News Article: What is wrong with the NHL?

[ConcernedOilersFan]

I'm not alone, heres an article supporting an all Canadian division;

Why not have all Canadian NHL teams in one division? | The Star

As if an all Canadian division would compensate for crummy ownership and lackluster front offices. It's articles like this that guys like Katz count on, because they know it means the heat's not on them like it should be.

Did the NHL tell Melnyk to shed all his stars? Did the NHL tell Katz to retain the old boys club? Did the NHL tell the Flames to spin their tires every year? Did the NHL tell the Habs to have a Francophone bias in their hiring of coaches et al?

The league would love to see Canadians have great hockey again, since basketball and soccer are picking up steam and Hockey Canada has been coasting off past glories for a long time, I'm sure.

Like I said, all this "NHL hates Canada guiz!" talk reeks of envy, if not outright jealousy. I know I'd be too if I saw a team led by Vinik and Yzerman kicking ass while I'm stuck McDavid probably wondering why he didn't pull a Lindros when he could've.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Nice troll posts Calgary phan.

 

[ConcernedOilersFan]

Nice troll posts Calgary phan.

Yeah, I'm a Calgary fan because I happened to have a different opinion. Grow up, buddy.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Yeah, I'm a Calgary fan because I happened to have a different opinion. Grow up, buddy.

The troll is obvious and anybody can see it.

To wit posting this on an Oilers board:



"while I'm stuck McDavid probably wondering why he didn't pull a Lindros when he could've."

Go back to your own board, thanks.

Because anybody would recognize that as a troll comment here.

 

[ConcernedOilersFan]

The troll is obvious and anybody can see it.

To wit posting this on an Oilers board:



"while I'm stuck McDavid probably wondering why he didn't pull a Lindros when he could've."

Go back to your own board, thanks.

Because anybody would recognize that as a troll comment here.

Come on now, do you think McDavid is going to stand this losing much longer? He literally spent his whole life trying to be the best damn player possible, and he's going to just settle for this tripe? he is a professional athlete and at some point, he's gonna consider his options.

Again, call me a troll all you want, but it just makes you look childish if that's your response to someone else's opinion. I am myself an Oilers fan, I've been watching them for over a decade now, and I came here because I felt I had to say something about the team I love being ran into the ground while people fiddle as the team burns going "it's all this Yankee bias that's to blame!"

 

[Drivesaitl]

Come on now, do you think McDavid is going to stand this losing much longer? He literally spent his whole life trying to be the best damn player possible, and he's going to just settle for this tripe? he is a professional athlete and at some point, he's gonna consider his options.

Again, call me a troll all you want, but it just makes you look childish if that's your response to someone else's opinion. I am myself an Oilers fan, I've been watching them for over a decade now, and I came here because I felt I had to say something about the team I love being ran into the ground while people fiddle as the team burns going "it's all this Yankee bias that's to blame!"

Nobody STARTS posting on a messageboard like this. It doesn't happen. You've gone from self reported lurking to full blown McDavid should've pulled a Lindros in 1-2 posts on sign up day.

hmmm

confirmed

 

[doulos]

Come on now, do you think McDavid is going to stand this losing much longer? He literally spent his whole life trying to be the best damn player possible, and he's going to just settle for this tripe? he is a professional athlete and at some point, he's gonna consider his options.

Again, call me a troll all you want, but it just makes you look childish if that's your response to someone else's opinion. I am myself an Oilers fan, I've been watching them for over a decade now, and I came here because I felt I had to say something about the team I love being ran into the ground while people fiddle as the team burns going "it's all this Yankee bias that's to blame!"

McDavid is going to be out of here first chance he can and good on him. He deserves way better than what he is getting here. This team is an abomination.

 

[ConcernedOilersFan]

McDavid is going to be out of here first chance he can and good on him. He deserves way better than what he is getting here. This team is an abomination.

Exactly! That is what I was trying to get across here.

I have said that McDavid may be wondering how much longer he can stand being here, if he should've pulled a Lindros and refused to come here if it was going to be this bad....

The Oilers are literally letting it potentially happen just so Katz can keep sniffing jockstraps.

Nobody STARTS posting on a messageboard like this. It doesn't happen. You've gone from self reported lurking to full blown McDavid should've pulled a Lindros in 1-2 posts on sign up day.

hmmm

confirmed

Do you have a problem with reading? I'm not trying to be rude here, I'm just asking: I specifically said that McDavid may be asking himself if he should've pulled a Lindros. What do you want me to say, exactly? That he loves being part of the punchline to the joke that this organization is, which is that his career is being wasted?

