Around the League 2017-18

[LucianoBorsato]

The NHL has turned into a joke. I don't want to feel this way, but with 15 minute LARPing pre-game shows, Gladys Knight barely singing "God Bless America" and Chris Angel and Lil John cranking a siren, how am I supposed to feel? I haven't even got to the game quality, questionable reffing, diving etc. I'm feeling real effing angry Vegas will get a cup in 1 year, while other fanbases have had to sit patiently for decades with barely a sniff. And they are lauded by the media 'cause "it's Vegas, baby! THIS is how you do sports!". If this is the future of professional hockey, I'm not sure I want to be a part of it. I feel the NHL has passed me by or something. Maybe this is just middle age, when you start viewing things differently? I watched most of the memorial Cup, found that to be far better hockey than this shitshow.

I doubt I will finish watching the finals.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Fun "fact": If Vegas wins, the Leafs lost to the team which lost to the team which lost to the team which lost the SCF, officially making them the losingest loser in the playoffs.

Just looking for the last post I've read in this thread. I want to like this one again.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Go Caps. The hate for VGK is real!

Mixed feelings on this one. I agree with your statement. I wouldn't mind seeing Ovie win one.

OTOH, I want the fluke to be complete.

 

[cbcwpg]

I said in another thread...

when this...

becomes this....

I'm....

Bettman can want to grow the game all he wants, but when the pregame becomes more important than the game itself ( how many stoppages to fix the freaking ice.. puck bouncing like a tennis ball all game ) then it moves from being a sport .

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I think those of you that hate the pregame so much need to lighten up a bit

I think those of you who take it lightly need to learn to hate more deeply.

Vegas is embarrassing.

 

[cbcwpg]

Sums up NHL playoff hockey

 

[LadyJet26]

I don't give a rats ass about these finals. Won't be watching. It's become a damn gongshow.

 

[LucianoBorsato]

Also, I am sick to death of having Canadian sports media trying to sell me the story of "but, but, but this team has more Canadians than YOUR Canadian franchise! you should cheer for them!" I was actually ashamed to see Don Cherry shilling for Bettman with his Vegas jacket on. I don't agree with much of what he says anymore but I always thought of the guy as a patriot through and through. Don't expect me to swallow the League/Sportsnet kool-aid Don, that I should be viewing this as a Canadian experience and Vegas is more deserving of this than Winnipeg, Toronto or any other Canadian city, cause they have Canadian players and coaches. Really, f*** off.

 

[tbcwpg]

Also, I am sick to death of having Canadian sports media trying to sell me the story of "but, but, but this team has more Canadians than YOUR Canadian franchise! you should cheer for them!" I was actually ashamed to see Don Cherry shilling for Bettman with his Vegas jacket on. I don't agree with much of what he says anymore but I always thought of the guy as a patriot through and through. Don't expect me to swallow the League/Sportsnet kool-aid Don, that I should be viewing this as a Canadian experience and Vegas is more deserving of this than Winnipeg, Toronto or any other Canadian city, cause they have Canadian players and coaches. Really, **** off.

What should Don do? He said he was given that jacket by Vegas.

I also have never heard them say that Vegas is more deserving than Winnipeg or Toronto because they have more Canadians.

I have to question if I'm getting the same broadcast feed as you guys here. I've seen that the Jets were totally ignored in the pre-game when, in fact, they spent the first segment of three talking about Scheifele. I've seen that they're favouring Vegas over Canadian teams. I've heard that the broadcasts are inherently biased against the Jets. I've read that the pre-game show has ruined the NHL, and that the bouncing puck was due to that and not, you know, the 33 degree weather outside that day.

What should they be doing? Saying "Well, there's no Canadian teams left so we're just going to go through the motions"? The same people who think that the NHL is doing a poor job marketing the game are the same that think the game is ruined because of expansion into non-traditional markets. The talk about how this pre-game ceremony is the biggest travesty for the NHL since expansion into southern markets just sound like bitter gatekeepers.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

What should Don do? He said he was given that jacket by Vegas.

I also have never heard them say that Vegas is more deserving than Winnipeg or Toronto because they have more Canadians.

