Hockey....everything to do with the coolest game on earth

[FrenchCanadian]

Winnipeg needs a team back before Toronto should be talking about a second team. Southern Ontario (I hate Hamilton but I guess it would be logical) could also use a team, though between Toronto and Detroit, you want to be careful not to crowd the market from a geographic perspective, either. I've also long supported the idea of a team in Halifax, though economically that might be tough to make viable.

 

But none of those teams should be new teams. If anything, Gary Bettman screwed up the NHL with so much expansion, and judicious contraction is what's needed now in order to improve the league. In my ideal world, two or three teams in "soft" US markets would move to Canadian cities, and another two or three would be contracted. Let's cut the league from 30 teams back to about 24, and re-kindle some of the rivalries in the hockey-mad markets.

 

Also, as the Russian super-league seeks expansion across Northern Europe, I think we will have more opportunities for games across the ocean. The travel and jetlag would make it impractical to look at merging the leagues and playing too many regular season games against one another. But what about a North American conference versus a European conference, with the Stanley Cup final featuring the top team from each playing against each other? Could be interesting...

 

Winnipeg?!, umm, I know they had their team,, but,, nope,, I don't think it would be a good idea to go back there,, and don't get me started with another team in toronto's area,, let's think this through correctly,,, they have, toronto, buffalo, detroit, all of them within 4 hour drive or so,,, adding another team in that area would be REALLY stupid. Also,, I'll be honest and say, NO to a team in Quebec either,, I don't think it would be that profitable.

 

Also,, expansion in Europe as you've said would be very impractical,, tho,, a stanley cup final featuring the top team of the NHL vs the russian one,, ,,, OMG', no, the stanley cup should always be the biggest honnor in the NHL,,, if you wanna make a new tourney like the best 6 team competing for a new title, that might be worth thinking about (not sure it's worth to try tho) but not share the stanley cup with another league...

[edmontongreg]

The Habs are my team, I didn't always live in the West. I am hoping they do it this year, number 25. They did not play that well against the Godless Leafs last night. Now T.O thinks they may get something this year.

 

Go Habs Go!!!!

 

If you get a chance, go see them live, the crowd is worth the admission.

[Conner]

What do you call 30 millionaires sitting around a tv watching the Stanley Cup?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Toronto Maple Leafs

[wildone]

What do you call 30 millionaires sitting around a tv watching the Stanley Cup?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Toronto Maple Leafs

 

 

I was going to tell a few jokes but decided not to. Does this mean it is open season on the leafs?

Edited November 20, 2008 by wildone

[Cynical Romantic]

 

I was going to tell a few jokes but decided not to. Does this mean it is open season on the leafs?

 

It's always open season on the Leafs as far as this Habs fan is concerned.

 

Q & A's from Health Canada in the wake of the Listeria outbreak:

 

Q: The Stanley Cup was recently on tour in my town, and I kissed it. Do I have to worry about being infected by listeria?

 

A: You are safe. The Stanley Cup has not been in contact with any Maple Leaf in over 40 years.

[Jack Frost]

LMAO!!! I love that joke...

 

 

Matt (the hubby) saw Saku Koivu in flesh at an hotel and got a photo taken with him. I officially hate him.

 

Now T.O thinks they may get something this year.

They're struck by bi-polarism.

 

 

 

 

What do the Leafs and the Titanic have in common?

They both look good until they hit the ice.

 

Why don't the Leafs drink tea?

Because the Canadiens have all the cups.

 

(teteteteteteteeee)

 

100 Years of Hockey

 

Edited November 22, 2008 by Jack Frost

[Thirdeye]

Big Flyers fan here. They played a good game tonight, Marty Biron is starting to look like he did in the playoffs last year after a slow start. And one of my first athlete crushes Simon Gagne has been amazing!

[Thirdeye]

Also,, expansion in Europe as you've said would be very impractical,, tho,, a stanley cup final featuring the top team of the NHL vs the russian one,, ,,, OMG', no, the stanley cup should always be the biggest honnor in the NHL,,, if you wanna make a new tourney like the best 6 team competing for a new title, that might be worth thinking about (not sure it's worth to try tho) but not share the stanley cup with another league...

 

 

They already have that its called the World Cup(they just don't have many of them due to the PA). Expansion in Europe will never happen. Teams like San Jose, Anaheim, Vancouver etc complain about the extra travel expenses they pay flying to the east coast, imagine if the have an away game against Dynamo.

 

 

Gary Bettman is a turd but its just as much the owners fault. Every expansion team from 1991 until 2000 had to pay millions in expansion fees that want to every team. Atlanta, Nashville, Columbus, and Minnesota paid 80 million each, so in a three year period teams split up 320 million amongst 26 teams. And before that were the 90s team and they paid 50 million each. Team set there budget like they would have that money every year and it killed revenues.

 

On top of that talent has become so deluted. They talk about the Trap, yet Montreal under Scoty Bowman in the 70s used a trap. The problem was and still is the lack of talent and the holding. When you go from 21 teams to 30 in 10 years, its gonna do something. Thats almost 220 players that would be in the AHL or Europe otherwise.

