NHL NHL suits are ruining the game we love

[Aeroforce]

From the business side, things have never been better for the NHL

Vegas was a rich man's toy (Bill Foley) who agreed happily to pay 500 million out of his petty cash to get the secret handshake that owners have even though half of the teams in the NHL were worth less at the time. Now the NHL will get $650 million from Seattle and they sold 10.000 season tickets in 12 minutes on March 1. Sooner or later the Coyotes are headed for Houston unless the BOG really gets greedy and expands to 34 and Quebec finally gets their team back,

South Florida is also a fragile market and when you look at demographics it is not a good fit for hockey as 72% of the population is not inclined to follow hockey.

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Throw in the fact that the arena in Sunrise is not easy to get to for most of the people who do care and 1 mile west of the arena is a swamp called the Everglades.

What scares me going into the playoffs is the NHL really needs Toronto to win a round or two to keep Rogers Sportsnet happy. Winnipeg will be the other Canadian team in the playoffs but their TV market is the same size as Providence. Francophones have stopped watching hockey in big numbers with Montreal's bad season so the Maple Leafs are it.

Lord Bettman really is in most cases 'the smartest guy in the room'. As far as the owners are concerned he has only made one major mistake in 25 years and that was not vetting John Spano who wound up buying the Islanders when he had about $300 bucks in his checking account.

With the recent calls against the Bruins, I'm certainly on board with the idea that the league favors certain teams. However, should the B's fall to the Leafs, depending on how it plays out, the fix may not necessarily be in. In recent times the B's have struggled mightily against Toronto. I didn't even get too upset on the questionable goalie interference non-call the last time the teams met, for Toronto was clearly the better team and deserved to win.

My belief is the league wants Nashville to win the Cup this year. Not that they aren't a legit contender as is; but I think the league suits know there was some truth in that SNL skit and they'd love PK Subban to be the face of the league. I also believe the league loved the attention all the country music 'stars' brought during the Final last year. Judging by recent All-Star games and other events, the league desperately wants to have the pop culture relevance other sports have (my $.02 is Alan Jackson and Tim McGraw don't come anywhere close to achieving that). And with the ongoing debacles in Arizona and Florida, Bettman desperately wants one of his non-traditional markets to be a success story. Throw in the cap recapture should Shea Weber retire, and it's almost now or never.

I know Bettman is the 'Smartest guy in the room' to the owners, and that's all that matters. But I do question the long term ramifications of some of his moves, both on the ice and off.

 

[Fenway]

With the recent calls against the Bruins, I'm certainly on board with the idea that the league favors certain teams. However, should the B's fall to the Leafs, depending on how it plays out, the fix may not necessarily be in. In recent times the B's have struggled mightily against Toronto. I didn't even get too upset on the questionable goalie interference non-call the last time the teams met, for Toronto was clearly the better team and deserved to win.

My belief is the league wants Nashville to win the Cup this year. Not that they aren't a legit contender as is; but I think the league suits know there was some truth in that SNL skit and they'd love PK Subban to be the face of the league. I also believe the league loved the attention all the country music 'stars' brought during the Final last year. Judging by recent All-Star games and other events, the league desperately wants to have the pop culture relevance other sports have (my $.02 is Alan Jackson and Tim McGraw don't come anywhere close to achieving that). And with the ongoing debacles in Arizona and Florida, Bettman desperately wants one of his non-traditional markets to be a success story. Throw in the cap recapture should Shea Weber retire, and it's almost now or never.

I know Bettman is the 'Smartest guy in the room' to the owners, and that's all that matters. But I do question the long term ramifications of some of his moves, both on the ice and off.

I am certain that the last team Bettman wants to see win the Cup this year is Vegas as the howling from long-suffering fans in other markets would be severe.

 

[Estlin]

I am certain that the last team Bettman wants to see win the Cup this year is Vegas as the howling from long-suffering fans in other markets would be severe.

Boo hoo. Maybe Bettman should have arranged a less favorable expansion draft and process so that Vegas didn't end up with such a strong team (although Gallant deserves a lot of credit for the team's success).

I imagine that the last team that Bettman wants to see win the Stanley Cup this year in Winnipeg.

 

[smithformeragent]

I don’t know who is to blame and I don’t know that it matters, but the product has become garbage.

The league has zero personality. They don’t market their stars. The broadcasts have become stale. There are very few “villains” to root against.

Not sure. Is this just nostalgia on my part? I am losing interest and I don’t like it. I want to care, but for the first season I can remember, I’ll regularly go to sleep during or after the second period. I’ve missed a small handful of games and watched the condensed games the next day.

