AHL to replace the NHL - great game last night on TSN

[eye]

Newest rumour has NHL teams moving their AHL affiliates into NHL rinks next season to form the new NHL. Bring it on. Last nights AHL game with the new rules was more fun to watch than any NHL regular season game I have watched in years. Eager young men with NHL caliber talent. Mistakes of youthful enthusiasm and a willingness to actually try and deke out opponents reminded me of hockey of old. Bring it on with a 10 million cap and AHL ticket prices and they will sell out if they all wear their team colors and logos. Add more high draft picks each year and in a couple of years we will be saying Goodenow who, NHLPA who!

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[shakes]

Newest rumour has NHL teams moving their AHL affiliates into NHL rinks next season to form the new NHL. Bring it on. Last nights AHL game with the new rules was more fun to watch than any NHL regular season game I have watched in years. Eager young men with NHL caliber talent. Mistakes of youthful enthusiasm and a willingness to actually try and deke out opponents reminded me of hockey of old. Bring it on with a 10 million cap and AHL ticket prices and they will sell out if they all wear their team colors and logos. Add more high draft picks each year and in a couple of years we will be saying Goodenow who, NHLPA who!

Good luck with that.

 

[chiavsfan]

I couldn't disagree more...what I see when I watch the AHL is young men, and sometimes older men (Steve Maltais comes to mind) who just aren't good enough to be in the NHL...thats why it's called the MINOR league. The games I watch (and every Wolves game is on TV here in Chicago) is full of stupid mistakes, poor play all around, slower skating, the list goes on and on. Put this current Wolves team into Atlanta Jerseys...and or the Current Hershey Bears (for example) into Avalanche Jerseys....

I think you would see alot of casual fans leaving hockey

 

[nomorekids]

to be honest, the AHL games i've seen this year(quite a few, mostly bridgeport and hartford games, as i live in the NYC area) have been FAR more exciting than most NHL games in recent years. One could attribute it to the same thing that used to make the NHL exciting...the disparity in top end and bottom end players. For all the talk of a "watered down" NHL, the fourth liners and third pairing dmen are much better than they used to be. In the AHL...the fourth liners and bottom pairers are in many cases...actually not very good...so when you have a star-potential prospect going against these guys..the potential for some dazzling stuff is there. A few weeks ago I watched Hartford take on Providence, and was entertained by guys like Boyes and Balej...and even Stephen Valiquette making some great saves. If the prices were reduced, I'd watch AHL players in the NHL, in a heartbeat.

 

[GKJ]

Luckily for Edmonton, Chicago and Philadelphia...AHL teams already play in these cities.

 

[nomorekids]

Luckily for Edmonton, Chicago and Philadelphia...AHL teams already play in these cities.

That's not nice! The Blackhawks will improve! :lol

 

[chiavsfan]

"The Blackhawks will improve!"


And the Cubs will win the World Series right?

 

[#66]

With the luck of NHL fans we'll be paying $75 a ticket.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

That's not nice! The Blackhawks will improve! :lol

I think the poster was referring to the Chicago Wolves, which is the Atlanta AHL affiliate.

 

[nomorekids]

I think the poster was referring to the Chicago Wolves, which is the Atlanta AHL affiliate.

i know, i was...

nevermind.

 

[chiavsfan]

Actually to be honest, the Wolves are finally starting to play hockey...they need some D though, because while Kari Lehtonen is pretty studly in net, you can't let 40 shots a game

 

[shakes]

Newest rumour has NHL teams moving their AHL affiliates into NHL rinks next season to form the new NHL. Bring it on. Last nights AHL game with the new rules was more fun to watch than any NHL regular season game I have watched in years. Eager young men with NHL caliber talent. Mistakes of youthful enthusiasm and a willingness to actually try and deke out opponents reminded me of hockey of old. Bring it on with a 10 million cap and AHL ticket prices and they will sell out if they all wear their team colors and logos. Add more high draft picks each year and in a couple of years we will be saying Goodenow who, NHLPA who!

