once yanked Harvey's tongue off? Still remember that from years ago but can't recall who did it.

[odessasteps]

Who was the coach who once yanked Harvey's tongue off? Still remember that from years ago but can't recall who did it.

Mactavish, iirc

[sabremike]

Question for you guys: do you know who has the rights to the WHA footage? Would really love to see some vintage games on the NHLN, particularly the Fighting Saints-Whalers game that featured a bench clearing brawl whose radio call was immortalized as the b side of the Brass Bonanza LP.

[elizium]

There's really no WHA footage. Most of it was lost, thrown out, erased, or most likely never filmed in the first place. There are only a handful of complete games. I think an All-Star game, the game where the Jets won the last Avco Cup, maybe a couple others, are all that's around.

[elizium]

This site might be of interest to you.

 

http://www.whahof.com/index.html

 

E: I think this is the game I was thinking of, rather than an All-Star game. The Whale versus the Red Army.

 

http://youtu.be/GNPr73LgOts

[mco543]

The NHL Network is so spectacularly disappointing in regards to old footage that even if it did exist it probably wouldn't air. I got the Network again a few months ago after not having it for 4 years and they're still showing the exact same shit. I don't know how many times they've aired the Tugnutt 70 save game but it has to be into the triple digits. It's such a shame that they're so God damn lazy about it.

[elizium]

The NHL Network is so spectacularly disappointing in regards to old footage that even if it did exist it probably wouldn't air. I got the Network again a few months ago after not having it for 4 years and they're still showing the exact same shit. I don't know how many times they've aired the Tugnutt 70 save game but it has to be into the triple digits. It's such a shame that they're so God damn lazy about it.

 

 Had it to, for a couple years. Was constantly amazed by the utter lack of hockey on the hockey channel.

[Death From Above]

Question for you guys: do you know who has the rights to the WHA footage? Would really love to see some vintage games on the NHLN, particularly the Fighting Saints-Whalers game that featured a bench clearing brawl whose radio call was immortalized as the b side of the Brass Bonanza LP.

 

I have no idea but it seems clear that a ton of historic hockey footage is all locked in various vaults someday. There's so much good stuff that is just unseen/forgotten. I brought this up on twitter the other day myself. Obviously CBC has a fuckton in their vaults somewhere, but who knows how much of that has actually been preserved.

 

For all we know a chunk of hockey history got the Stampede Wrestling treatment and is lost. But I hope not.

[odessasteps]

Marek probably knows.

[Serious Darius Bagfelt]

 

Question for you guys: do you know who has the rights to the WHA footage? Would really love to see some vintage games on the NHLN, particularly the Fighting Saints-Whalers game that featured a bench clearing brawl whose radio call was immortalized as the b side of the Brass Bonanza LP.

 

I have no idea but it seems clear that a ton of historic hockey footage is all locked in various vaults someday. There's so much good stuff that is just unseen/forgotten. I brought this up on twitter the other day myself. Obviously CBC has a fuckton in their vaults somewhere, but who knows how much of that has actually been preserved.

 

For all we know a chunk of hockey history got the Stampede Wrestling treatment and is lost. But I hope not.

 

Like elizium said there are only 2 or 3 complete games out there and a handful of the Soviets vs the WHA All Star games.  WHA never had that much of a TV presence.  As far as I recall the last season there was maybe one game shown a week in the Toronto area.  Typical story is probably the local market had a channel that showed the game but didnt keep footage of the game and the individual teams never thought to do it.  Incredible really that there is basically nothing to visually document Wayne Gretzkys first season of pro hockey.  

[RIPPA]

Bob Suter died a heart attack today. He was 57

[evilwaldo]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=730165

 

Rule changes for next season.

 

Quick summary, they are trying to open up the game and get more goal scoring.  Lots of positive changes to that effect.  

 

The game will be faster and more open.

 

With respect to the OT changes I had a chance to meet Commissioner Bettman at the NHL Draft and he talked about how the scrape and long change has made a 10% difference in ending a game in OT versus the shootout in the ECHL.

 

I like the new faceoff rule where shots off the net will mean a defensive zone faceoff rather than outside the zone.  That change will make a huge difference in scoring. That is Rule 85.

[Death From Above]

They should really look at making Puck Over Glass the same as an icing: no line change for the offending team. That was a great change a few years ago and I think it works here too.

 

I think it accomplishes the goal of being a deterrent without overdoing it, and it's a simple change that also takes heat off the referees having to make a big call.

 

I've run it by a few different hockey reporters through social media and everyone that has bothered to respond has said they think it's not a bad idea, for whatever little that is worth.

[sabremike]

Got my Isles tickets in the mail today. Each ticket has a memorable moment in the team's history, and three things struck me about them:

 

1- A Rick DiPietro moment is on one of them. I laughed. If they had a sense of humor they should've noted the date he signed the 15 year deal.

 

2- Pat Lafontaine is featured on one of them. Him and Wang hate each other, even to the point that when they did something similar for tickets a few years back (40th anniversary) Patty was completely ignored. I know Wang is in the process of selling but was still pleasantly surprised by this.

 

3- One of the dates is the infamous game 6 vs. the Caps from 1993, and features a picture of Pierre Turgeon with a note that he scored an insurance goal in the win. My jaw hit the floor when I saw that one.

[Death From Above]

The Oilers have hired former Olympic figure skating medalist David Pelletier as a skating coach.

 

This has really been an off-the-board summer at the club between that and the Dellow hiring.

[sabremike]

Watching the legendary Flyers-Islanders Game 6 of the 1980 cup final. My God is this awesome, makes the modern NHL look so lame in comparison. It's like going from watching Bill Watts Mid South to watching Raw.

And a question for you guys: anyone know the cheapest way to get from NYC toTD Bank Garden (Boston) or Verizon Center (DC) via public transportation? Toying of the idea of seeing the Sabres when they visit those venues but would want to come back same day.

[evilwaldo]

Amtrak or Greyhound.

[odessasteps]

Watching the legendary Flyers-Islanders Game 6 of the 1980 cup final. My God is this awesome, makes the modern NHL look so lame in comparison. It's like going from watching Bill Watts Mid South to watching Raw.

And a question for you guys: anyone know the cheapest way to get from NYC toTD Bank Garden (Boston) or Verizon Center (DC) via public transportation? Toying of the idea of seeing the Sabres when they visit those venues but would want to come back same day.

DC metro stops right under the verizon/mci center.