NHL Off-Season Thread...

[the max 0]

I might.

 

I'm torn because I'm loyal to my team and would like to see the good players come back.

 

But at the same time, I'd love to be able to watch NHL hockey in some capacity.

[Guest Olympic Slam]

Will anyone watch if they bring in replacement players?

Yes because in the NHL you gain next to NOTHING by watching the top professionals when compared to minor leaugers or college.

 

Instead of seeing better passing, shooting, exciting goals, and other FUN things you should get with better players, we instead get bigger players who are just more "skilled" when it comes to clutching, grabbing, obstructing, being in position and playing a trapping scheme. Oh and they all get to shoot at goalies with oversized gear. Yawn.

 

With the exception of Mario Lemieux (the only pure star and on-ice genius with the puck left) or one of the goalies, are there ANY big stars you would pay big money to see in today's NHL? When was the last time Jagr or Kariya scored a goal that made you say "wow"?

 

I say bring on the replacement players. I'd much rather watch forwards and defencemen who don't interfere as much or sometimes "forget" to be in position on defense than watch the oversized clutch and grab robotic "stars" of today.

[the max 0]

I'd pay to watch Jarome Iginla, Martin St. Louis, Ilya Kovalchuk, the Ottawa trio, Glen Murray, Roberto Luongo, Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg (when he's not hurt) and Marcus Naslund.

 

Far from "just" Lemieux.

[Guest Rrrsh]

No.

 

If I want to watch lesser palyers, I will watch Junior Hockey. The level of play is the same, but ur watching the future of hockey instead of a bunch of over-the-hill 30 year olds.

 

And I assume if it gets that far, they will have blown off the whole year. And if the NHL missses a Stanley Cup Final, I will never watch the NHL untill Bettman is fired.

 

And I am a diehard Canadian hockey fan.

[the max 0]

http://members.shaw.ca/loudi72/ove_hit_on_gonchar.wmv

 

Sergei Gonchar received a head injury during a hockey game today when Magnitogorsk Metallurg played Moscow Dynamo at home. In the offensive end Sergei Gonchar was receiving a pass from Aleksei Kaygorodov but was checked hard by Aleksander Ovechkin. Sergei Gonchar fell on the ice and lost consciousness. He immediately was taken to local hospital with heavy concussion. According to Gennady Velichkin, representative of Metallurg, Sergei regained consciousness and lost it again.

 

 

FUCK

[LaParkaMarka 0]

Oh, it doesn't matter that much. Do you seriously think there will be a season this year? He should be ok for 2006.

[Lightning Flik 0]

Considering he lost conciousness twice LPM, I'm thinking he's probably got a good chance of not coming back period.

[Der Kommissar 0]

 

To be fair, on this other board where I post, a few people have chimed that something of that sort happeend to them, and it turned out to be nothing too serious in the end. Then again, I have heard everything from "career ending concussion" to "nothing too serious" so far. Hopefully something more definite will be out eventually.

[the max 0]

Bruins fans: "Hopefully it's nothing too serious, and we can have Gonchar on our blueline whenever the season starts. Go Red Sox."

 

Bruins Ownership: "If Gonchar dies, do we still owe him all that money?"

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

 

Yes, I'd watch replacement players. I'd rather see Joe Nobody play for my Habs than Jose Theodore play for the Montreal WHA franchise.

 

Quite frankly, if every players was fired, and a salary cap was put in place, I bet lots of the current NHL players would come back and play for 1 million and a half a year.

 

[Guest Olympic Slam]

I've been thinking........the NHL is commiting suicide regardless of the outcome.

 

If the NHL comes back tommorow then the leauge will be just as popular as it was in June (if not more.) No harm no foul in terms of fan relations. Maybe the wait will increase interest.

 

However, the longer this lockout goes the more hockey is going to fade out of people's mind. Hockey is by far my #1 sport, but I've more than easily adjusted to no Sharks games.

 

So let's say this strike goes this year and maybe into next and hockey does finally come back with the same insane ticket prices and same on-ice product. I just don't see there being much of a fan base left.

 

Resolving the strike anytime after January doesn't mean the NHL will be saved. Nope, not at all. This thing is worse than I could have imagined.

[Red Baron 0]

Guy Lafleur said it best, when the league should declare bankrupt and should start over with 24 teams or so.

[nl5xsk1 0]

First of all, I hope that Gonchar is Ok ... the B's have lost too many players through free agency to lose one due to an injury like that. And to everyone that says "oh, he'll be fine by the time the season starts": why don't you ask Jason Allison or Adam Deadmarsh how long it takes to come back from a head injury?

 

And I've heard rumblings that a lot of the younger, less affluent players are starting to grumble about this lockout. Most of the player reps are veterans that have enough money in the bank to live comfortably even if the league never, ever comes back. But if you're a young player or a fringe player that doesn't have a multi-million dollar contract, you're getting screwed by this. I can really see the NHLPA falling apart, and the union getting broken, by young players crossing the lines and playing if/when the owners decide to go that route.

