NHL Off-Topic thread

[Majingir]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

Stores are slowly starting to lower prices on jerseys.

https://www.lids.com/clearance/nhl/jerseys

Winter Classic but still..Patrick Kane jersey for $45! Regular jersey for $80! Blank jersey for $50!

Canadian prices are diff for those using Lids in Canada. I got a Leafs jersey for $72. Blank of course but still, that's a nice deal. Considering their Adidas jerseys are like 95% the same as their Reebok ones, this is the exact type of discount I had been waiting for since they announced the switch.

[Money99]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

Commissioner Gary Bettman says the NHL will look to enforce slashing penalties more next season and is not interested in more expansion at this time.

https://www.thescore.com/news/1322514

I'll believe it when I see it.
If you look at the definition of slashing in the NHL rulebook it's pretty black and white.
However, the NHL being the NHL, of course they add in a layer of 'interpretation' so that refs don't have to call it - you know, like in the playoffs, or in the 3rd period of a tight game:

Any forceful or powerful chop with the stick on an opponent's body, the opponent's stick, or on or near the opponent's hands that, in the judgment of the Referee, is not an attempt to play the puck, shall be penalized as slashing.

Why even have that portion in there?
Just get rid of it and make it a black and white call.
To really clear things up, create a penalty called "Stick Infraction" where if the stick touches any part of the puck carrier, it's a penalty.
Call it like icing, or offside, or delay of game when the puck goes over the glass.
It's black and white. No arguing.

And if the NHL wanted to get rid of dangerous hits along the boards, maybe they should, you know, call boarding?

Boarding in ice hockey is a penalty called when an offending player pushes, trips or checks an opposing player violently into the boards of the hockey rink

You only see that play about 27 times a game.

Here's a crazy thought? What if the NHL actually called the game as it's written in the rulebook?
You would have more offense and less injuries.

It's time to stop letting the lunatics (see GM's) run the asylum.
Enforce the rulebook from Day 1 to Game 7 of the SCF's.

[Money99]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

Wow.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHL?src=hash">#NHL</a> studied 4 playoff games closely and found btwn 60 to 110 slashes per game. &quot;There's definite flavour to clean that up,&quot; Campbell said.</p>&mdash; Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) <a href="https://twitter.com/frank_seravalli/status/878038034628956161">June 22, 2017</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHL?src=hash">#NHL</a> will go through &quot;education period&quot; with players/referees to call slashing/tapping/whacking on hands more stringently in games.</p>&mdash; Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) <a href="https://twitter.com/frank_seravalli/status/878037695024451584">June 22, 2017</a></blockquote>

[l3ulvl]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

sounds like something the conspiracy dudes can use as "referee control of outcome" nonsense

[Money99]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

The NBA has the dunk contest and MLB has the HR contest.
Both are signature events for their respective sports and have placed notice on some of their upcoming talents.
I think of Blake Griffin and now Aaron Judge.
And remember when Josh Hamilton broke records with his performance in 2008?
It was terrific.

So what can the NHL do to replicate this?
They tried with their own version of the slam-dunk contest, but that has mostly been a big failure.

I wonder if simply having a break-away contest could work? No need for gimmicks or judging each performance, but simply who can bury the most pucks in x-amount of time.

[Majingir]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

In hockey, what exactly can guys do solo that'd wow a crowd? You can hit home runs by yourself (and a pitching coach throwing to you), you can dunk a ball with nobody defending you. But what can hockey guys do? Even a shootout with no goalie, putting puck between your legs or shooting lacrosse style doesn't seem so great.

Best NHL has is fastest skater, hardest shot and accuracy challenge. Maybe if they just get more top guys involved there it'd be better? Keith VS Doughty in hardest shot, Crosby VS Ovechkin in accuracy, Mcdavid VS Matthews in fastest skater and so on. And announce the matchups days in advance so media can hype it up. Too many events I went in not knowing who is participating until they step up to begin that event

Fastest skater wise, they should go 1 by 1 because it takes away from the performance when two guys go at once. You're just watching for the winner, not clock watching or anything. And since guys can do it in 15 seconds, have it be 3 laps.

