So the league expanded to make way for all these talented youngsters? Did not know that, talloola.
My neighbors are die-hard hockey fans and both loathe the shoot-out for the reasons stated by YJ. Never having seen one live, I cannot comment on their appeal personally.
The only people who drink too much at games these days are ones who leave a trail of cash falling out of their pockets. True fighting drunks don't have that kind of money.
Now that all makes perfect sense to me, YK. Thanks for answering the questions. Got another for you. Why don't they cut down the number of teams and eliminate the shoot-outs? From the little I do hear about the state of hockey, many teams are having a hard time making ends meet at the box office. One would think it a no-brainer to reduce the numbers.
I think one of the nicest things about Olympic hockey is that it was hockey, not thuggery and cheap shots.
140 players at the Olympics were NHL players. Think of how good NHL hockey could be, if the idiots/thugs/goons were left out.
The last time I went to GM place it was full of BMW-driving guys trying to impress their girlfriends. Not much drinking at all. The crowds are nothing like they used to be, from what I saw.hoards of young guys go to games in small groups, friends
gathering to have a good time, many of them drink too much,
talk too loud, spill beer on people, and generally make
asses of themselves, they are not necessarily drunks at all.
Drunks don't even go to games.
The last time I went to GM place it was full of BMW-driving guys trying to impress their girlfriends. Not much drinking at all. The crowds are nothing like they used to be, from what I saw.
Yeah, I've heard that GM place is very corporate,
but the very few times I was there, the beer drinkers
were there, you can hear them by the second period, but
you are right, not many.
The low cost of tickets to many u.s. games, must bring in the
party types, 4 tickets, 4 meals, $99.00, was an ad tonight on one
of those games.
The only people who drink too much at games these days are ones who leave a trail of cash falling out of their pockets. True fighting drunks don't have that kind of money.
The leage expanded, allowing more talented players to make
their way into the NHL, but didn't expand because of them,
it expanded because more and more owners wanted a piece of
the action.
that's where gary bettman comes into the picture, he is the
NHL commissioner, and wants to expand the NHL all over the
u.s., has made quite a few blunders, as there are teams
now losing millions each year, those teams don't have to
be cancelled, just moved to cities who do want teams, and
will fill up the buildings.
There are lots of players, enough for existing teams, and
the league is not watered down at all, talent wise. The
hockey is better now than it ever was.
The last time I went to GM place it was full of BMW-driving guys trying to impress their girlfriends. Not much drinking at all. The crowds are nothing like they used to be, from what I saw.
So you don't agree that de-commissioning some of the teams would help put an end to the fighting, talloola? If not, what will it take to bring the fighting to an end?
The fighting will come to an end when Bettman and the
Players Union get together and agree that it is not
good for the game, don't think that will happen, because
it still remains 'all' about profits at the games, and
they won't want to 'tinker' with that, might irritate the
fans who come because they love the fights, and they bring
money with them, and buy food and beer.
The 'talking' heads, who are owners and commissioner etc.,
want to make lots of money, nothing else really counts,
they are not really concerned with 'the good of the game'.
I guess the only way fighting will disappear, is if people
stop going to the games, (in big numbers) because they don't
like the fighting, then that will have an impact on the
'bottom' line, profits.
If that is the case, talloola and I don't doubt it, then I am glad there are Olympic and World hockey events for those of us who like to watch good clean hockey. Too bad those events are so few and far between.
Yes, that olympic tournament was so entertaining, I love it.
They do not allow fighting in international hockey, players
will be thrown out of game, simple, it's so easy, and when
the players know that, it is easy for them too.
Kreskin, I am interested in knowing how big those crowds you speak of are in size? How full was GM place?
The fighting will come to an end when Bettman and the
Players Union get together and agree that it is not
good for the game, don't think that will happen, because
it still remains 'all' about profits at the games, and
they won't want to 'tinker' with that, might irritate the
fans who come because they love the fights, and they bring
money with them, and buy food and beer.
Sorta but not quite.
Players don't want fighting to disappear because they still want the ability to exact justice on people who commit cheap shots and get away with them. Case in point is the infamous Moore-Bertuzzi incident: Moore head hunted Naslund in the previous meeting of the two teams and the Canucks as a group wanted revenge. Bertuzzi took this to an extreme level but if the league had been more responsible in its officiating, this incident might never have occured. The same theme echoes with other incidents in the NHL.
The league can facilitate this through improving the officiating and being harder on some offenses but until it does, the players are still going to fall back on this whole "frontier justice" mindset..