[CanadianChris 0]

Some notes:

• Corey Hirsch called out the players going over to Europe, calling them "scabs" for taking jobs from players already there.

• Rob Ray was quoted in yesterday's Ottawa Sun as saying that he'd be a replacement player in a second, and there are still about 10 guys he knows that would beat him to it.

• Pierre Maguire expanded on that this morning on his Team 1200 morning show segment, saying there are probably 100 current players that would cross a picket line. He also backed up Hirsch's viewpoint, although not agreeing with the use of the word "scabs."

I agree completely with Hirsch on this one, although he's being flamed (predictably) by current NHL players in Europe. I wonder how they'd feel if (when) the NHL declares an impasse and starts up play with replacement players. The NHLPA is a bunch of two-faced hypocrites when it comes to shit like this, and it's the main reason I have no sympathy for most of them.

[Red Baron 0]

First of all, I hope that Gonchar is Ok ... the B's have lost too many players through free agency to lose one due to an injury like that. And to everyone that says "oh, he'll be fine by the time the season starts": why don't you ask Jason Allison or Adam Deadmarsh how long it takes to come back from a head injury?

 

And I've heard rumblings that a lot of the younger, less affluent players are starting to grumble about this lockout. Most of the player reps are veterans that have enough money in the bank to live comfortably even if the league never, ever comes back. But if you're a young player or a fringe player that doesn't have a multi-million dollar contract, you're getting screwed by this. I can really see the NHLPA falling apart, and the union getting broken, by young players crossing the lines and playing if/when the owners decide to go that route.

Some of these people are Mike Riberio (but later misquoted).

Pierre Dagenias

Bryan Pothier

Andrew Ferance

Mike Commodore.

[the max 0]

Juraj Kolnik said that he'd play if there was a next season, but later said that he didn't understand the question, since English isn't his first language.

 

Personally, I don't see this ending well for the league or the PA. I think there WILL be replacement players, and we'll see a fair amount of newer NHL stars (like the Juraj Kolnik's) lighting it up with the best that the AHL has to offer.

 

I think it's safe to say that we won't be seeing NHL hockey this year or next year.

[Guest Rrrsh]

I can see why Hirsch is bitter. He sucked in the NHL and was replaced. And now he being replaced agian, that hurts the pride.

 

The only reason why I dont really feel sorry for him is that the players are NOT on strike. They are being lockout.

 

Big diff.

[Guest Rrrsh]

And, to all the guys like Commadore who feel that the little guys are being misrepresented by the NHLPA, I wish they would grow a fucking brain.

 

If they really didn't give a shit about you, Mike, they would agree to a cap only if the NHL loses six teams. And altho Betman has said he dosnt want that to happen, he will agree to that and make his money of NBC's NHL contarct (which starts in Febuary) rather than have no cap at all. And then all of these talentless hack like Commadore would be out of a job.

 

But what is happeneing, the NHLPA is fighting for that NOT to happen. So Commadore, shut the fuck up, and thank your lucky stars the NHL is such a peice of shit legaue right now here they reward losers like you who have no talent but can clutch and grab enough to get a spot.

[Red Baron 0]

Players like these finally have the balls to actually say something. Going to play in Europe does not prove anything towards the league.

 

You know, people (Canadians) would want to see stars, like Commodore, Dagenies, Ryder, Sedin, Bergeron, Smyth, etc. instead of players like Bure, Jagr, Bondra, Lindross, Hull, Federov, because players making less money, play for the game, not just for the money, and greed.

 

It's players like those who has ruined the game, as money was more important to the actual game. They can play in Europe for all I care, and I don't care if they ever come back.

 

I don't think Commodore would be out of a job if the NHL loses six teams, because when you have players making $7.5 million that would quit or play for Europe, be gone. I'd take a bunch of players who play for the game, instead of players who are concerned with their ego's and paycheques instead.

[Guest Rrrsh]

Your missing teh princaple, dude. They are fighting for every players job.

 

 

And it takes no balls at all to say what they are saying because everyone knows that the grinders need the money and want to play. It is common sense. And since the NHLPA does not fine their players, there will many people calling the NHLPA out. But I garentee that the owners of Toronto, New York, Colorado, Detriot etc.. would speak out and say that a Cap is not needed and they are making money. But they will be fined and they won't say anything.

[MrRant 0]

Stop posting. Thanks.

 

The owners of those teams wouldn't mind a cap because the owners are also businessmen and a cap helps raise the profit margins. There are very few players where you can make up the money you pay to them via merchandise etc.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Your missing teh princaple, dude. They are fighting for every players job.

Yeah, they're fighting for every player's job ... but if one of those players chooses to say that he disagrees with the union, he gets his wrist slapped.

 

If the NHLPA really cared about each and every player, they'd recognize that a cap, while limiting the top end salary, would still allow a salary average of more than a million dollars per player. Every player making something is better than no one making anything.

