2014-2015 WHL Regular season talk

[Hordichuk_24]

I don't understand why people think this team cannot beat the Rockets

I think you are confusing cannot and will not. Can they beat the Rockets? Sure. Assuming the Rockets are there in the end. While it looks good it isn't a given. The same could be said for the Wheat Kings. It looks good for them to win the east but it isn't a guarantee either. But will they beat Kelowna if these two teams are left standing at the end? I wouldn't count on it. I explained my reasoning previously either in this specific thread or another one. I can't recall at the moment. I think Brandon has more weaknesses than Kelowna and I have yet to see Brandon win "playoff type hockey" on a consistent basis. They can score goals no doubt. But there aren't going to be a lot of high scoring games in the playoffs. A win is a win at the end of the day but winning 7-5 is much different than winning 2-1. They can do the former but can they do the latter when things tighten up? That is the question, IMO.

 

[denominator]

Both are great teams and I've been watching anxiously to see which one manages to lose 10 regulation games first (if either does).

It will be one hell of a series if they meet up in the WHL finals. Medicine Hat and Everett are also very strong teams, and we all know that in hockey the top seed doesn't always win in the playoffs.

Years like this make me sad that the 4th team in the Memorial Cup is the host team. I'd much rather see it be the league finalist with the best record to see better hockey in the Memorial Cup.

 

[I am the Liquor]

Everett doesnt stand a chance.

Portland on the other hand............

 

[phillipsj89]

Everett doesnt stand a chance.

Portland on the other hand............

Yes, as much as I hate to say it, I was wrong about Portland.

If there is a team in the West that could knock Kelowna off its the Winterhawks.

 

[Emerald City Bruin]

Yes, as much as I hate to say it, I was wrong about Portland.

If there is a team in the West that could knock Kelowna off its the Winterhawks.

That's assuming Portland even gets out of the first round. A matchup with Seattle, no matter who has home ice, isn't a gimme for either team. If Everett wins their wild card matchup, whoever plays them will have just gone through a fairly physical affair which more than likely went 6 games or more.

I think whoever comes out of the US Division to play for the West will have gone through 1, if not 2, tough series to get there and would be ready to step up to the challenge.

 

[phillipsj89]

That's assuming Portland even gets out of the first round. A matchup with Seattle, no matter who has home ice, isn't a gimme for either team. If Everett wins their wild card matchup, whoever plays them will have just gone through a fairly physical affair which more than likely went 6 games or more.

I think whoever comes out of the US Division to play for the West will have gone through 1, if not 2, tough series to get there and would be ready to step up to the challenge.

Would be a shame if Portland doesn't make it out of the US div. No other team would have a shot at Kelowna.

 

[Hordichuk_24]

Would be a shame if Portland doesn't make it out of the US div. No other team would have a shot at Kelowna.

I think Seattle could hang with Kelowna. I would still pick Kelowna to beat them in a playoff series but I think Seattle presents a tougher match up against the Rockets than Portland. Unlike many here I don't see the Winterhawks as a threat at all to the Rockets. They are a far cry from the team of the past couple of seasons. They shored up their goaltending which certainly helps (dumping Burke was a smart move) but I don't think they are anything to worry about. Especially for a team like Kelowna.

 

[denominator]

(dumping Burke was a smart move)

Yeah, thanks for that.

 

[Hordichuk_24]

Yeah, thanks for that.

Haha. Don't thank me. I'm not a Portland fan! Don't insult me like that!

I couldn't believe they found a team willing to take him. He is even worse than Carruth. And that really says a lot. If Portland had even reasonable goaltending over the past four or five seasons they would have a few more banners to hang in the rafters.

 

[denominator]

Haha. Don't thank me. I'm not a Portland fan! Don't insult me like that!

I couldn't believe they found a team willing to take him. He is even worse than Carruth. And that really says a lot. If Portland had even reasonable goaltending over the past four or five seasons they would have a few more banners to hang in the rafters.

I am not impressed by watching Burke play. He's terrible in the shootout (which won't matter come playoffs). I hate the way he plays the puck - always trying to do too much with it. And he seems like the kind of goalie that will never steal you a game, but will sometimes give one away.

All that being said, his stats since he became a Hitmen are spectacular:

7-1-1, 1.96 GAA, .931 SV%, 1 SO.

Twice been named First Star, once Second Star.

As much as I don't trust him as a netminder, it's hard to argue against his stats.

 

[Hordichuk_24]

All that being said, his stats since he became a Hitmen are spectacular:

7-1-1, 1.96 GAA, .931 SV%, 1 SO.

