2025-2026 NHL Offseason

lukin2006

cdp1223 wrote:

lukin2006 wrote:

Who the hell wants to watch a sport when your stars are sidelined...not me. They are already open to lawsuits.

They don't even want to address the issue. But they probably spent hours upon hours debating realignment.

No wonder more people watch bowling than the NHL.

I just saw this post and I have no idea what your argument is here. If you are a fan of the sport, you'd watch it regardless of who is playing. Christ, as a Pens fan, I have seen the weirdest lineups ever over the last year and a half. But I love hockey and I love my team and their system. So I watch every game. Would I like it if everyone were healthy and the team was able to put together the lines Bylsma has designed? Hell yeah. But I'm not going to turn the channel just because the marquee players are out. Maybe that is just me. Not saying you're wrong if that's what you want to do, I just don't see it that way for any sport.

The argument is simple I'd rather watch Crosby than Steckle and others that generally are delivering these head shots.

And one of those is on your team...guaranteed he wouldn't be skating around the ice so big if the instigator rule was gone and someone like probert of kocur were there.

lukin2006

metsfan wrote:

lukin2006 wrote:

polaris_x wrote:

yeah ... it's up to the players to a) protect themselves (no more turning your back at the last second to draw a boarding penalty) and b) to respect other players ... you can take a guy out of the play without putting his life/livelihood at risk ...

having said that - there has to be a crackdown ... and every play is open to review by the nhl ...

The respect part is really key...I have felt for a long time the nhl players lack respect for one another. That's the big difference between the NHL and NFL, the NFL players for the most seem to respect 1 another, that's why when Suh stomped on that guy there was such a negative reaction.

Hockey a rough enough sport without the need for head shots and hitting a guy from behind.

players haven't had respect for each other since helments were mandatory and the instigator rule. the refs shouldn't police the players, the players should police themselves.

i don't wanna see headshots banned and this be like college hockey, but something needs to be done

Agree about the instigator rule...

polaris_x

lukin2006 wrote:

polaris_x wrote:

btw - headshots are already banned and that's a good thing ...

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2 ... -tues.html

Unless something has changed since March and I know Crosby was calling for a ban in September.

shit ... my bad ... i could have sworn shanny talking about a suspension where he mentions the player was targeting the head ... ????

polaris_x

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98mHbrwbLuA

damm ... backstrom gets undressed on the ice ...

Indifference71

polaris_x wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98mHbrwbLuA

damm ... backstrom gets undressed on the ice ...

That was a sick SO goal. Kaner's hands are so fast.

polaris_x

Indifference71 wrote:

polaris_x wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98mHbrwbLuA

damm ... backstrom gets undressed on the ice ...

That was a sick SO goal. Kaner's hands are so fast.

the slickest part was that you can tell definitively that he was moving forward the entire time ... unlike briere's goal ...

kenshunt

Canadiens fire Jacques Martin

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=6068 ... L|NHL|home

They are only 2 points out of 8th lol thats how close the East is.

polaris_x

how did bourque only get 5 games for that hit?

that's the shit that really needs to be taken out of the game right now ...

lukin2006

NHL delays realignment plan

ESPN.com news services

NEW YORK -- The NHL said Friday that it won't go forward with its realignment plan and modified playoff format next season after the players' association refused to agree to the changes.

The changes were recently approved by the NHL's board of governors. The league said it will maintain its current alignment and playoff format next season.

"It is unfortunate that the NHLPA has unreasonably refused to approve a plan that an overwhelming majority of our clubs voted to support, and that has received such widespread support from our fans and other members of the hockey community, including players," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said.

"We have now spent the better part of four weeks attempting to satisfy the NHLPA's purported concerns with the plan with no success. Because we have already been forced to delay and, as a result, are already late in beginning the process of preparing next season's schedule, we have no choice but to abandon our intention to implement the realignment plan and modified playoff format for next season.

"We believe the union acted unreasonably in violation of the league's rights. We intend to evaluate all of our available legal options and to pursue adequate remedies, as appropriate."

Daly told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun the league got the final "thumbs down" from the NHLPA Friday.

