Around the League XXXIV: Offseason

[b1e9a8r5s]

Wild lose
Stars get a loser point
No loser pt in STL/Win

Not bad results for the hawks

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

EK for Scmaltz, Seabrook and a 1st would be awesome.

Wouldn't work, we'll need to extend Kucherov after we trade AA and Hartman for him.

 

[x Tame Impala]

I'm still waiting on that trade that brings Malkin to Chicago

 

[Callidusblackhawk]

Lol that trade is like the perfect HFboards trade proposal. Terrible value AND it makes no sense financially for one of the teams.

 

[SAADfather]

I wasn't even mildly aware there was an outdoor hockey game last night until we were flipping through games looking for a good one to watch. NHL has run the well dry and I've lost just about all interest in those. Always thought they should have just kept it to the one outdoor game a year.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

The NHL is really weird with how it regards the US and Canada. I get that they are different markets, but the league acts like US fans would never watch anything with the Canadian teams. It's why you get the Oilers and Leafs barely on nationally while we get the MFing Saberes 10 times a year. It's so stupid. US fans want to watch good hockey, regardless of where the teams are. I know I'd much rather watch Edm/Tor than Phi/Buf, but it's "Rivalry night on NBC Sports. Lets see if either of these bad teams can claw their way back into the playoff picture."

 

[JaegerDice]

The NHL is really weird with how it regards the US and Canada. I get that they are different markets, but the league acts like US fans would never watch anything with the Canadian teams. It's why you get the Oilers and Leafs barely on nationally while we get the MFing Saberes 10 times a year. It's so stupid. US fans want to watch good hockey, regardless of where the teams are. I know I'd much rather watch Edm/Tor than Phi/Buf, but it's "Rivalry night on NBC Sports. Lets see if either of these bad teams can claw their way back into the playoff picture."

It's not the NHL. It's NBC.

And it's about ratings. Ratings are used to determine the pricing for advertising during commercial breaks. While certainly, diehard fans across multiple markets would watch Canadian teams in action, you get bigger hits from the audiences involved in the game. And if Toronto and Edmonton are on, NBC can't use ratings in Canada in their advertising pricing for US advertisers.

Same reason Sportsnet/HNIC tries to put as many Canada vs Canada matchups on big nights like Friday and Saturday. It doesn't matter how many people in Chicago watch the Toronto vs Chicago game, they can't take those numbers to Canadian advertisers.

If you're wondering 'why does this archaic split in advertising audiences exist in an increasingly global market', well that's a rant for another day. God willing, by the time the baby boom and gen X die off, everybody will have already cut the cord, and traditional television models will die with them.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

It's not the NHL. It's NBC.

And it's about ratings. Ratings are used to determine the pricing for advertising during commercial breaks. While certainly, diehard fans across multiple markets would watch Canadian teams in action, you get bigger hits from the audiences involved in the game. And if Toronto and Edmonton are on, NBC can't use ratings in Canada in their advertising pricing for US advertisers.

Same reason Sportsnet/HNIC tries to put as many Canada vs Canada matchups on big nights like Friday and Saturday. It doesn't matter how many people in Chicago watch the Toronto vs Chicago game, they can't take those numbers to Canadian advertisers.

If you're wondering 'why does this archaic split in advertising audiences exist in an increasingly global market', well that's a rant for another day. God willing, by the time the baby boom and gen X die off, everybody will have already cut the cord, and traditional television models will die with them.

And who signed the deal with NBC sports, multiple times?

The league refuses to sacrifice in the short term for the growth in the long term.

 

[JaegerDice]

And who signed the deal with NBC sports, multiple times?

The league refuses to sacrifice in the short term for the growth in the long term.

Sure, but it's not as though other companies than NBC wouldn't operate the same way. ESPN doesn't give any more of a **** about Canadian ratings for the exact same reasons. What channel would you put it on if not one of those 2?

For the NHL, it makes the most sense to sign whichever deal offers you the most money up front.

For NBC, they're a standard short-sighted media company. Long term it makes more sense for them to try and build fans by showing them the best, most exciting teams, market be damned. They'd probably recoup more of their investment that way. But they're not behaving in any way that's different than most tv companies.