 

 

ahhh don't get me started. I wrote a ten page paper for college english class on this last year.

[moonwolf]

I have 3 teams the habs because i'm from Montreal and for oh so cute Sergei. the Calgary Flames because i pick them in my hockey pool and last the Vancouver Canucks because i like their style of play and of course the Sedin brothers.

[wildone]

I have 3 teams the habs because i'm from Montreal and for oh so cute Sergei. the Calgary Flames because i pick them in my hockey pool and last the Vancouver Canucks because i like their style of play and of course the Sedin brothers.

 

 

This had to be one of my most favourite

last year

[wildone]

So the NHL finally decided not to let Sean Avery continue on his mission to make the NHL into the WWE.

 

Today, while in Calgary he made a comment to the media after making sure that at least one TV camera was on: "I'm really happy to be back in Calgary; I love Canada," he said. "I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds."

 

Avery was making comments about Flames' Dion Phanuef and his girlfriend, Avery's ex, Elisha Cuthbert.

 

So the NHL decided to suspend him indefinitely for his comments, just one of many that has come out of his mouth in the recent and not so recent past. Funny thing is that the Dallas Stars agreed 100% with the suspension and admitted that if the league hadn't suspended him, they would have themselves.

 

I know he wants to be an agitator, and stir up things to hopefully upset his opponents, but when is enough, enough? Was the league right in making the suspension, or did they overstep their bounds on something that has nothing to do with hockey?

 

Last, I hope his lawyer has received papers already from Elisha Cuthbert's. It's the least that he deserves.

 

Steve

[Cynical Romantic]

Actually, I'm more and more in awe of Sean Avery every day.

 

Okay, he's an agitator, a pest, and by all accounts, a pain in the ass. But... in addition to being a pretty damn good hockey player, he's also one of the best marketers I have ever encountered. Leaps and bounds ahead of the league or any of their marketing.

 

Avery manages to put himself on the front pages more often than even the NHL superstars. He generates interest in hockey from circles that don't normally pay attention, like the fashion world or the Hollywood set. He gets NHL rules named after him, comes up with creative ways to get the goat of the opposition, and makes headlines for it. Beyond that, he gets movie parts and nominated for titles like "sexiest man alive" in magazines, and internships at Vogue magazine. Every single media outlet is constantly clamouring to interview him. In short, he's a master at PR, and he seems to come by it naturally.

 

So, okay, he was kind of insulting towards Elisha Cuthbert, but really, what he said was mild compared to most of what gets thrown out there in interviews. And the league completely overreacted with this indefinite suspension thing. Surely, Avery is laughing all the way to the bank about this.

 

I can't help it. The marketer in me loves it.

[Cynical Romantic]

Oh and while we're talking hockey... ET LE BUT!!!

Go Habs Go!

[moonwolf]

we'll go crush those devils tonight without Brodeur

 

Go habs go

[Former Member]

So Tuesday night i was in Ottawa helping my cousin move his furniture back down here and well in ottawa my cousin wanted to go to the Ottawa Senators game so i went with, We bought tickets from a Scalper, That Scotia Bank place was jammed packed with more people then i have ever seen it was really something else.

 

During the game Ottawa was playing agianst Atlanta and losing hardcore.. but thats ok because there was this cute boy sitting beside me, i spent more time watching him lmao. We took off our shoes and had our knees touching and feet agianst each other arms touching even, he had a friend and the friend kept giving me dirty looks. The guy started swearing in french when the other team scored so i started too do the same. Whenever ottawa looked like they were doing good i'd be going "SKATE BUDDY SHOOT BUDDY!" and the guy beside me goes "His name isnt buddy it's" and would tell me the players name lol. It was lots of fun and at the end of the night i thanked this random guy for the fun night lol. There was a 5 on 5 fight and me and this guy were cheering so loud lmao. And that body check was AWESOME!. 1 guy behind me yells "HIT ANYBODY HIT THE REFEREE EVEN TABARNAC!" lol. Canadians and our hockey lol. GA you taught me well

[Thirdeye]

Actually, I'm more and more in awe of Sean Avery every day.

 

Okay, he's an agitator, a pest, and by all accounts, a pain in the ass. But... in addition to being a pretty damn good hockey player, he's also one of the best marketers I have ever encountered. Leaps and bounds ahead of the league or any of their marketing.

 

Avery manages to put himself on the front pages more often than even the NHL superstars. He generates interest in hockey from circles that don't normally pay attention, like the fashion world or the Hollywood set. He gets NHL rules named after him, comes up with creative ways to get the goat of the opposition, and makes headlines for it. Beyond that, he gets movie parts and nominated for titles like "sexiest man alive" in magazines, and internships at Vogue magazine. Every single media outlet is constantly clamouring to interview him. In short, he's a master at PR, and he seems to come by it naturally.