You should be worried alongside me that McDavid may consider bailing outta here. I'm sorry, but I don't buy that "he's too classy for that" spiel when even Tim Duncan almost left San Antonio and only didn't because the Magic wouldn't let his family fly with him on the team plane. He didn't spend all those years competing to be the best in the game just to see his talents squandered.

 

[doulos]

But the thread is about the Oilers not having faced another Canadian opponent in the playoffs in the last 28 years. That is deplorable, its absolutely ridiculous. That we've played 14 US opponents in that time, and 0 Canadian opponents is I thought very interesting, and indicative of a huge problem. If people disagree with what the cause of the problem is thats fine. I wasn't pencilling in that it was just due to divisional alignment, but that regardless its a sorry state of affairs.

The Oilers have only made the playoffs 10 times in those 28 years for starters.

1991 Playoffs - Played the Flames. 3 Western Canadian teams in the playoffs.
1992 Playoffs - Played the Canucks. 2 Western Canadian teams in the playoffs.
1997 Playoffs - Edmonton was the only Western Canadian team to make the playoffs.
1998 Playoffs - Edmonton was the only Western Canadian team to make the playoffs.
1999 Playoffs - Edmonton was the only Western Canadian team to make the playoffs.
2000 Playoffs - Edmonton was the only Western Canadian team to make the playoffs.
2001 Playoffs - 2 Western Canadian teams, both out in first round.
2003 Playoffs - 2 Western Canadian teams, Oilers out first round.
2006 Playoffs - 2 Western Canadian teams, we know what happened this year.
2017 Playoffs - 2 Western Canadian teams, Edmonton 2nd round, Calgary out 1st round

So of those 10 Playoffs, there were only 4 times when Edmonton made the playoffs along with another Western Canadian team, and did NOT play them. 4 times in nearly 30 years. And all four of those times there were only 2 Canadian teams, so chances were good they would not play each other anyways. I mean this is a giant much ado about nothing. Canadian teams have been run like a giant bag of burning garbage in recent memory and don't play each other when it matters because they don't show up then often enough. It's pretty clear.

 

[Oilhawks]

What’s wrong with the NHL? They let an absolute assclown in Darryl Katz own a hockey team.

 

[Rpenny]

Sorry. Building the playoffs around who you want your team to play as opposed to where they are in the standings?

 

[Perfect_Drug]

I have a mathematical explaination?

Back when we were winning cups, and making Winnipeg our bitch, there were far less teams.

21 teams


8 of 21 teams were Canadian.
38% of the teams were Canadian.

Now we have 31 teams and 7 are Canadian
19% of the league's teams are canadian (half the percentage of the pre-90s expansion).


The odds are half of what they used to be.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I have a mathematical explaination?

Back when we were winning cups, and making Winnipeg our *****, there were far less teams.

21 teams


8 of 21 teams were Canadian.
38% of the teams were Canadian.

Now we have 31 teams and 7 are Canadian
19% of the league's teams are canadian (half the percentage of the pre-90s expansion).


The odds are half of what they used to be.

Sure, but as stated that is part of the problem. Does anybody seriously believe that Hamilton, Quebec, even a Halifax or Saskatoon thrown in wouldn't support NHL clubs better than some of the perennially sorry franchises like Florida, Arizona, Carolina, NYI, who are ALWAYS bringing up the bottom in attendance and despite those clubs practically giving tickets away?

The only Canadian team in recent memory that has even struggled at the gate is Ottawa, this season, but due to the club absolutely imploding, selling off their star players and turning the club back to the stone age. Plus that its a hated arena in the middle of nowhere that is inconvenient to get to and out of.

The irony is it would be easier for Canadian clubs to financially manage being in the NHL now in the salary capped era.

There could be 10 Canadian clubs and a few less American ones. There actually should be. Canadian clubs are perennially top revenue and gate earners. The numbers support this. The NHL is mining gold in Canada and giving f*** all back.

 

[MikeGrier99]

The league would love to see Canadians have great hockey again, since basketball and soccer are picking up steam and Hockey Canada has been coasting off past glories for a long time, I'm sure.

The NHL killed the main goal of hockey Canada's existence, that is to prove we're the best in the world. International hockey is dying thanks to Bettman and Co, the new faces of the league like McDavid and matthews might not ever meaningfully represent their countries.