Twice been named First Star, once Second Star.

As much as I don't trust him as a netminder, it's hard to argue against his stats.

It helps playing in front of a good defensive team. Key word defensive. He's played on a good team before in Portland but they were never overly great defensively. That can truly make statistics look much better than they actually are.

Hey, I have nothing against Burke and I hope he can continue to get better and go on to have a pro career some day. But from what I have seen so far I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[Wry n Ginger]

The Kelowna vs Victoria rivalry is in full burn....these teams really don't like each other. Kelowna won last night by scoring the winning goal with 40 seconds left in the 3rd period, Victoria won tonight 5 - 2. These teams hate each other and they play each other very close. Next game is Wed in Kelowna, should be a tough game.... Both teams went all in at the deadline and are very well coached. If they play each other in the playoffs it will be an epic series.

 

[SaskRinkRat]

Does anyone here subscribe to WHL Live, which allows you to watch every WHL game online?

If so, I'm curious what your thoughts are. I'm also specifically interested in whether you can watch archived games or not.

Thanks.

 

[R S]

Does anyone here subscribe to WHL Live, which allows you to watch every WHL game online?

If so, I'm curious what your thoughts are. I'm also specifically interested in whether you can watch archived games or not.

Thanks.

Quality varies greatly from rink to rink but I love the service. Use it 4-5 days a week, if not more.

And yes, you can use the archives with a season pass.

 

[MBJets]

Quality varies greatly from rink to rink but I love the service. Use it 4-5 days a week, if not more.

And yes, you can use the archives with a season pass.

Which arenas are for best video and which ones have poor video.

 

[SaskRinkRat]

Which arenas are for best video and which ones have poor video.

I'd be interested to know this as well.

Thanks for the info, R S.

I'm interested in the service more for analytical / learning purposes than I am for keeping up to date on what's current. So I'm probably more interested in the archives. Do you know if there is a way to "bulk buy" access to archived games? I know that, individually, the archived games are cheaper. Just wondering if you can get access to all the archives (say after the end of the year) without paying for the full price season pass.

 

[Hordichuk_24]

Which arenas are for best video and which ones have poor video.

I have had the seasons pass since day one back in 05-06. All the video quality has improved since then.

In my opinion the best video as far as picture quality without question is Calgary. There are a handful of teams after that I categorize in the pretty good category. Those teams are Medicine Hat, Kelowna, Spokane, Brandon, Vancouver, Victoria, Red Deer, Edmonton, Lethbridge and Prince Albert. The video quality is pretty good for those teams and they all show replays and some have multiple cameras.

The worst teams vary. I would argue Kootenay is the worst but part of that is due to the arena being so dark. Makes the video appear dark. They only have one camera and the zoom function isn't used often enough if you catch my drift. They often have audio problems as well, although not so much this season now that I think of it. That was more an issue in the past. However that being said three other teams have been very sub par this season. Portland, Moose Jaw and Swift Current. Portland has never had great quality video ever but what's worse this year is their play back. It's not smooth. It's choppy as hell. And it's been like that all season long. Kind of ridiculous it hasn't been fixed by now. Clearly it isn't going to be fixed this season if it hasn't been addressed with the season almost over. Moose Jaw has had the same problem with video play back this season. Last year I thought Moose Jaw had a pretty good set up. I would put them into that pretty good category I listed previously. But with the video choppiness problem this season they fall into this category for me. Swift Current's video is just very dark and they have a really stupid scoreboard on the bottom left of the screen. I find it really annoying as it takes up part of the screen. Their video quality is also one of the worst in the league, IMO. On the plus side they do show replays but it's little consolation given the negatives of their broadcast.

I believe the only teams I haven't mentioned are Prince George, Regina, Saskatoon, Seattle, and Tri-City. Prince George is okay and they will occasionally show replays but sometimes their camera work is bad. A few times during play or even during fights the camera would focus on the crowd for a long period of time and you would miss the action. They also seem prone to having audio issues. Regina recently changed their broadcast and added a scoreboard on the top. Their video is decent but I find the scoreboard on top is a little too big for my liking. Takes up too much of the video. Saskatoon is actually decent. They have a scoreboard on top as well but it isn't as annoying as Regina's. And their video has improved. Seattle's is also decent and improved. Tri-City has a similar problem as Kootenay in the not using the zoom function enough for my liking. They only have one camera as well. Not my favorite place to view a game.

If you have any specific questions about any of the teams feel free to ask.

 

[phillipsj89]

I have had the seasons pass since day one back in 05-06. All the video quality has improved since then.