If NHL wanted to be bold, they'd sign a deal with Netflix. But that would compete with their own streaming option.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

The Sabres get ratings. Buffalo fans watch, probably because other than jumping through tables at Bill's games there's nothing else to do.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Watching press conference with New York Gov announcing Islanders return to Long Island and new stadium

Happy day for Isle fans and NHL

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

Sure, but it's not as though other companies than NBC wouldn't operate the same way. ESPN doesn't give any more of a **** about Canadian ratings for the exact same reasons. What channel would you put it on if not one of those 2?

For the NHL, it makes the most sense to sign whichever deal offers you the most money up front.

For NBC, they're a standard short-sighted media company. Long term it makes more sense for them to try and build fans by showing them the best, most exciting teams, market be damned. They'd probably recoup more of their investment that way. But they're not behaving in any way that's different than most tv companies.

If NHL wanted to be bold, they'd sign a deal with Netflix. But that would compete with their own streaming option.

Disagree with the bolded. The NHLs goal should be long term growth, just like any company or business.

 

[LDF]

2 unbelievable goals.





my take.... wow !!!

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

The best part about Henrique's goal was he walked the guy Jersey traded him for.

 

[LDF]

The best part about Henrique's goal was he walked the guy Jersey traded him for.

that i didn't know.

 

[JaegerDice]

Damn, NHL heading into the holidays with a bang. There are some intriguing games on tonight alongside Hawks/Stars.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Duchene: 'I wasn't traded for Turris' - Article - TSN

I am starting to think Duchene is a headcase

His play in Ottawa is certainly not helping situation

 

[TLEH]

He’s just constantly being put in situations where there is more than playing hockey involved. I don’t think he’s a headcase, but I do think he isn’t very good at shutting out outside stuff like media

 

[hawksfan50]

R.I.P. Johnny Bower .just passed on ...at age 93 . Just hit the news.

 

[BK]

Dryden has spoke about it and this topic has been side stepped a bit on here but would you (everyone on here) be ok with hitting being removed from the game?

Personally, I would not.

 

[looseneditforyou]

It's already heading that way. Open-ice hits are rare these days, and players are conscious of having to avoid head contact and blindside/boarding hits. The game we're watching is already an experiment in what hockey would look like with far less hitting, and it's looking really good. I'd be in favor of the league continuing to crack down on hits that are already illegal, calling late hits more tightly, and seeing where it goes. I'm not going to say I want to formally eliminate hitting, though.

 

[BK]

Agree, if you need an example of what the game will turn into look at roller hockey. A lot more stick work.

 

[TLEH]

I wouldn't be okay with hitting being removed from the game. There would be so many penalties when guys just ran into one another.

I would be OK with them removing the "finish your checks" kind of thing. Sometimes guys get hit in the corners so late.

 

[LDF]

I wouldn't be okay with hitting being removed from the game. There would be so many penalties when guys just ran into one another.

I would be OK with them removing the "finish your checks" kind of thing. Sometimes guys get hit in the corners so late.

for this discussion, i know more changes are on the horizon. i can see that. the game, the excitement of the game, the game i grew up with will be changing. some for the good, injuries and speed with execution of plays. man those plays are just amazing and beautiful to watch, esp if you can really see it develop.

however the checking aspect of the game....... i just don't know. maybe i am an old dinosaur and can't or won't see the need of checking. for those who thinks of that, i would firmly point out that is the best neutralizer for any contest.

 

[Blue Liner]

Removing hitting completely is asinine, and I'm hardly a meathead about these things. With the speed and nature of the game, especially at the highest level, contact is literally almost unavoidable. The game is hard enough to call well with hitting allowed, removing it would be damn near impossible to call. Ask an official who works Olympic level or even pro women's hockey where checking isn't allowed what it's like to call those games. It's damn hard, because these are competitive, strong, intense, high level hockey players and you're trying to decipher at game speed what is "acceptable" contact that you don't call and what's a flat out body check that must be called. It's a really tough line to walk, and doing so at high men's levels would be even harder given the additional size and speed on the whole.

Playing strictly the puck with players at that level is also impossible. You get walked playing the puck at the Midget level, let alone the NHL. It just completely changes the game and for the much worse, in my opinion.

If the NHL actually had a discipline department worth a shit and had consistency with its penalties, punishments, suspensions, etc., you rectify a lot of this. Targeting head shots is a must and should happen, and head shots ARE avoidable a high percentage of the time, contrary to popular belief. Eliminating hitting altogether is a terrible idea on numerous levels.