The Official NHL 2006-2007 Season Thread

[Mal Brossard]

yeah it is, where are all the NHL fans

We all disappeared once the Bettmanist regime ushered in the "New NHL."

Is it baseball season yet?

Post-lock-out NHL is way better than before, even if Bettman is a prick.

You're kidding me, right?  Half-full buildings everywhere, TV ratings in free-fall, passionless players who can't (and won't even try to) stand up for themselves anymore lest the book be thrown at them by the officials.  Yeah, the post-lockout NHL is so much better than it's ever been.  I haven't watched a single game yet this season.

And before you go saying attendance is actually up, so at least more tickets are being bought even if people don't show up, no, not exactly.  The NHL counts attendance as tickets distributed.  In other words, a team doesn't even have to sell a single ticket for a game to be a sellout.  All they have to do is make sure every ticket gets given out in some way.  It's amazing to see the lengths this league will go to in order to bullshit itself.

http://www.hockeyfansunite.com

[Communist China]

Oh, sorry, I forgot how fights and bullying are more important than goals.

[Mal Brossard]

So you'd rather see a game where the only way you can stand up for yourself is by giving a spear to a guy's nuts?  Well, then again, that would make Danny Briere into the league's most feared power forward.

The game was fine as recently as 10 or 15 years ago.  Why all the radical changes that have made it unwatchable?  Do you really think that "fights and bullying" were that much of a problem that we now have to be subjected to watching a 60-minute power play?  Fact is people like the fights.  They like checking and physical play.  You want high scoring end-to-end action where no one can hit each other?  Go watch European hockey.  Or maybe even a basketball game, since that's the only sport Bettman knows a damn thing about.

I'd rather sit and watch a tight-checking, hard hitting 2-1 game than some 8-6 monstrosity with 80 minutes in penalties, all from pointlessly-called minors for interference when a defenseman is just trying to clear the crease, or hooking when all a guy does is lift his stick and wave it near someone.

All that needs to be done to counter any argument about how much "better" the game has gotten is to point out attendance and TV ratings.  The only people who seem to like the game as it is now are the ones who all think the NHL All-Star Game is the epitome of good hockey, or that if only the NHL completely eliminated that pointless fighting, we would have hockey as good as what we see in the Olympics.  AKA, the clueless.

I actually saw a couple guys deliver some shoves a week or so ago (Mair and Komisarek, to be exact).  They looked at each other... and exchanged apologies.  Are you kidding me?  What the hell happened to the game?

What used to make this game great was that the star players could put up some great numbers and play well in a tough environment.  And now, the environment is catering to them instead of them having to suck it up and play through it.

But hey, what the hell do I know?  Apparently I'm just a bloodthirsty fight fan who only likes "fights and bullying."  Get a clue.  And here's some more reading material while we're at it.

http://thefourthperiod.com/columnists/wyshynski.html

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12242006/sports/give_us_back_our_old_game_sports_larry_brooks.htm

http://www.startribune.com/1330/story/864211.html

[Communist China]

Well, fine that's your opinon and the opinon of some others, but I like it more now than ever before in my lifetime so dont shit on it for those of us that still love watching hockey.

[Mama Kin]

"Fighting isn't violence in hockey. It might be in bowling or tennis, but not hockey"

I can't recall who said this, Bill Barber, I believe.

It was Gary Cheevers; Cheesie.....not Babrber.

[Mal Brossard]

Well, fine that's your opinon and the opinon of some others, but I like it more now than ever before in my lifetime so dont shit on it for those of us that still love watching hockey.

And that's the problem, it's not hockey anymore.  I don't know what this is, but it sure ain't the hockey I once knew.

[RJ1221]

yeah it is, where are all the NHL fans

We all disappeared once the Bettmanist regime ushered in the "New NHL."

Is it baseball season yet?

Post-lock-out NHL is way better than before, even if Bettman is a prick.

You're kidding me, right?? Half-full buildings everywhere, TV ratings in free-fall, passionless players who can't (and won't even try to) stand up for themselves anymore lest the book be thrown at them by the officials.? Yeah, the post-lockout NHL is so much better than it's ever been.? I haven't watched a single game yet this season.