In my opinion the best video as far as picture quality without question is Calgary. There are a handful of teams after that I categorize in the pretty good category. Those teams are Medicine Hat, Kelowna, Spokane, Brandon, Vancouver, Victoria, Red Deer, Edmonton, Lethbridge and Prince Albert. The video quality is pretty good for those teams and they all show replays and some have multiple cameras.

The worst teams vary. I would argue Kootenay is the worst but part of that is due to the arena being so dark. Makes the video appear dark. They only have one camera and the zoom function isn't used often enough if you catch my drift. They often have audio problems as well, although not so much this season now that I think of it. That was more an issue in the past. However that being said three other teams have been very sub par this season. Portland, Moose Jaw and Swift Current. Portland has never had great quality video ever but what's worse this year is their play back. It's not smooth. It's choppy as hell. And it's been like that all season long. Kind of ridiculous it hasn't been fixed by now. Clearly it isn't going to be fixed this season if it hasn't been addressed with the season almost over. Moose Jaw has had the same problem with video play back this season. Last year I thought Moose Jaw had a pretty good set up. I would put them into that pretty good category I listed previously. But with the video choppiness problem this season they fall into this category for me. Swift Current's video is just very dark and they have a really stupid scoreboard on the bottom left of the screen. I find it really annoying as it takes up part of the screen. Their video quality is also one of the worst in the league, IMO. On the plus side they do show replays but it's little consolation given the negatives of their broadcast.

I believe the only teams I haven't mentioned are Prince George, Regina, Saskatoon, Seattle, and Tri-City. Prince George is okay and they will occasionally show replays but sometimes their camera work is bad. A few times during play or even during fights the camera would focus on the crowd for a long period of time and you would miss the action. They also seem prone to having audio issues. Regina recently changed their broadcast and added a scoreboard on the top. Their video is decent but I find the scoreboard on top is a little too big for my liking. Takes up too much of the video. Saskatoon is actually decent. They have a scoreboard on top as well but it isn't as annoying as Regina's. And their video has improved. Seattle's is also decent and improved. Tri-City has a similar problem as Kootenay in the not using the zoom function enough for my liking. They only have one camera as well. Not my favorite place to view a game.

If you have any specific questions about any of the teams feel free to ask.

I agree with pretty much everything here. Would love the league to reimburse the teams for video (at least partially) to improve the quality and also add scoreboards to all feeds.

I mean, improving the quality would help out the league when it comes to suspension videos, goal reviews and marketing videos.

 

[SaskRinkRat]

I have had the seasons pass since day one back in 05-06. All the video quality has improved since then.

In my opinion the best video as far as picture quality without question is Calgary. There are a handful of teams after that I categorize in the pretty good category. Those teams are Medicine Hat, Kelowna, Spokane, Brandon, Vancouver, Victoria, Red Deer, Edmonton, Lethbridge and Prince Albert. The video quality is pretty good for those teams and they all show replays and some have multiple cameras.

The worst teams vary. I would argue Kootenay is the worst but part of that is due to the arena being so dark. Makes the video appear dark. They only have one camera and the zoom function isn't used often enough if you catch my drift. They often have audio problems as well, although not so much this season now that I think of it. That was more an issue in the past. However that being said three other teams have been very sub par this season. Portland, Moose Jaw and Swift Current. Portland has never had great quality video ever but what's worse this year is their play back. It's not smooth. It's choppy as hell. And it's been like that all season long. Kind of ridiculous it hasn't been fixed by now. Clearly it isn't going to be fixed this season if it hasn't been addressed with the season almost over. Moose Jaw has had the same problem with video play back this season. Last year I thought Moose Jaw had a pretty good set up. I would put them into that pretty good category I listed previously. But with the video choppiness problem this season they fall into this category for me. Swift Current's video is just very dark and they have a really stupid scoreboard on the bottom left of the screen. I find it really annoying as it takes up part of the screen. Their video quality is also one of the worst in the league, IMO. On the plus side they do show replays but it's little consolation given the negatives of their broadcast.

I believe the only teams I haven't mentioned are Prince George, Regina, Saskatoon, Seattle, and Tri-City. Prince George is okay and they will occasionally show replays but sometimes their camera work is bad. A few times during play or even during fights the camera would focus on the crowd for a long period of time and you would miss the action. They also seem prone to having audio issues. Regina recently changed their broadcast and added a scoreboard on the top. Their video is decent but I find the scoreboard on top is a little too big for my liking. Takes up too much of the video. Saskatoon is actually decent. They have a scoreboard on top as well but it isn't as annoying as Regina's. And their video has improved. Seattle's is also decent and improved. Tri-City has a similar problem as Kootenay in the not using the zoom function enough for my liking. They only have one camera as well. Not my favorite place to view a game.