An NHLPA source told ESPN The Magazine's Craig Custance last week that increased travel was a concern for the union.

"We're gathering travel data," the source said last week. "It's a process. We want to make sure we do our due diligence."

Jason P

goddamn it. just a bunch of union bullshit.

I wrote the NHLPA and thanked them for lying to us on why they didn't approve the deal. The players are making thousands of dollars per game and they cite increased travel as why the didn't approve it? Poor babies. I know after watching Rangers / Flyers 24-7 how bad they have it. I mean having your own row on a private luxury jet ... what an injustice! Why can't each player have their own plane? And having your BMW warmed up and waiting for you on the runway at a private airport when you land? Oh, the humanity!

We might as well get braced for the impending lockout on the horizon if this is the mentality the NHLPA has.

Bathgate66

its very simple really.

just take the southeasternmost team and
put them in the southeast division.

lukin2006

Jason P wrote:

goddamn it. just a bunch of union bullshit.

I wrote the NHLPA and thanked them for lying to us on why they didn't approve the deal. The players are making thousands of dollars per game and they cite increased travel as why the didn't approve it? Poor babies. I know after watching Rangers / Flyers 24-7 how bad they have it. I mean having your own row on a private luxury jet ... what an injustice! Why can't each player have their own plane? And having your BMW warmed up and waiting for you on the runway at a private airport when you land? Oh, the humanity!

We might as well get braced for the impending lockout on the horizon if this is the mentality the NHLPA has.

I've said that for years...it's not like these babies are riding coach .

lukin2006

Bathgate66 wrote:

its very simple really.

just take the southeasternmost team and
put them in the southeast division.

It's never that easy...they are trying to reduce travel cost for some teams ie Detroit, Columbus etc..

lukin2006

I personally think this is the first shot fired in what could be long labor negotiations.

jimed14

Safe to say the Bruins have not forgot Alex Burrows biting incident, Shawn Thornton certainly didn't.

... and Nathan Horton had some pent up anger to let out as well.

mmm, morning hockey fights ... go well with my coffee.

polaris_x

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/goon/trailers/

hahahaha

Indifference71

Sharp out 3-4 weeks for the Blackhawks. Big blow with the team struggling the past 7-10 days...

polaris_x

on a not funny note ... what to do with all the concussions? ... nearly every team has a guy down ... as they become more serious about holding back players with symptoms - that number is only gonna rise ... some of it is the lack of respect some players have for others but some of it is just the speed of the game and how much bigger and stronger players are these days ...

Jason P

polaris_x wrote:

on a not funny note ... what to do with all the concussions? ... nearly every team has a guy down ... as they become more serious about holding back players with symptoms - that number is only gonna rise ... some of it is the lack of respect some players have for others but some of it is just the speed of the game and how much bigger and stronger players are these days ...

I'm starting to agree with Toronto's GM that we need to get rid of the instigator penalty and reintroduce goons to the NHL. People will be less inclined to smash someone into the boards if someone like Stu Grimson is on the other bench. It's kind of weird to use violence as a means to stop violence, but it does have merit since the players are not policing their own individual actions.

Also, reduce the size of the pads. Again, it sounds counter-intuitive, but guys have become reckless and fearless because they are wearing body armor that protects them and can be used as a weapon against someone unsuspecting.

polaris_x

Jason P wrote:

I'm starting to agree with Toronto's GM that we need to get rid of the instigator penalty and reintroduce goons to the NHL. People will be less inclined to smash someone into the boards if someone like Stu Grimson is on the other bench. It's kind of weird to use violence as a means to stop violence, but it does have merit since the players are not policing their own individual actions.

Also, reduce the size of the pads. Again, it sounds counter-intuitive, but guys have become reckless and fearless because they are wearing body armor that protects them and can be used as a weapon against someone unsuspecting.

yeah ... i'm torn on that in that fighting and the role of the goon has other implications ... i would personally like to start with giving guys like bourque a 50 game suspension ... it's plays like that that need to be taken out of the game ... and 5 games isn't going to do it ...