I have to question if I'm getting the same broadcast feed as you guys here. I've seen that the Jets were totally ignored in the pre-game when, in fact, they spent the first segment of three talking about Scheifele. I've seen that they're favouring Vegas over Canadian teams. I've heard that the broadcasts are inherently biased against the Jets. I've read that the pre-game show has ruined the NHL, and that the bouncing puck was due to that and not, you know, the 33 degree weather outside that day.

What should they be doing? Saying "Well, there's no Canadian teams left so we're just going to go through the motions"? The same people who think that the NHL is doing a poor job marketing the game are the same that think the game is ruined because of expansion into non-traditional markets. The talk about how this pre-game ceremony is the biggest travesty for the NHL since expansion into southern markets just sound like bitter gatekeepers.

If they can't make ice in Las Vegas then maybe they shouldn't have a hockey team in Las Vegas. I don't think they can use 33 degree weather as an excuse. That's a cool day in the desert.

Their LARPing pre-game shows remind me of wrastlin'. The trouble with that is that in wrastlin' it is supposed to be fake and a joke. At best, embarrassingly tasteless - at worst, disgraceful. You are entitled to disagree of course.

I'm personally sick of hearing about the 'Cinderella Story'. It is demonstrating that all the striving to build a good team is meaningless. Winning and losing in the NHL is just a matter of luck or getting the calls from the refs. It devalues the entire league.

That is not just some sour grapes, resentment of Las Vegas. I was all in favour of giving them a strong expansion draft. I wanted to see them succeed on and off the ice. But not to nearly this extent. Contending for a WC PO spot would have been plenty.

I always feared a LV version of putting on a good show and have been justified in that.

I know that not everyone agrees with the way I see it, but I honestly see the VGK as a disaster for the NHL, a travesty. It is something I will need to struggle to put behind me. I have to either get over it or turn my back on the NHL. Right now the jury is out.

 

[LucianoBorsato]

What should Don do? He said he was given that jacket by Vegas.

I also have never heard them say that Vegas is more deserving than Winnipeg or Toronto because they have more Canadians.

I have to question if I'm getting the same broadcast feed as you guys here. I've seen that the Jets were totally ignored in the pre-game when, in fact, they spent the first segment of three talking about Scheifele. I've seen that they're favouring Vegas over Canadian teams. I've heard that the broadcasts are inherently biased against the Jets. I've read that the pre-game show has ruined the NHL, and that the bouncing puck was due to that and not, you know, the 33 degree weather outside that day.

What should they be doing? Saying "Well, there's no Canadian teams left so we're just going to go through the motions"? The same people who think that the NHL is doing a poor job marketing the game are the same that think the game is ruined because of expansion into non-traditional markets. The talk about how this pre-game ceremony is the biggest travesty for the NHL since expansion into southern markets just sound like bitter gatekeepers.

Reminding us, ad naseum, that "X" team has so many Canadian players/staff etc, is a very unsubtle way of telling us "yes this team deserves this. Sit, smile and be happy".

I wonder what you would think of game theatrics if the Jets skated out under a giant jet nose cone, with Ice Capades employees with cardboard airplane wings strapped on, making machine gun sounds and pretending to mow down enemy fighters with opposing team logos on it? Because it's likely going to happen at some point now that the Vegas cabaret show has infected the league. Is that a dignified sport to you?

I don't need to see sparking castles, knights on skates and idiots with neon drums in the sport I love, thanks. I will watch wrestling if I want something like that.

My ST contract is up in 2 years, I guess I have some decisions to make. I just don't like the direction the league is going in.

 

[cbcwpg]

The Vegas pre-game reminds me of the annual awards show the NHL puts on... lame attempt at being entertaining and just cringe worthy. Hence I never watch the awards shows either. I tune in to watch the sport, not all the other fluff.

And as far as the rink... I know I can randomly pick any rink in Winnipeg that 8 year olds play on and it will have better ice than any NHL arena, but what's going on in Vegas is sad. Two teams competing for the Stanley Cup and they have to play on crappy ice.

The whole plan of the NHL is parity. They would love all 31 teams to be absolutely equal and have any team in any season do what Vegas is doing. It's debatable if this is a good thing or not.

 

[LucianoBorsato]

If they can't make ice in Las Vegas then maybe they shouldn't have a hockey team in Las Vegas. I don't think they can use 33 degree weather as an excuse. That's a cool day in the desert.