 

So, okay, he was kind of insulting towards Elisha Cuthbert, but really, what he said was mild compared to most of what gets thrown out there in interviews. And the league completely overreacted with this indefinite suspension thing. Surely, Avery is laughing all the way to the bank about this.

 

I can't help it. The marketer in me loves it.

 

 

 

He's also one of the most hated players in the game, and not from just opponents. He has been called out by teammates in the past due to his selfish play and bad penalties. Even Mike Modano who never says anything knocked Avery for running around taking neddless dumb penalties about two weeks before this. The dude just got out of a meeting where he was asked and promised not say anything or stir anything up with the press before the game in Calgary and he walks out of the meeting and grabs two camera men and tells them to start rolling, thats why he is not back with the stars. He's gonna have a hard time finding awaywhere above the AHL playing.

[Cynical Romantic]

Just wanted to revive this thread. I was lucky enough to get tickets to tonight's game. Not only did I get to see Alex Ovechkin and the Caps, I got to watch my Habs fight back to net a very dramatic win with less than 30 seconds left against them. Was awesome!

 

Ir's been an exciting time to be a hockey fan, what with the World Juniors fifth straight gold medal for the Canadian team last weekend, and all-star weekend coming up. And my Habs, despite injuries, are on a hot streak. To quote the McD's commercial, "I'm lovin' it!"

[Jack Frost]

It was fun watching kicking the Swedes' ass once again.

[wildone]

Oh my gosh , I found this forum buried on page 10 of the lounge. All you so called hockey fans should be ashamed of yourselves .

 

So we are weeks away from the playoffs and things are really heating up (which isn't necessarily a good thing when you play on ice). It appears that there is several possibilities for match ups and a lot of great competition for the final eighth spot in both the East and West Conferences.

 

I must say that I am surprised that Montreal is fighting for their lives to retain the eighth spot in the east. After all, I do hold what Cynical, Jack, and Moonwolf as god honest truth . I guess I am surprised that Toronto had a better season than what I expected (mark my words, this is the closest you'll get a compliment from me for the Leafs ). And then there is Ottawa, what the hell happened to them this year ?

 

I have to admit that I find myself a fan without a team .

 

As you know I decided to boycott my Flames for a year until they got rid of a certain unnamed player, and decided to go for my backup team which is the Canucks. Unfortunately they screwed me and lost my support when they decided to take on a has been, washed up, over rated player from T.O. (see above note on my feeling of anything to do with the Leafs ). So, when the unnamed player of the Flames was out for an extended period of time I justified in my mind I could cheer for the Flames until the unnamed one returned. Well he is back and prior to tonight the Flames went two games without a goal and watched the lead as the division leader erode quickly (Note to Darryl Sutter: Isn't this a message to get rid of the bum???).

 

All my Flames jerseys, coats, shirts, and yes socks , are still safely buried in a drawer which hasn't been opened in a while. I guess in one way I'm hoping that you know who gets injured again before and during playoffs. (Does this make me an evil person ).

 

So what do you think about the upcoming playoffs? Will your team be playing in May? Who do you think will be in the final for the West and East? What surprises can you foresee coming this year?

 

Steve

[Mark Arbour]

I've had a hard time getting back into NHL Hockey after the strike, but I'm getting there. Watched our STL Blues squeak out a shootout win against Columbus tonight. We're fighting for eighth place too, with Edmonton in our sights. It was Tkachuk's 37th birthday today and he got a goal...good for him...but I'm more impressed by our young talent. If not this year, then next.

[Graeme]

Oh my gosh , I found this forum buried on page 10 of the lounge. All you so called hockey fans should be ashamed of yourselves .

I'm sorry, but I don't consider myself to be a hockey fan. My only knowledge of Ice Hockey (as distinct to Field Hockey, which is played Internationally by Australia) comes from an article that was an introduction to the Winter Olympic sports. The following quote is for Ice Hockey, though you really need to read the whole article to understand it properly:

ICE HOCKEY is an inexplicable outbreak of sport on the Winter Olympics program. It consists of two halves of free-form martial arts with small goal cages supplied for decoration. Amazingly, no Norwegians have yet to improve it by introducing rifles, but it is believed there's a chap called Gundersen working on it at the time of writing.

[Jack Frost]

I guess I am surprised that Toronto had a better season than what I expected (mark my words, this is the closest you'll get a compliment from me for the Leafs ).

That doesn't help. It's an insult that they're doing better than the Habs this year.

 

But that doesn't change the fact that they eh... suck.

 

After all, I do hold what Cynical, Jack, and Moonwolf as god honest truth

f**k you.

[Sir Galahad]

Umm, well, hockey is a total non event over here. I'm sure there are teams, but none that I've heard of!

[wildone]

f**k you.

 

Hey, I've seen fights start on the rink for things said of lesser aggression

[Mark Arbour]

Hey, I've seen fights start on the rink for things said of lesser aggression

 

I didn't see it as aggression, I saw it as an offer.

 

Blues won again today! We're officially in 8th place (for now), pushing Edmonton out of the last playoff position.