A.J. Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 I really don't care about the details of the agreement to end the NHL lockout. All I care about is getting NHL hockey back on my TV. Looks like plans are for a 48-game schedule. http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/2013/01/07/nhl-lockout-over-owners-players-reach-agreement/bR0jWsqghRPAG9Mdlp3FbP/story.html 1
alexj86 Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 Happy to have it back as well A.J., crappy local team or not. We get a bit overwhelmed with college football here; the bureaucracy and inconsistency of the NCAA makes Bettman and the process surrounding the lockout not seem so bad.
FrenchCanadian Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 Yay, so we can all go back at teasing the eternals loser, the Toronto Maple leafs
Mark Arbour Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 Isn't it ironic that the agreement ending the NHL lockout was reached at 4:20?
BlueSoxSWJ Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 24 regular season games, full playoffs, and $1500 back? Better than I was expecting, I guess.
TetRefine Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 24 regular season games, full playoffs, and $1500 back? Better than I was expecting, I guess. Do you have season tickets?
A.J. Posted January 8, 2013 Author Posted January 8, 2013 I didn't know anyone cared about hockey...lol Only the cool guys... 2
SilverNitro Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 About time! Looks like it's going to be a 48-games season. I'm curious to see what the schedule is like, though it seems like it's gonna be mostly divisional games. Go Sabres! Super excited to see hockey back!
TetRefine Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 (edited) The NHL will never amount to much on the national stage until it gets ESPN to start caring about hockey again. Back in the pre-2004 lockout when ESPN used to broadcast games, the NHL was pretty popular (although still easily in fourth place). When ESPN dropped them after the '04 lockout, and SportsCenter stopped airing anything about the NHL, its popularity plummeted again. For a while, the only nationally televised games were on Versus, which wasn't even a basic cable channel. I don't know if it is now since its changed to 'NBC Sports'. Until you get the monopolized ESPN to care about hockey, it will continue to be a bottom dweller sport in terms of popularity. Edited January 8, 2013 by TetRefine
BlueSoxSWJ Posted January 9, 2013 Posted January 9, 2013 The deal with NBC is a long one (10 years, iirc), but the good news for the NHL in the NBC deal is that it puts a game on NBC every Sunday after the NFL ends, and every playoff game gets nationally televised, even if some of them are stuck on CNBC. HDTV has also done wonders for the watchability of televised hockey.
TetRefine Posted January 9, 2013 Posted January 9, 2013 The deal with NBC is a long one (10 years, iirc), but the good news for the NHL in the NBC deal is that it puts a game on NBC every Sunday after the NFL ends, and every playoff game gets nationally televised, even if some of them are stuck on CNBC. HDTV has also done wonders for the watchability of televised hockey. Thats true, but that is only one game a week. Take baseball for example. ESPN airs games on Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday nights. Fox and TBS also airs games on weekend afternoons in the summer. So thats at least 5 nationally televised games a week, all on major channels. The NBA gets the same treatment. The NHL is stuck with one game a week on Sunday afternoons, and it doesn't even start until the NFL is over, more then half way through the season. Also, having some playoff games stuck on a business channel where people won't even know its on isn't good for business either. The problem is, ESPN no longer has a financial stake in the NHL, so they completely ignore it in their SportsCenter coverage, which also hurts its popularity. During the winter, SportsCenter is 95% NBA, and the ending couple minutes will include one or two hockey highlights. It gets about as much coverage as soccer does. That I think is the major problem.
SilverNitro Posted January 15, 2013 Posted January 15, 2013 Can't wait to see the Sabres play this weekend. So glad hockey is back! ANy chance anybody else here follows the Sabres?
Rakuten06 Posted January 16, 2013 Posted January 16, 2013 Can't wait to see the Sabres play this weekend. So glad hockey is back! ANy chance anybody else here follows the Sabres? Boo Buffalo Teams (including Toronto Bills ) It's about time! Montreal for the 25th time!!!
BlueSoxSWJ Posted January 17, 2013 Posted January 17, 2013 Boo Buffalo Teams (including Toronto Bills ) It's about time! Montreal for the 25th time!!! Oops, how'd that pic get into my post? 1
Site Administrator wildone Posted January 17, 2013 Site Administrator Posted January 17, 2013 Well, I'm usually a humble person myself, but I do have to take A LOT of credit for the ending of the NHL lockout.... I wrote both the NHL and the NHLPA and told them about the risk of the Annual GA Hockey Pool being cancelled this year due to the lockout. I explained that the tens of fans here would be devastated if the pool didn't happen. Before even the media knew, Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr both personally called me to let me know that our pool was the driving force for the two sides to finally hammer out the final agreement. 1
FrenchCanadian Posted January 19, 2013 Posted January 19, 2013 Oops, how'd that pic get into my post? I do remember, not that long ago the Habs winning the 8 games of the season against Boston... Just sayin' You'll notice how I took out the pic out of my reply too Boo Buffalo Teams (including Toronto Bills ) It's about time! Montreal for the 25th time!!! I won't predict a 25th for Montreal, at this time... But, once in playoff anything can happen!
Rakuten06 Posted January 20, 2013 Posted January 20, 2013 I can safely say this... I will attend an NHL game this Thursday!!! just bought my ticket to see Montreal Canadiens plays Washington Capitals at Verizon Center... six rows away from center ice!
FrenchCanadian Posted January 20, 2013 Posted January 20, 2013 So we will see you on TV with a Habs jersey I hope
BlueSoxSWJ Posted January 20, 2013 Posted January 20, 2013 It's a true hockey miracle: It's January 20th, and the Maple Leafs are undefeated! 1
Rakuten06 Posted January 21, 2013 Posted January 21, 2013 (edited) Ehh... Montreal lost 2-1, but it's a good match... Michel Therrien is back where he should be... back with the Canadiens Also, I watched the opening ceremony... I have to say that it's a battle between Lars Eller, the Dane, and Alex Galchenyuk, the rookie, for the hottest Hab! What a handsome face... I think I will like having him on our team hopefully for a long time! and he can speak Russian, Italian, and English fluently Edited January 21, 2013 by Rakuten06
SilverNitro Posted January 21, 2013 Posted January 21, 2013 Sexiest rookie goes to Marcus Foligno anyway!
BlueSoxSWJ Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 Fun with small sample sizes: If the season ended today, Toronto and Columbus would make the playoffs; the Capitals, Rangers, Flyers, Red Wings, Canucks, Coyotes, and Kings would all miss. In all seriousness, get ready for some flukes this year, but probably mostly on the individual stats level - last year, 15 of the 16 eventually playoff teams were in playoff position after 48 games.
Site Administrator wildone Posted January 23, 2013 Site Administrator Posted January 23, 2013 Sadly after two games I'm using the 'rebuilding year' excuse for my Flames
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