04/19/24
December 27, 2005
Hidden: I think the NHL should hype traditional rivalries: Personally I think the NHL should form a division that contains only the orginal 6 teams and other divisions of everyone else. Let the others fight it out and then take on the winner of the original 6 for the cup. It's sure better then this insane desire of the NHL to copy football in it's "Parity".
posted by commander cody to hockey at 02:14 AM - 10 comments
That is a tough call. I live and work in NYC. I walk by MSG every night. The excitement of a hockey game is now amplified by a winning Rangers team. The original six have not been the upper eschelon of the NHL in recent years. Chicago has been playing at an expansion level for years. I think that there are some great rivalries that would be disrupted with an all six division; Flyers/devils(best in hockey), Rangers/Islanders a natural. I think that the NHL has realised most of it's financial problems are from trying to copy the NBA/NFL formula and resulting over expansion. I blame Gretsky for hockey being played in such unnatural ( no natural ice ever ) places as; Florida,Texas,Georgia,North Carolina and Southern California. ( I am undecided on Ohio )Thank Goodness( or Bettman) that the league has finally gotten rid of the ' flow crushing " left-wing lock style of play. Does any one miss the two-line calls?
'Flow-crushing left wing lock'? The only people that hate the left wing lock are those whose teams could not figure out how to break it. Yeah, a lot of people miss the two line pass calls, especially those who objected to it's removal. Changing rules to make the game more TV functional is absurd, but it came about due to last year's lock-out as one of the few ways to get the negotiations back to moving. Why you object to hockey in places that do not have freezing weather is rather weird as well. Does this mean you object to roller blade hockey as well? Gretzky made the game popular for some who never bothered to grasp it's concept previously, but I suppose you consider that to be negative as well. When a team goes bankrupt from its lack of fans, that's considered overexpansion. It's also why the WHA is no longer in existence, but the NHL absorbed those teams and more. It's insane to think that expansion is causing the problems you think, when the problem is really misunderstanding the concept of competition.
posted by mrhockey at 08:35 AM on December 27, 2005
Two line passes stunk! Why needlessly shorten the rink? Two line passes catered to the less talented players in the NHL and handcuffed the more skilled players, I think it was the best change they made this year. I hate the fucking trapezoid and I still have not recieved a sufficent answer as to how it helps move the game along. Oh and commander cody post something for me to read next time, its awfully boring at work today and I would appreciate some nice articles you may find on the world wide internet.
posted by HATER 187 at 09:03 AM on December 27, 2005
No link. Read the link guidelines and try again.
posted by dusted at 10:20 AM on December 27, 2005
That could be nice but it wouldn't really work out. As said above, some teams like the Blackhawks stink, and they've only sold out two home games. Plus, that would be unfair to make the Red Wings have less games against the Blues and Blue Jackets.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 11:15 AM on December 27, 2005
Again, a post needs a link of quality. a good conversation starting opinion, but if we all posted short opinions, this place wouldn't be what it is. Write an article. I should too, at some point. I don't like the idea of an original six division, not because of what it offers, but because of what it would take away from the current NHL. Divisional games should be cut back to 6, imo. And generally the scheduling sucks it this year, imo.
posted by garfield at 11:43 AM on December 27, 2005
Out here on the "best coast" any time the Red wings come to town the arenas register a full house. Its more tradition than rivalry.
posted by westcoast at 12:08 PM on December 27, 2005
Deleted.
posted by justgary at 12:23 PM on December 27, 2005
The owners of the Original Six teams should withdraw from this messed up NHL and form an Elite Hockey League. They could then invite other teams to compete against the winner of the Original Six division for the Cup. Possible divisions: Canadian Division: Quebec, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver, and an American Division: NY (Islanders), Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Minnesota (North Stars), St. Louis and Colorado. All get snow and can produce NHL quality hockey players. With no future expansion! The product would be tremendous. TV would love the competition. Take off the helmets, no more slap shots and bring back fighting. Ah, the good old days. The rest of the teams can wallow in there minor league existence – no ones cares! Quit watering down the product and clogging up the airwaves, and Bettman – you’re gone.
posted by Hockey Eliteist at 01:00 PM on December 27, 2005
Write a column for SportsFilter, but don't do this.