What have been the biggest black marks on Hockey?

[Marty's Better]

If "Slapshot" is a black mark on the game of hockey - then baseball fans should be ashamed of "Major League"

 

[Cawz]

The Oiler drug scandal in the 80's sort of deflated the NHL's popularity. They were the golden boys of hockey

What Oilers drug scandel? You mean Fuhr being suspended in 1990? I wouldnt call that a scandel, and I definatly dont see how that would deflate the NHLs popularity.

HM: Suter's hit on Kariya in the Olympics, McSorley/Brashear, 1987 WJC Canada-Russia

I thought Suters hit on Kariya was in an NHL game, and he was injured so he couldnt participate in the Olympics. Am I remembering that correctly?

 

[mrhockey193195]

I thought Suters hit on Kariya was in an NHL game, and he was injured so he couldnt participate in the Olympics. Am I remembering that correctly?

you are correct

 

[Hoser]

What Oilers drug scandel? You mean Fuhr being suspended in 1990? I wouldnt call that a scandel, and I definatly dont see how that would deflate the NHLs popularity.

In May of '86 Sports Illustrated carried a story that five Oilers were habitual drug users. The players and specific drugs were unnamed at the time: we now know that Grant Fuhr DID do coke, regularly, as early as 1983. Whether anyone else on the team did or not we'll probably never know.

Later that month Borje Salming admitted he had experimented with cocaine years before. He was suspended at the start of the '86-'87 season for it.

 

[Cawz]

you are correct

Maybe he was mixed up with Suter injuring Gretzky in the Canada Cup.

In May of '86 Sports Illustrated carried a story that five Oilers were habitual drug users. The players and specific drugs were unnamed at the time: we now know that Grant Fuhr DID do coke, regularly, as early as 1983. Whether anyone else on the team did or not we'll probably never know.

Hmmm, I didnt know that. Although I wouldnt call that a scandel. Now if a coked up dead hooker was found in the dressing room, that would be a scandel.

I remember when Fuhr got suspended, and there was a bunch of rumblings about other Oiler players dipping in the yey, but thats all I remember. No big suprise though. Give a bunch of 20 year olds too much money and they'll find some bad things to do with it. It still happens in the NHL today.

 

[lemieux32*]

In May of '86 Sports Illustrated carried a story that five Oilers were habitual drug users. The players and specific drugs were unnamed at the time: we now know that Grant Fuhr DID do coke, regularly, as early as 1983. Whether anyone else on the team did or not we'll probably never know.

Later that month Borje Salming admitted he had experimented with cocaine years before. He was suspended at the start of the '86-'87 season for it.

But is that really a black mark on hockey? One guy admits and four years later one of the Oilers gets suspended, not much of a black mark...especially when you look at what was going on in other sports at the same time.

 

[Hoser]

In the grand scheme of things no, it isn't that big a deal. Obviously the fact that it's been largely forgotten is indicative of that.

I was just explaining what it was that Poignant Discussion was getting at.

 

[nyscene]

One I'd like to add something that hasn't been mentioned: The Islanders ownership(especially the John Spano incident) in the mid-to-late 90's.

For those who don't remember Spano--he basically defrauded Bettman into thinking he was worth hundred's of millions, and Bettman bought it all, since all he was spend a few hundred or something on a credit check on Spano. I think thats pretty embaressing for the NHL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Spano

The guys after him, Milstein and Gluckstern forced MMM to trade every player on the team who made more than one million dollars. Just pathetic.

 

[Devils Dominion]

A few that come to mind from recent years

1. Lockout
2. Rick Tocchet/Gretzky gambling scandal
3. The trapezoid rule and gimmick shootout
4. Lack of real TV contract in the States. OLN/Versus is not a major network
5. High ticket prices that are pricing out us real fans

 

[Whiplash27]

The New Jersey Devils. Had to say it

 

[Devils Dominion]

The New Jersey Devils. Had to say it

Yeah, you have a bad case of Devils envy.

It must be frustrating to see your rivals (NJD & NYI) win 7 Cups to your 1 in the last 27 seasons.

 

[Whiplash27]

Nah

It must be frustrating to win 3 cups when no one still cares about your team... and then hear about that 1 Cup that we won and never hear about yours. Also I wasn't alive for Isles Cups, was born in '85, sorry.

Anyway, I made a joke and you took it seriously, grow up buddy.

Oh and you're very manly sending me a PM telling me to go back to Mexico when the flag next to my name is clearly Italian and what's better is that Chazzer is Yiddish and comes from the movie Scarface. Try again, chief.

 

[The n00b King ©*]

Nah

It must be frustrating to win 3 cups when no one still cares about your team... and then hear about that 1 Cup that we won and never hear about yours. Also I wasn't alive for Isles Cups, was born in '85, sorry.

Anyway, I made a joke and you took it seriously, grow up buddy.

Oh and you're very manly sending me a PM telling me to go back to Mexico when the flag next to my name is clearly Italian and what's better is that Chazzer is Yiddish and comes from the movie Scarface. Try again, chief.

i lol'd

the biggest black eye for me of the NHL is that Bettman has pushed and pushed the sport in the US and STILL it's not being taken seriously.

 

[Cawz]

In the grand scheme of things no, it isn't that big a deal. Obviously the fact that it's been largely forgotten is indicative of that.

I was just explaining what it was that Poignant Discussion was getting at.

Ya, I got that. And appreciated the clarification. I think the poster who brought it up thought is was a scandel and a black mark, which deflated the NHLs popularity. Was there any sort of backlash when that article came out? I didnt even hear of it (although I was only 12 at the time).

 

[Granlund2Pulkkinen*]

1. Lockout
2. Bertuzzi
3. Frost

 

[Hasbro]

If "Slapshot" is a black mark on the game of hockey - then baseball fans should be ashamed of "Major League"

Major League 2 sure as hell is!

Seeing the Hansons on the cover of SI got me thinking about this. It reminds me of Animal House. Being in a college town I find it funny same I do being a hockey fan with Slapshot. The problem with the former is the frat guys who try and live like that. You understand it's a satire of these guys right?

 

[Phil Parent]

IIHF records tell you it never happened, but boy did it ever...



Jeff Kugel goes *******. Sean Avery, of all people, takes a hike.

 

[IslesFanInAlabama]

Gary Bettman.

 

[Guillemin]

I can't believe no one has mentioned this (that I saw), but when that poor girl died after gettinghit in the head by a shot. Everyone knew it was a freak accident, but a lo of media called out the NHL on not protecting their fans.

It may not be the worst blackmark, but it bears mentioning.

 

[John Belushi]

The botched Nylander signing deserves mentioning as well.

 

[seventieslord]

Bertuzzi, Eagleson, Graham James, not in that order.

 

[Hasbro]

The botched Nylander signing deserves mentioning as well.

In that vein any of the "smudged fax" trades, Lindros being traded twice by the Nords and Stevens being awarded to the Devils. Not a big deal, but it make the NHL look incompetent and bush.

when the Lightning were owned by an alleged Yakuza money launderer who Bettman had never met.

 

[tony d]

Gary Bettman; I really can't think of anything that he has done since he became commissioner that has been great for the game, he has really done a poor job as commissioner.

 

[Hoof Hearted]

If we're talking the game in general and not just the NHL: Perezhogin?

To me it would be these
1)the shootout

Haha, yes!

 

[jpchabby]

When Réjean Houle became GM in Montreal