I hate the way the nhl is going, it feels way too corporate. It definitely feels like hockey is shrinking in Canada as well.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Sure, but as stated that is part of the problem. Does anybody seriously believe that Hamilton, Quebec, even a Halifax or Saskatoon thrown in wouldn't support NHL clubs better than some of the perennially sorry franchises like Florida, Arizona, Carolina, NYI, who are ALWAYS bringing up the bottom in attendance and despite those clubs practically giving tickets away?

The only Canadian team in recent memory that has even struggled at the gate is Ottawa, this season, but due to the club absolutely imploding, selling off their star players and turning the club back to the stone age. Plus that its a hated arena in the middle of nowhere that is inconvenient to get to and out of.

The irony is it would be easier for Canadian clubs to financially manage being in the NHL now in the salary capped era.

There could be 10 Canadian clubs and a few less American ones. There actually should be. Canadian clubs are perennially top revenue and gate earners. The numbers support this. The NHL is mining gold in Canada and giving **** all back.

To a degree.

The reason the teams all went south wasn't what you think it was.

It was simply the value of the USD relative to the CDN

When we nearly lost our team, it wasn't houston buyers or pocklington, or whatever. It was plummetted oil prices, and a bleak recession, attributing to a very low canadian dollar.

Toon Town has 250k people
Halifax has 400k
Hamilton would be just cannibalizing Leaf fans. They won't make a dent in the league's overall bottom line.

And in my humble opinion, Quebec will NEVER work for political reasons. Players do NOT want to play there. It's a gulag.

Not to get too 'political', but the leading push for the Nordiques is largely coming from Pierre Karl Peladeau (former leader of PQ), who is owner of the arena. He's a hard-line separatist, with some really f***ed up views on culture, immigration, and language. If you're not a francophone in Quebec City, there's a good chance, your owner will treat you 'second rate'.

As someone who had a LOT to say about an english-speaking interim coach, and non-french speaking captains for the Habs, I don't think even Quebecois players would want to play for him. His team is nothing more than a political tool to push a propoganda agenda.

You could write essays on the Nordiques, but they weren't a viable market when they left, and they won't be if they ever return.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Oh the other thing about Hamilton.

It's an hour away from Toronto. Hamilton fans DO drive up to see the Leafs.
Bus takes you straight to the ACC, and leaves every 30mins.
Hamilton to Air Canada Centre - 5 ways to travel via train, bus, taxi, and car
They're almost a burb of Toronto.

When I lived in LA, it was an hour drive for me from the Valley to the Staples Centre.

Heck, I once saw the Oilers play in Ottawa on a weekday, and the drive from downtown Ottawa to Kanata was 45mins in traffic.

 

[oilers'72]

While trying to conjure up forced rivalries may be what some want, the real problem with the NHL is Bettman's insistence to get rid of, not only fighting, but any other type of aggression, in order to attract a "new" type of fan. Those "fans" haven't really materialized, especially in the States. All that led to was head shots, cheap shots on star players and Tkachuk-like players. No point looking for rivalries when all you're getting is Ice Capades with sticks and a puck. Rivalries come when there's intensity between the two teams.

 

[rboomercat90]

What’s wrong with the NHL? They let an absolute assclown in Darryl Katz own a hockey team.

“The Edmonton Oilers are a well owned, well run team.” -Gary Bettman, 2019 NHL All Star game.

Katz isn’t the only assclown associated with the NHL, not that it matters anyway. He does have lots of money and that puts him in an incontestable position with a league that hasn’t been about hockey itself for a couple decades now.

 

[smokersarejokers]

What’s wrong with the NHL? They let an absolute assclown in Darryl Katz own a hockey team.

Man, I was really hoping that sex scandal would get bigger and force him to sell the team.

Could you imagine if Tampa still had Barrie and Koules as owners? Those knobs skipped town and that Vinnik guy is running a model franchise.

We're stuck with the weirdo, recluse, pervert jock sniffer.

 

[McDeepika]

I think the move to Sportsnet and having so many Canadian teams playing on Saturday has hurt also. HNIC really isn't a thing anymore and just feels like any other day of the week where fans are just watching their own team.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Oh another thing about an NHL team in Halifax.


I Live in Montreal, and 'West Coast' Oiler games begin at 10:00 (sometimes 10:30 when theres a ceremony or something).

