hockeytown9321 said:
I guess you'd call me an NHLPA backer, though I'm mainly on their side because I think a cap would be a disaster and I think they've been alot willing to negotiate a fair deal. That said, to me the bad part of the cap isn't so much that the competitive balance will increase(I don't buy that the league isn't competitive now) but that it will increase at the expense of the game. Just look at football. Its more competitive than ever, but why should the Detroit Lions have any shot at the playoffs with a 5-7 record at this point? Its parity by mediocrity.
I'm quite content with the current competitive balance... IMO, it should be
very difficult to (1) first have a shot at the playoffs; and (2) ultimately win the Stanley Cup... I don't want to see
every team have an equal chance... IMO, that cheapens the accomplishment... I want to see well-built teams win the cup... and for the most part, that is what has happened throughout the history of the NHL... IMO, very few teams have been able to buy a cup... It doesn't work... IMO, history has shown that only well-built teams (combined with hard work and luck) come the closest and ultimately win the Stanley Cup... They build over several years from a solid and young core...
Some teams sometimes have been able to buy a playoff spot, however... Perhaps they trade for a big name player at the deadline, have a late season run, and get into the playoffs... Yet, these teams when matching up against a
proper built team far more often than not, lose... They can't match the chemistry of a well-built team... Combine chemistry, with team experience (history winning and losing together as a team), with hardwork, with luck (key ingredient for any success)... and my money is always on the well-built team over a team of stars who were recently assembled...
There's an old saying in the NHL -
Once you're in the playoffs, anything can happen... That, to me, is an admission of proper competitive balance... As long as the underdog has a
properly built core, the underdog has a
fighting chance to beat the favourite...
The fact that the Canuck sucked for so many years in our history (and some will argue still suck) makes our current success and our quest for winning the cup
so much more satisfying... I wouldn't want it to be any easier... It cheapens the value of the Stanley Cup... It cheapens the many years I've spent following the Canucks as a fan... It lowers the
current excitement I have for Canucks hockey... One day, if the Canucks do win the cup, at that moment, I could see myself doing the "Shawshank" (face covered in s***, standing in a lake, rain pouring down, arms outstretched to the heavens)... It's been since the 80's I've wanted the Canucks to win the cup!
The "Shawshank" is only reserved for
seemingly impossible things... In a hard cap league (one where the Canucks have a much greater chance to win the cup
every year - along with the majority of other team), I'd perhaps crack a smile and give a high five... but doing the Shawshank in this situation would be rather silly...