I don’t think I’ll outright quit watching, it’s more like a slow rot.

 

[Jack218D]

National Hockey League
1185 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
(212) 789-2000

National Hockey League
50 Bay St,
Toronto, ON M5J 3A5
416-359-7900

National Hockey League  
1800 McGill College Ave
Montreal, QC H3A 3J6
514-841-9220

National Hockey League Players' Association
10 Bay Street Suite 1200
Toronto, ON M5J 2R8
416-313-2300

All one needs to do is look at the addresses themselves to know what the league's agenda is. I'd hate to be a fan of a team that was a rival of one of these cities....... wait a minute..

 

[smithformeragent]

I dunno.

The Leafs, Rangers and Canadiens have all done jack shit since ‘94.

As I said in the GDT the other night, I don’t know that it’s an agenda, but rather complete incompetence.

Perhaps what it comes down to is that what they want is the money up front. They want the expansion fees and the gate. They have accepted that they’ll never do the TV ratings, so why bother investing resources? People continue to fill out the arenas in most markets. Feels very short sighted, but then again, nobody would ever label the NHL owners as visionaries in comparison to their peers in other leagues.

Complete speculation on my part.

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

I dunno.

The Leafs, Rangers and Canadiens have all done jack **** since ‘94.

As I said in the GDT the other night, I don’t know that it’s an agenda, but rather complete incompetence.

Perhaps what it comes down to is that what they want is the money up front. They want the expansion fees and the gate. They have accepted that they’ll never do the TV ratings, so why bother investing resources? People continue to fill out the arenas in most markets. Feels very short sighted, but then again, nobody would ever label the NHL owners as visionaries in comparison to their peers in other leagues.

Complete speculation on my part.

I think it is incompetence. The refs are just mailing it in.

 

[Rubber Biscuit]

Replay reviews have done serious damage to my interest in every sport. Seems like the rules are not clear enough and there is zero consistency in any sport. Either live with the human error that comes with refs, or begin moving to robots

 

[smithformeragent]

Replay reviews have done serious damage to my interest in every sport. Seems like the rules are not clear enough and there is zero consistency in any sport. Either live with the human error that comes with refs, or begin moving to robots

Compared to the NFL, the NHL officials do a terrible job explaining to the fans what transpired during video review and why the call is what it is.

 

[missingchicklet]

The NHL is in danger of going the NASCAR route in terms of losing many of its diehards, while at the same time not bringing in enough new fans to replace the diehards. NASCAR is now nothing but spec cookie cutter cars, drivers with no personality, and rules that are ever evolving and hard to understand due to constant change and inconsistent interpretation, since certain drivers seem to get away with things others don't. Much of the aggression in NASCAR has been eliminated by the corporate suits who run things. It has become nothing but a corporatised, sanitized, boring sport that has eliminated what used to make it exciting for fans.

The NHL is not there yet in terms of losing massive numbers of diehards, but they better be careful. Over the years I give Bettman credit for expanding geographic interest in the NHL. It hasn't worked everywhere it has expanded, but it has indeed expanded and brought in new fans. Over the past few years, however, the product has become increasingly stale. Whether people want to admit it or not, there are plenty of fans who want big hits and fights. I know that in non-traditional markets many of the newcomers have gotten into hockey because of the prospect of fights and big hits, then got further pulled in by all the other stuff. Most traditional diehards who grew up with aggressiveness in the sport also do not want to see these things disappear for the most part. It seems as if too many huge hits now result in a penalty whether it was clean or not. Fans of the opposing team then call for DoPS to step in, and fans everywhere have no clue where that spinning wheel of justice will land.

An overhaul of the reffing system and DoPS is very much needed. When your own refs and league offices do not seem to have a common grasp of the rules then you have a problem that filters down to the players and fans.

 

[BNHL]

2013 was the best hockey the NHL had seen in years because it was a short season.

The refs are told what the league wants and they are aware that the playoff assignments go to the officials who follow the instructions. Something that is overlooked is the refs get tired as well and they are out there for the full 60 minutes. They also are always on the road, unlike the players.

We can moan that the quality of hockey today is terrible but as long as most arenas are sold out every night nothing will change.

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Except,many seats are not being used which is even a bigger negative statement when seats are already paid for but remain empty. We all saw it in Florida,Carolina and even Detroit. I'll keep my eyes open moving forward.

 

[Fenway]

Boo hoo. Maybe Bettman should have arranged a less favorable expansion draft and process so that Vegas didn't end up with such a strong team (although Gallant deserves a lot of credit for the team's success).

I imagine that the last team that Bettman wants to see win the Stanley Cup this year in Winnipeg.

ttle

Seattle will game the same draft rules as Vegas for $650 million.