The game last night ended for me at 12:30.




For Halifax team, when they go on a West Coast road trip, the games would start at 11:30, and end at 1:30.

 

[MikeGrier99]

“The Edmonton Oilers are a well owned, well run team.” -Gary Bettman, 2019 NHL All Star game.

Katz isn’t the only assclown associated with the NHL, not that it matters anyway. He does have lots of money and that puts him in an incontestable position with a league that hasn’t been about hockey itself for a couple decades now.

It pisses me off how much the Bettman led NHL indulges in their bull shit. Such obvious crap gets called out in any other sport. The oilers are trying to make it look like they don't suck as bad as they do. Try doing that to fans of the red Sox or Yankees, Dallas Cowboys or the Patriots, or Real Madrid or hundreds of other clubs that actually have passion for what they do. The fans need to wake up though, nhl is still in the stone age, and the oilers are dead last in terms of quality of hockey operations .

 

[Drivesaitl]

Oh the other thing about Hamilton.

It's an hour away from Toronto. Hamilton fans DO drive up to see the Leafs.
Bus takes you straight to the ACC, and leaves every 30mins.
Hamilton to Air Canada Centre - 5 ways to travel via train, bus, taxi, and car
They're almost a burb of Toronto.

When I lived in LA, it was an hour drive for me from the Valley to the Staples Centre.

Heck, I once saw the Oilers play in Ottawa on a weekday, and the drive from downtown Ottawa to Kanata was 45mins in traffic.

Of course the Hamilton area could support a team. Southern Ontario could probably support 2-3 teams. Its not like the Leafs would really suffer at all. They just make noises about it so that they can have a monopoly.

13M people live in that region, in a hockey mad country 1/3 of the population is socked in there. 1 team? that's not adequately serving that market.

We have two clubs in Florida, with a very limited hockey market, and one in the population agglomeration of Southern Ontario. That really is incredible. Hamilton was ready for a team as soon as Copps Coliseum was built. Probably far more ready than Ottawa as a market.

You seriously think if there was a club in Hamilton the fans would keep driving into Toronto to be fans of the Leafs? That's like saying Calgary Fans wouldn't take to the Flames when they moved their from Atlanta because Edmonton already had a club..

 

[MikeYEG]

One thing you realize when you're living in a country where not many people care about hockey (most who care a bit about it do it due to the EA Sports games really) is that everybody thinks the NHL is an American league with some Canadian franchises invited to join them. They also think the Stanley Cup is an American thing. I was incredibly surprised by this, but not more than they were to learn the truth about it. It just shows how Canada has lost the control of a league, and a game, that was ours. I'd rather have teams in Saskatchewan, the Maritimes, Quebec, Victoria and Southern ON rather than the american sunbelt, places where people are diehards as oposed to people where they don't give a f***.

But let's face it, the league is 100 percent american now and they only care about the corporate world. One thing I envy about soccer is that this would never happen there, the MLS is third rate compared to any top european league, simply because it's not and will never probably be a white colar sport, which is what hockey is unfortunately becoming.

 

[Drivesaitl]

bump

So heres another micro example of the NHL not giving a toss about Canada.

One Canadian club remains in the playoffs.

In a critical deciding game (oddly played on Easter Sunday instead of HNIC Saturday Night) The NHL had determined that they wanted a 3pm AFTERNOON start time to this game because that's what NBC wants, and what NBC wants, NBC gets. Who gives a shit about the Canadian viewing market? Its Canada, after a long winter, and the most Gorgeous afternoon expected that we have seen on Easter Sunday in decades. But we should stay indoors and watch hockey. Nah, I'm going cycling. Enjoying the warm sun, enjoying the day. Will be 17C here which in Canada, in spring, is FANTASTIC!

This is a game on Canadian soil, a pretty much must win game for the home team, and the terms are being dictated state side. Advantage Bruins, who have played 12 afternoon games this season to Toronto's one afternoon home game. So the Bruins would be much more acclimated to this start time.

When are some of these NHL Canadian owners going to take a balls out stand and tell the NHL to f*** off with such nonsense and US Kowtowing.

I despise the Leafs as much as the next person but I fume at our national autonomy not being respected.

ps its Saturday yesterday and ALL the games were early starts. Screw Canada, all early time slots. Hockey NIGHT in Canada be damned, on Saturday, in the playoffs.

Leafs-Bruins Game 6 moved to 3 p.m. Sunday