Oh, I forgot to add.. you seemed to have left out the attendance for last night's game at the ACC. I looked it up for you, it was

9,424


And again, good luck with that

 

[two out of three*]

Well, what do you expect the AHL to be stronger than the NHL? Certainly you can't think that. I'd watch the AHL in NHL rinks and jerseys, why not?

 

[shakes]

Well, what do you expect the AHL to be stronger than the NHL? Certainly you can't think that. I'd watch the AHL in NHL rinks and jerseys, why not?

I think that you and many others here are in the minority. The post was directed at the OP and his "NHLPA who?" comment as well as anyone who thinks that getting that kind of attendance would constitute a viable alternative to NHL owners.

 

[two out of three*]

I think that you and many others here are in the minority. The post was directed at the OP and his "NHLPA who?" comment as well as anyone who thinks that getting that kind of attendance would constitute a viable alternative to NHL owners.

No, its not a viable alternative at all. But if theres hockey close to me AHL or NHL (perferabbly the NHL) ill go watch.

 

[Epsilon]

Do you guys honestly think players like Jason Spezza and Kari Lehtonen will cross the picket line? All the AHLers with NHL contracts will leave and you would be watching the 3rd and 4th liners as first liners with ECHL scrubs filling up the rest of the roster.

 

[eye]

Oh, I forgot to add.. you seemed to have left out the attendance for last night's game at the ACC. I looked it up for you, it was

9,424


And again, good luck with that

They also caughed up to $49 a ticket to get in and over 12 thousand are expected Friday night. The crowds would be even better if it was the AHL Toronto Maple Leafs playing and would continue to get better every year as players are drafted and signed down the road.

 

[eye]

Do you guys honestly think players like Jason Spezza and Kari Lehtonen will cross the picket line? All the AHLers with NHL contracts will leave and you would be watching the 3rd and 4th liners as first liners with ECHL scrubs filling up the rest of the roster.

They would have no choice since they are under 2 way contracts so they will do what their bosses tell them to do. NHL Players would fold their hands quickly and cross the line but will have to do it under a new contract for a lot less money if they hope to come back. Let's hope Bob has the right offer so that all of these threas can discuss a new future for the current NHL rather than a new NHL with vastly different ground rules.

 

[Epsilon]

They would have no choice since they are under 2 way contracts so they will do what their bosses tell them to do. NHL Players would fold their hands quickly and cross the line but will have to do it under a new contract for a lot less money if they hope to come back. Let's hope Bob has the right offer so that all of these threas can discuss a new future for the current NHL rather than a new NHL with vastly different ground rules.

Except if the NHL tries to use AHL teams as NHL ones then the players' NHL contracts will apply and they will be locked out as members of the NHLPA.

 

[Tuggy]

Newest rumour has NHL teams moving their AHL affiliates into NHL rinks next season to form the new NHL. Bring it on. Last nights AHL game with the new rules was more fun to watch than any NHL regular season game I have watched in years. Eager young men with NHL caliber talent. Mistakes of youthful enthusiasm and a willingness to actually try and deke out opponents reminded me of hockey of old. Bring it on with a 10 million cap and AHL ticket prices and they will sell out if they all wear their team colors and logos. Add more high draft picks each year and in a couple of years we will be saying Goodenow who, NHLPA who!

I am thinking this is just a rumour you made up.

 

[A Good Flying Bird*]

I am thinking this is just a rumour you made up.

His credibility isn't rock solid.

 

[eye]

His credibility isn't rock solid.

You should do HF a favor and take that newsguy HF writer tag off your username. Your bias is very annoying and your doing HF a diservice by saying your a writer!

I quoted the segment on TSN where I heard this rumour. I doubt you took the time to read that though as you are so closed minded and pro PA for some inexplicit reason it's not funny anymore. Unlike yourself, I don't make things up. When I do speculate I say so.

 

[eye]

Except if the NHL tries to use AHL teams as NHL ones then the players' NHL contracts will apply and they will be locked out as members of the NHLPA.

I disagree. While on their 2 way contracts they must play where their boss tells them to play. No fear of having to cross the line here. Trust me, NHL contracted players will be begging to come back and there won't be a line.

 

[Bruwinz37]

I think you would see alot of casual fans leaving hockey

Umm, I think they left a really, really long time ago.