The NHL's biggest concern is being 30 months away from another lockout/strike. The players are certain to use their opt out clause in 2019 which puts the 2020-2021 season in limbo. The players want the Olympics - not so much for the 10% of players who go but the 90% who get a 2 week vacation. The US TV contract is also coming up for renewal and Bettman is going to see what ESPN, FOX, CBS are willing to pay.

Bettman screwed up when he kicked FOX to the curb in 1999. Forget about the glowing puck and FOX put a lot of effort into NHL telecasts as did ESPN 23 years ago. NBC has been mailing it in for 5 years now.

 

[Gordoff]

ttle

Seattle will game the same draft rules as Vegas for $650 million.

The NHL's biggest concern is being 30 months away from another lockout/strike. The players are certain to use their opt out clause in 2019 which puts the 2020-2021 season in limbo. The players want the Olympics - not so much for the 10% of players who go but the 90% who get a 2 week vacation. The US TV contract is also coming up for renewal and Bettman is going to see what ESPN, FOX, CBS are willing to pay.

Bettman screwed up when he kicked FOX to the curb in 1999. Forget about the glowing puck and FOX put a lot of effort into NHL telecasts as did ESPN 23 years ago. NBC has been mailing it in for 5 years now.

Kevin, you're the best!

 

[smithformeragent]

It’s too bad that it’s taken lockouts the last two times to fix the mess and result in a better product, but another lockout that results in lost games may well price the death knell for this league.

 

[Aeroforce]

I am certain that the last team Bettman wants to see win the Cup this year is Vegas as the howling from long-suffering fans in other markets would be severe.

Vegas has been a great Cinderella story, but the clock is striking midnight. They'll make the playoffs, but I won't be surprised if they are actually an easy out in the first round. In the playoffs, talent matters.

As for personalities, I'm not a fan of players showboating and drawing attention to themselves on the ice. I don't need Connor McDavid to have a choreographed routine for when he scores, and I doubt such actions would draw more fans.

A couple of us joked in another thread about the ads on NHL Network, and what it says about the demographic of the audience. Dating sites, nasal decongestants, and lawyers alleviating tax debt seem to dominate.

 

[chizzler]

Replay reviews have done serious damage to my interest in every sport. Seems like the rules are not clear enough and there is zero consistency in any sport. Either live with the human error that comes with refs, or begin moving to robots

Get rid of instant replay. Its making things worse. Its creating problems and people are getting sick of it. it was better before they instituted it. As for Bettman, i'm not impressed. Arizona still a hockey site is a joke. I don't know why Bettman doesn't get it, they don't want the team there.

 

[chizzler]

ttle

Seattle will game the same draft rules as Vegas for $650 million.

The NHL's biggest concern is being 30 months away from another lockout/strike. The players are certain to use their opt out clause in 2019 which puts the 2020-2021 season in limbo. The players want the Olympics - not so much for the 10% of players who go but the 90% who get a 2 week vacation. The US TV contract is also coming up for renewal and Bettman is going to see what ESPN, FOX, CBS are willing to pay.

Bettman screwed up when he kicked FOX to the curb in 1999. Forget about the glowing puck and FOX put a lot of effort into NHL telecasts as did ESPN 23 years ago. NBC has been mailing it in for 5 years now.

I think NBC is horrible. They cut the feed as soon as the game is over. no post game. Bettman and NBC are horrible at promoting the game and players.

 

[sarge88]

I think it is incompetence. The refs are just mailing it in.

I think it’s a combination of incompetence and how the league wants the game to further evolve.

These refs are so afraid of a fight happening or things getting “out of control” that they overreact all too often.

It’s sad to me that referees, many of whom are relative peers of mine (people 40 or above) want the game to be so different from the game that we watched as kids.

I get the concussion aspect and I’m not a lawyer, but I’d think that there must be some sort of waiver that the NHL can eventually have players sign, holding them harmless for concussions and late in life issues.

 

[GordonHowe]

I am certain that the last team Bettman wants to see win the Cup this year is Vegas as the howling from long-suffering fans in other markets would be severe.

The notion presupposes that he cares. He doesn't. If you read that "Smartest Guy in the Room" article, as I suspect you have, you know one thing. Bettman is about the MONEY. He doesn't care about anything else. Nor do his greedy bosses.

So, you go from Clarence Campbell to John Ziegler to this sh*thead. Yes, he's all of those smart guy things described in the article. He's also a corporate prick. He doesn't care about you, me, hockey, CTE or the culture of the NHL.

He cares about first quarter profits.

 

[Fopppa]

I think it’s a combination of incompetence and how the league wants the game to further evolve.