If you have any specific questions about any of the teams feel free to ask.

This is really helpful. Thanks very much.

 

[denominator]

I'm interested in the service more for analytical / learning purposes than I am for keeping up to date on what's current. So I'm probably more interested in the archives. Do you know if there is a way to "bulk buy" access to archived games? I know that, individually, the archived games are cheaper. Just wondering if you can get access to all the archives (say after the end of the year) without paying for the full price season pass.

If you are an iDevice user, you can download the "WHL Live" app. They allow free watching of certain past/archived games, and if you use AppleTV you can AirPlay through the app to your TV. It also allows you to buy games/game packs/team packs/season packs direct to any device.

 

[R S]

I have had the seasons pass since day one back in 05-06. All the video quality has improved since then.

In my opinion the best video as far as picture quality without question is Calgary. There are a handful of teams after that I categorize in the pretty good category. Those teams are Medicine Hat, Kelowna, Spokane, Brandon, Vancouver, Victoria, Red Deer, Edmonton, Lethbridge and Prince Albert. The video quality is pretty good for those teams and they all show replays and some have multiple cameras.

The worst teams vary. I would argue Kootenay is the worst but part of that is due to the arena being so dark. Makes the video appear dark. They only have one camera and the zoom function isn't used often enough if you catch my drift. They often have audio problems as well, although not so much this season now that I think of it. That was more an issue in the past. However that being said three other teams have been very sub par this season. Portland, Moose Jaw and Swift Current. Portland has never had great quality video ever but what's worse this year is their play back. It's not smooth. It's choppy as hell. And it's been like that all season long. Kind of ridiculous it hasn't been fixed by now. Clearly it isn't going to be fixed this season if it hasn't been addressed with the season almost over. Moose Jaw has had the same problem with video play back this season. Last year I thought Moose Jaw had a pretty good set up. I would put them into that pretty good category I listed previously. But with the video choppiness problem this season they fall into this category for me. Swift Current's video is just very dark and they have a really stupid scoreboard on the bottom left of the screen. I find it really annoying as it takes up part of the screen. Their video quality is also one of the worst in the league, IMO. On the plus side they do show replays but it's little consolation given the negatives of their broadcast.

I believe the only teams I haven't mentioned are Prince George, Regina, Saskatoon, Seattle, and Tri-City. Prince George is okay and they will occasionally show replays but sometimes their camera work is bad. A few times during play or even during fights the camera would focus on the crowd for a long period of time and you would miss the action. They also seem prone to having audio issues. Regina recently changed their broadcast and added a scoreboard on the top. Their video is decent but I find the scoreboard on top is a little too big for my liking. Takes up too much of the video. Saskatoon is actually decent. They have a scoreboard on top as well but it isn't as annoying as Regina's. And their video has improved. Seattle's is also decent and improved. Tri-City has a similar problem as Kootenay in the not using the zoom function enough for my liking. They only have one camera as well. Not my favorite place to view a game.

If you have any specific questions about any of the teams feel free to ask.

Would echo all of these comments. Bang on.

For me the two worst are clearly Kootenay and SC. Moose Jaw's camera angle is super far away so that lowers them in my books. Portland is fairly choppy sometimes but they at least offer good camera angles.

 

[Joe Hallenback]

The scoreboard feed in Brandon is HD quality. The stream is not. I talked to some people in the Brandon office and it is all on Neulions end. They provide them with the same feed the scoreboard has

 

[phillipsj89]

The scoreboard feed in Brandon is HD quality. The stream is not. I talked to some people in the Brandon office and it is all on Neulions end. They provide them with the same feed the scoreboard has

Friggen Neulion. Still, I would love if all the teams had scoreboards on their feed. Pipe dream, i know.

 

[phillipsj89]

No kidding. None of those three teams tied for 3rd place (or last depending on how you look at it) deserve to be in that position.

Looks like Tri City has been THAT bad. 4 Horse race for 2 spots now.

 

[Hordichuk_24]

Looks like Tri City has been THAT bad. 4 Horse race for 2 spots now.

Yeah, they have been really bad for the last several games. Who knows what will happen. Getting that final playoff spot is anything but a gift as whichever team ends up with that position is almost guaranteed a playoff sweep courtesy of the Rockets. The seven spot doesn't look much more promising either.