And before you go saying attendance is actually up, so at least more tickets are being bought even if people don't show up, no, not exactly.? The NHL counts attendance as tickets distributed.? In other words, a team doesn't even have to sell a single ticket for a game to be a sellout.? All they have to do is make sure every ticket gets given out in some way.? It's amazing to see the lengths this league will go to in order to bullshit itself.

http://www.hockeyfansunite.com

couldnt agree more

Bettmen ruined the league

i used to be able to watch any team play, now i cant even make it through a single game

[Communist China]

A clip for those that say the Sabres don't have any guts to fight. Afinogenov throws Williams around a little a few nights ago.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0g52-kW5GWc

[sandman]

hockey's problems have nothing to do with the lack of fighting. nothing at all.

[Mal Brossard]

hockey's problems have nothing to do with the lack of fighting. nothing at all.

That contributes to the problems, but the problems are much bigger than just the instigator rule.

As an aside, am I the only one disgusted by the fact that a cross-check by Colton Orr gets 5 games just because it's on Ovechkin, but a total sucker punch by Brashear on a nobody only gets one game?  Fuck you, "Colon Cowboy" Campbell.

[Malcolm]

Great Leafs game tonight against Boston....5-1 Leafs rigth now with 6 minutes left in the 3rd....I dont know whythey cant playlike this more consistently...All 4 lines firing,everyone contributing,would be one of the best teams in theleague if they could be more consistent...Gotta love Tucker to....got thrown intop the boards in the corner 3 times and just keeps going back

[Malcolm]

The Ottawa Senators have acquired forward Mike Comrie from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for center Alexei Kaigorodov.

Comrie has seven goals and 13 assists in 24 games this season. He missed 14 games earlier this season with a fractured right foot. Since returning, he has recorded nine points in his last 11 games.

The 26-year-old Comrie is earning $3 million US this season and will be an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Kaigorodov, a second round pick of the Senators in 2002, was signed to a two year deal back in September and appeared in just six games for Ottawa this season, collecting one assist. He was suspended in November for refusing an assignment to Binghampton of the AHL.

The trade comes a day after the Senators lost forward Petr Nedved to the Edmonton Oilers on waivers. With top two centres Jason Spezza and Mike Fisher out with knee injuries, Senators GM John Muckler has been working the phones over the past few days trying to find some help.

[Neemo]

the yzerman retirement ceremony was awesome last night....what a great send off to one of the greatest players ever....and still didnt want to take credit for how awesome he was....thanked all the fans for making him a great player and the redwings a great team...classy till the end

cheers to Stevy-Y? , he led the wings from chumps to 3-time champs and now has his number in the rafters with Terry Sawchuck,Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio, Sid Abel and Ted Lidsay...that is some awesome company...





if not for lemieux and gretzky he woulda been #1...not bad to be behind those 2 for 3rd greatest player of an era. and one of the few franchise players left...23 years with one team, that is insane in this day and age

just Modano and Sakic left of those days i think 

[Malcolm]

Ya congrats to Steve...

How bout Phoniex lately eh?Tearing it up...I knew it could only be a matter of time, they have a pretty decent team that will continue tom get better I belive and there goaltending has been the reason there where they are

[Communist China]

Sean Burke is back in the NHL. Wow.

[Neemo]

anybody else find the skilss competition broing last night?

i dunno its not as exciting as it used to be for me

[Malcolm]

I agree it was pretty boring, same as the Youngstars game, no effort,seemed very blah....hopefully the actual game is more exciting

[Mal Brossard]

Wow, four days with no real hockey.

And I gotta say, despite being a once die hard fan, I really didn't miss it.  This league needs to get its shit together, and fast.

[Malcolm]

Flames acquire Conroy from Kings

Craig Conroy is heading back to Calgary.

The Flames acquired Conroy from the Los Angeles Kings on Monday in exchange for Jamie Lundmark, a fourth-round draft choice in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and a second-round draft choice in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Conroy returns to Calgary where he played in four seasons between 2001 and 2004. He was a member of the Flames' Western Conference championship team during the 2003-04 season and captained the club during the 2002-03 campaign. In 237 regular season games with the Flames he recorded 188 points with 60 goals and 128 assists. During the 03-04 playoffs he added another 17 points including 6 goals in 26 games.

"I don't think it was any secret that Calgary was interested but it was really about timing and finding a fit," said Kings GM Dean Lombardi. "There was certainly interest from other teams but I think this was the best deal for us.

[Malcolm]

5 Shutouts in the NHL last night....And nice to see the Leafs riding a 4 game win streak with a huge win over Ottawa last night