Their LARPing pre-game shows remind me of wrastlin'. The trouble with that is that in wrastlin' it is supposed to be fake and a joke. At best, embarrassingly tasteless - at worst, disgraceful. You are entitled to disagree of course.

I'm personally sick of hearing about the 'Cinderella Story'. It is demonstrating that all the striving to build a good team is meaningless. Winning and losing in the NHL is just a matter of luck or getting the calls from the refs. It devalues the entire league.

That is not just some sour grapes, resentment of Las Vegas. I was all in favour of giving them a strong expansion draft. I wanted to see them succeed on and off the ice. But not to nearly this extent. Contending for a WC PO spot would have been plenty.

I always feared a LV version of putting on a good show and have been justified in that.

I know that not everyone agrees with the way I see it, but I honestly see the VGK as a disaster for the NHL, a travesty. It is something I will need to struggle to put behind me. I have to either get over it or turn my back on the NHL. Right now the jury is out.

That's exactly how I feel right now, I'm at a crossroads with the NHL. I feel really embarrassed seeing the Vegas show. But like I said earlier, maybe this is my middle age showing now and I'm growing out of the NHL. I remember my Dad swearing at the San Jose Sharks skating out of a Shark mouth in the 90s, that did it for him and the NHL lol.

I just feel ripped off, I'm probably not expressing myself with the right words. Like I have literally given the NHL thousands of dollars over the past 7 years, only to be sold the Vegas story and "hey here is a forgotten celeb we dusted off to crank your siren"

 

[Robinson2187]

If they can't make ice in Las Vegas then maybe they shouldn't have a hockey team in Las Vegas. I don't think they can use 33 degree weather as an excuse. That's a cool day in the desert.

Their LARPing pre-game shows remind me of wrastlin'. The trouble with that is that in wrastlin' it is supposed to be fake and a joke. At best, embarrassingly tasteless - at worst, disgraceful. You are entitled to disagree of course.

I'm personally sick of hearing about the 'Cinderella Story'. It is demonstrating that all the striving to build a good team is meaningless. Winning and losing in the NHL is just a matter of luck or getting the calls from the refs. It devalues the entire league.

That is not just some sour grapes, resentment of Las Vegas. I was all in favour of giving them a strong expansion draft. I wanted to see them succeed on and off the ice. But not to nearly this extent. Contending for a WC PO spot would have been plenty.

I always feared a LV version of putting on a good show and have been justified in that.

I know that not everyone agrees with the way I see it, but I honestly see the VGK as a disaster for the NHL, a travesty. It is something I will need to struggle to put behind me. I have to either get over it or turn my back on the NHL. Right now the jury is out.

Very well said and I couldn't agree more. In my case however, I resented the whole notion of hockey in Vegas from the get-go. I've never been a fan of the sunbelt teams.

 

[Duke749]

Finally saw the Perron thing properly after not watching the game last night. Pretty clear he should have been thrown out and not playing the rest of this series. League is opening Pandora’s box letting his happen. It’s the same thing with Wilson. He’s going to keep injuring people until they do something. This league has waaaaayyyyyy to many people with the old school mentality.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Very well said and I couldn't agree more. In my case however, I resented the whole notion of hockey in Vegas from the get-go. I've never been a fan of the sunbelt teams.

I objected to going there in the first place. That was doubled when Quebec pulled out/was rejected. But I decided to give it a chance and accept it gracefully once it became a done deal.

I don't reject sunbelt teams out of hand. But I do look sideways at them. Dallas, TB and Nashville seem to have adopted hockey pretty well. Miami, Raleigh Durham and Phoenix not so much.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

That's exactly how I feel right now, I'm at a crossroads with the NHL. I feel really embarrassed seeing the Vegas show. But like I said earlier, maybe this is my middle age showing now and I'm growing out of the NHL. I remember my Dad swearing at the San Jose Sharks skating out of a Shark mouth in the 90s, that did it for him and the NHL lol.

I just feel ripped off, I'm probably not expressing myself with the right words. Like I have literally given the NHL thousands of dollars over the past 7 years, only to be sold the Vegas story and "hey here is a forgotten celeb we dusted off to crank your siren"

at the Shark mouth. I had the same reaction. And don't get me started on the Mighty Ducks of Disney, I mean Anaheim. Glad they changed the name.