These refs are so afraid of a fight happening or things getting “out of control” that they overreact all too often.

It’s sad to me that referees, many of whom are relative peers of mine (people 40 or above) want the game to be so different from the game that we watched as kids.

I get the concussion aspect and I’m not a lawyer, but I’d think that there must be some sort of waiver that the NHL can eventually have players sign, holding them harmless for concussions and late in life issues.

This rings very true to me. Backes the other night was a perfect example. I think the refs simply decided that having him in the game after that hit would cause trouble down the line and just ejected him because they didn't want to handle that, had nothing to do with the actual hit itself. It has happened with Lucic before as well and probably countless other times to other teams too. It's just a backward way of conducting business and it probably stems from orders from up top to curb fights and altercations. What it does is neuter the emotion on the ice which is one of the things that makes hockey stand out from most other sports and that's a shame.

I get that it's a fine line to trod if you want the emotion but need to keep player safety in mind with the speed of today's game, but the way they're going about it now clearly isn't working out well. A first step would be to clarify discipline and interpretation of rules in a much better way 'cause they can't keep going down this route. The "explanatory" videos from DoPS are just a joke nowadays. They clarify nothing.

 

[hoss75]

ttle

The players want the Olympics - not so much for the 10% of players who go but the 90% who get a 2 week vacation.

The Olympics isn't going to happen unless the IOC allows the NHL to use the Olympics in their marketing or the NHLPA agrees to pay to fly the players to the games and pay for their insurance. Based on the history of the IOC and NHLPA to make good decisions, it's not likely to happen.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

they're doing the same thing Manfred has started doing to baseball.

alienating the current fans by changing the game to appeal to non fans that aren't going to become fans regardless of what you do.

hockey and baseball as sports are what they are. people will like them or they wont.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

The league does not want what happened in the islander/Pens game happen again.

That game was out of control, officials tried to let the players police it, and it was a disaster.

At the end of the day it's about money, and PR. I'm still going to watch hockey with/without fighting.

NHL is going to lose more money from a lawsuit than they will if they dial back the physical aspect.

 

[Baddkarma]

I agree that the NHL has gone soft. Most games resemble a SEL game which are way boring.

As far as ruining the game, any persistent observer of the NHL understands that the CTE issues of the NFL and the lawsuits filed were bound to spill over into the NHL with its legacy of "Rockem, Sockem" hits and fights. It was only a matter of time until the lawyers began to circle the NHL.

The NHL was built on a legacy of goals, hits, fights, and feuds that are found in no other sport. Not even close. "Wednesday Night Rivalries" should pay a royalty to every player they show in a highlight from 1900-2011 because after the "lesson" on the rivalry from the studio guys and few names dropped from "Doc" Emmerick the games are an absolute snore fest. Because of this legacy there are lots of highlights and other high impact moments the NHL is in fear of a jury of non-sport fans deciding the NHL is liable for players injuries.

The question I have is how does boxing and MMA get away with not having to worry about legal issues regarding injury, specifically head injuries? The NHL is a game played at incredible speed. Outside of some type of vehicle racing it is the fastest a human will go and then have a sudden stop, which is one of the primary ways to sustain a concussion. Why are players and lawyers testing the waters for suits?

What we see now is players coming to each other's aid after a big hit. Why, because these big impacts are the main ways that players sustain concussion. Most players don't fight or if they do it is once or twice per year. A player in game may make contact with other players or the rink (ice or boards) 20-30 times per game. We can see by the players reactions to big hits, boarding, interference, and other body contact that they are concerned about the big/late/illegal hits and not a couple of guys squaring off.

So the NHL is attempting to regulate the body "dangerous" contact out of hockey as much as possible. Because of the speed of the game, the fact that two line off-sides generates more speed through the zone, there is more emphasis on back-end speed and so the game overall is less physical, less physical, and I'm sorry less interesting.

 

[Aeroforce]

I'm willing to give the NHL a chance with the 'faster, more skilled' game with less physicality. But the offside challenge MUST go!

The linesmen were in perfect position on pretty much all the overturned goals, and deemed the entries legal. Freeze framing to the 100th of a second and enforcing the 'skate in the air' rule is preposterous. In real time the infractions are not perceptible to the human eye.

It's such a buzzkill to have great work in the offensive zone negated, and a bigger buzzkill when your team scores and you can't celebrate because you know it will be challenged (and you have no idea how the inconsistent league will rule).

If memory serves, it was a goal against the Habs in a playoff game that inspired all this. In that case, the player was several feet offside. That's such a rare occurrence, and the detriment to the game the reviews have wreaked is enormous.