[Majingir]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

Sounds like Canes are gonna be bought for $500M(aka the same price Vegas payed for expansion team). Unfortunately, sounds like they won't be moving though.

https://twitter.com/soshnick/status/885550790823342083

Forbes valued the Canes at 230M and past reports said the asking price was 400M, so settling for 500M seems abit strange.

A team that lost 15M last year and hasn't posted a profit in over a decade, and attendance of under 13,000 each of past 3 years(the last 2 of which were the 2 worst year since their first 2 seasons where they had to play in a temporary location until their arena got built).

It all just makes no sense. Who'd pay 500M for a team losing money every year and can't draw fans?

[kehlis]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

Sounds like Canes are gonna be bought for $500M(aka the same price Vegas payed for expansion team). Unfortunately, sounds like they won't be moving though.

https://twitter.com/soshnick/status/885550790823342083

Forbes valued the Canes at 230M and past reports said the asking price was 400M, so settling for 500M seems abit strange.

A team that lost 15M last year and hasn't posted a profit in over a decade, and attendance of under 13,000 each of past 3 years(the last 2 of which were the 2 worst year since their first 2 seasons where they had to play in a temporary location until their arena got built).

It all just makes no sense. Who'd pay 500M for a team losing money every year and can't draw fans?

Sounds a lot like the Penguins.

They've done okay since their troubles days when everyone wanted them to move.

[Money99]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

Sounds a lot like the Penguins.

They've done okay since their troubles days when everyone wanted them to move.

The Penguins would be the Kansas City Scouts if they didn't win the Crosby lottery.

Don't know if the Canes will be as lucky.
Unless they turn that ship around, they could relocate sooner than later.

Sent from my LG-K210 using Operation Sports mobile app

[Majingir]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

Hopefully teams like the Pens and Hawks won't have any trouble once the CrosbyMalkin and Toews/Kane eras end. Pens are the most successful non original 6 franchise along with the Oilers, and of course Hawks being an original 6 franchise. Hopefully they don't ever face those kind of issues again.

[Money99]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

Hopefully teams like the Pens and Hawks won't have any trouble once the CrosbyMalkin and Toews/Kane eras end. Pens are the most successful non original 6 franchise along with the Oilers, and of course Hawks being an original 6 franchise. Hopefully they don't ever face those kind of issues again.

I'm not sure there's been a more fortunate franchise than Pittsburgh when it comes to getting generational talent.
Lemieux>Jagr>Crosby... just look at those three players. Unreal.

With Crosby hitting 30 this year, I'm guessing the 'next one' will be drafted by the Pens in the next 5 years, lol.

(BTW, I'd love it if the Wings signed Jagr. Why not? The team is garbage anyway. Might as well have someone fun to root for in another miserable season).

[Majingir]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

Pens definitely are lucky. They got to have a draft lottery without even playing a season! Crosby, Malkin, Fleury all in a 4 or so year span?!

[rdnk]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

Hopefully teams like the Pens and Hawks won't have any trouble once the CrosbyMalkin and Toews/Kane eras end. Pens are the most successful non original 6 franchise along with the Oilers, and of course Hawks being an original 6 franchise. Hopefully they don't ever face those kind of issues again.

It's pretty uncommon for teams to go from one generation to the next without sucking in between, especially now with the salary cap. After the Jagr days, the Pens went into a deep rebuild that nearly got the team moved. You look at the trap era greats: the Devils and Avs still have not returned to prominence and the Wings were the rare team that was able to get a cup despite most of their dynasty years guys being gone. Before the Wings, I'd say the Habs were the last team to go from generation to generation without sucking in the middle.

[Majingir]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

It's pretty uncommon for teams to go from one generation to the next without sucking in between, especially now with the salary cap. After the Jagr days, the Pens went into a deep rebuild that nearly got the team moved. You look at the trap era greats: the Devils and Avs still have not returned to prominence and the Wings were the rare team that was able to get a cup despite most of their dynasty years guys being gone. Before the Wings, I'd say the Habs were the last team to go from generation to generation without sucking in the middle.

The point I'm making though is that during those down years, hopefully fans don't just tune out.

[TripleCrown9]

Re: NHL Off-Topic thread

Thinking about going to my first hockey game this season. Do the Stars have any big rivals?