[CanadianChris 0]

Your missing teh princaple, dude. They are fighting for every players job.

That's such a naive viewpoint that it's laughable. They couldn't give two shits about the Pierre Dagenaises and Brian Pothiers of the world, so long as the Joe Sakics and Jaromir Jagrs can continue to make $7 million-plus. If they were really interested in their entire membership, then the wouldn't be holding out for something that's not coming, and letting their lesser-paid members sit and rot.

 

As for the European league fiasco, the NHL players are stealing jobs from players who really need them. Period. A hundred grand is a pittance to those guys, but it feeds the families of the guys who've gotten kicked out. It stinks, and those players should be ashamed of themselves, because you know they'd be screaming bloody murder if the league brought in replacement players -- which is the exact same thing.

 

Stop posting. Thanks.

Perfect.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

Oh wait. This lockout is not going to end till Gary Bettman and John Goodenow quit because they hate each other. Maybe both sides should realize they need each other or maybe only the NHL needs the players since they are all in Europe.

[Red Baron 0]

Your missing teh princaple, dude. They are fighting for every players job.

 

 

And it takes no balls at all to say what they are saying because everyone knows that the grinders need the money and want to play. It is common sense. And since the NHLPA does not fine their players, there will many people calling the NHLPA out. But I garentee that the owners of Toronto, New York, Colorado, Detriot etc.. would speak out and say that a Cap is not needed and they are making money. But they will be fined and they won't say anything.

Why would they?

 

The teams you mentioned gets the most profit, because most of the media outlets focus on them instead. The more TV time they get, the more profit they get. So in Canada, every single Leaf game is televised towards a large auidence, and since that is true, Leafs get more profit than any other Canadian team.

 

Just like the states, Colorado, Detroit, New York are usually shown across a large audience, and gets more of a national coverage compaired to San Jose, Tampa, Boston, Chicago, etc.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

I don't want to scare anybody, but today Bettman said the season may be slipping away. That totally blindsided me.

[Guest Rrrsh]

Stop posting. Thanks.

 

The owners of those teams wouldn't mind a cap because the owners are also businessmen and a cap helps raise the profit margins. There are very few players where you can make up the money you pay to them via merchandise etc.

They dont mind a cap if they miss no games. But as of right now, they are lsoing money with no games.

 

And ask Detroit if they would take a cap and lose in the first round due to pay cuts, or no cap and win a cup. Tough call.

[Guest Rrrsh]

Your missing teh princaple, dude. They are fighting for every players job.

 

 

And it takes no balls at all to say what they are saying because everyone knows that the grinders need the money and want to play. It is common sense. And since the NHLPA does not fine their players, there will many people calling the NHLPA out. But I garentee that the owners of Toronto, New York, Colorado, Detriot etc.. would speak out and say that a Cap is not needed and they are making money. But they will be fined and they won't say anything.

Why would they?

 

The teams you mentioned gets the most profit, because most of the media outlets focus on them instead. The more TV time they get, the more profit they get. So in Canada, every single Leaf game is televised towards a large auidence, and since that is true, Leafs get more profit than any other Canadian team.

 

Just like the states, Colorado, Detroit, New York are usually shown across a large audience, and gets more of a national coverage compaired to San Jose, Tampa, Boston, Chicago, etc.

My point is that on both sides, there are people who will disagree with what the figurehead is saying. But a 1 mill fine will cause those peopel to shut up.

[Guest Rrrsh]

Your missing teh princaple, dude. They are fighting for every players job.

That's such a naive viewpoint that it's laughable. They couldn't give two shits about the Pierre Dagenaises and Brian Pothiers of the world, so long as the Joe Sakics and Jaromir Jagrs can continue to make $7 million-plus. If they were really interested in their entire membership, then the wouldn't be holding out for something that's not coming, and letting their lesser-paid members sit and rot.

 

As for the European league fiasco, the NHL players are stealing jobs from players who really need them. Period. A hundred grand is a pittance to those guys, but it feeds the families of the guys who've gotten kicked out. It stinks, and those players should be ashamed of themselves, because you know they'd be screaming bloody murder if the league brought in replacement players -- which is the exact same thing.

 

Stop posting. Thanks.

Perfect.

20% or less of those players are North American. So how do u know those 80% Euro are not going back to their country for good? Then is it ok? Of course.

 

Don't give me this Bullshit about taking money from their familys. No one complians when Euro's come here and take jobs from American players in the NHL. If they were good enough to play in the nHL, they would. They can't, so they can be replaced if someone better arrives.

[CanadianChris 0]

You can't even see my original point, so this is my last word before I stop listening to anything you have to say on any subject:

 

It's not about talent, it's about respecting fellow players. NHLers would be the first to badmouth Europeans if they came over and acted as replacement players, so the NHL players should actually practice what they preach and not take someone else's job. The NHL players are complete hypocrites on this issue.