 

[surixon]

I have to say I am getting pretty fed up with this league these days. The Vegas pre game show is just garbage and I turn it off each time. The quality and standard of the product with this bush league one sided officiating is also plummeting. I used to watch a ton e of hockey and a number of other teams regularly. Now I only watch the Jets.

I truly do believe it is time for a leadership change in the NHL. 25 years is far too long for one person to be in charge both Bettman and Jacobs need to be sent packing imo. We need some fesh blood with new ideas.

 

[Duke749]

I have to say I am getting pretty fed up with this league these days. The Vegas pre game show is just garbage and I turn it off each time. The quality and standard of the product with this bush league one sided officiating is also plummeting. I used to watch a ton e of hockey and a number of other teams regularly. Now I only watch the Jets.

I truly do believe it is time for a leadership change in the NHL. 25 years is far too long for one person to be in charge both Bettman and Jacobs need to be sent packing imo. We need some fesh blood with new ideas.

Need to gut it all honestly. This old school bull shit is just outdated.

 

[tbcwpg]

Reminding us, ad naseum, that "X" team has so many Canadian players/staff etc, is a very unsubtle way of telling us "yes this team deserves this. Sit, smile and be happy".

I wonder what you would think of game theatrics if the Jets skated out under a giant jet nose cone, with Ice Capades employees with cardboard airplane wings strapped on, making machine gun sounds and pretending to mow down enemy fighters with opposing team logos on it? Because it's likely going to happen at some point now that the Vegas cabaret show has infected the league. Is that a dignified sport to you?

I don't need to see sparking castles, knights on skates and idiots with neon drums in the sport I love, thanks. I will watch wrestling if I want something like that.

My ST contract is up in 2 years, I guess I have some decisions to make. I just don't like the direction the league is going in.

I don't think they're pushing some subtle narrative. They're trying to get people invested in watching that might not otherwise watch.

I would be fine with it if that was the way the Jets went. Vegas is a show town, I think that pregame stuff is a perfect representation of what Vegas is about. Plenty of teams come out through something. Nashville has that Predator head. The Sharks have the shark head. The Oilers even had (or still have, not sure) the oil derrick they skated under.

The NHL is a professional sports BUSINESS. Vegas is trying to generate interest locally in a way that's undeniably Vegas. The goal is ultimately to grow the league to compete with the NBA (you're not touching NFL and MLB). The Vegas story is generating a lot of outside interest. It's a success for the league's bottom line.

If a light show and some dinner theatre on the ice during the playoffs is enough to keep you from renewing your ST, then Godspeed.

All of this just comes across as intense jealousy, in my opinion, stemming from Vegas potentially winning the Cup in their first season. The team was derided from the get go. They won 3 series with games to spare and are 3 wins away. If they win, it's because they earned it and I don't think it's a bad thing if they do.

I'm hoping Ovi gets the Cup though, if I'm being honest.

 

[surixon]

I personally don't care if Vegas wins. As a fan I will take more satisfaction in a built from the ground up Jets team winning the cup over paying 500 million and getting a ready made team without having to do any of the heavy lifting. I feel too much success in their first year will hurt the franchise in the long run as it has Colorado. If you get a winner off the bat you expect it and aren't willing to go through the down times.

 

[ps241]

I have to admit I don’t mind either team in the final. There are guys on both teams I would be happy for if they win. Ducks are probably my only pure heel team left in the NHL.

 

[Eyeseeing]

I don't give a rats ass about these finals. Won't be watching. It's become a damn gongshow.

Yesterday finished me as well.
I know my emotional state right now says I’m done period but I know better

 

[LadyJet26]

Yesterday finished me as well.
I know my emotional state right now says I’m done period but I know better

I've become more of just a Jets fan now anyway. I didn't even watch much of the Pens this playoffs. Glad Bomber season is just around the corner.

 

[Daximus]

I personally don't care if Vegas wins. As a fan I will take more satisfaction in a built from the ground up Jets team winning the cup over paying 500 million and getting a ready made team without having to do any of the heavy lifting. I feel too much success in their first year will hurt the franchise in the long run as it has Colorado. If you get a winner off the bat you expect it and aren't willing to go through the down times.

That what I see happening as well. This season was the season of lowered expectations for them. Next year will be the exact opposite but with the added bonus of big raises to lots of their guys who just had career years.