NHL and other ice hockey discussion

[Godfather]

Also 90 zippers is no joke! I'm sure they're tiny plastic surgeon stitches not the big knarly grandma stitches we had as kids, but still...

[DemonGeminiX]

:-s

The Flyers have been kicking ass as of late. What's gotten into them?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

When did the Red Wings get so awful? :huh: Worst record in the NHL by a long shot and their goal differential is hideous. It's more than twice as bad as the next "worst" team.

[DemonGeminiX]

When did the Red Wings get so awful? :huh: Worst record in the NHL by a long shot and their goal differential is hideous. It's more than twice as bad as the next "worst" team.

They're still mourning getting kicked out of the Western Conference.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Montreal Canadiens great and Hall of Famer Henri Richard passed away today at 84 :rip:

[Godfather]

When did the Red Wings get so awful? :huh: Worst record in the NHL by a long shot and their goal differential is hideous. It's more than twice as bad as the next "worst" team.

The devil came to collect on their streak of 25 seasons of playoffs in a row :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Larry Walker is gonna be the Avalanche's EBUG on Saturday :lol:

[DemonGeminiX]

:-k

The ex-baseball player? Isn't he in his 50s?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yeah, he's 53, but he's also played hockey before. And it's not like he'd be skating up and down the ice.

[Godfather]

Larry Walker is gonna be the Avalanche's EBUG on Saturday :lol:

I heard an argument this week that the NHL hates this because it makes their league look amateur, and the attention the EBUG brings they feel is sort of 'laughing at us, not with us.'

Thoughts? :-k

As a life long hockey fan I don't see it that way, I know that being a pro hockey player is as hard as any sport, the jump from semi-pro to the NHL is just massive and the EBUG stuff is a rare sideshow.... but the NHL is already the little cousin of the NBA/MLB/NFL in a lot of the US where they want to grow the game the most. I guess I can see how this might be construed as looking unprofessional if you're an outsider.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I don't think it's amateur. It's such a rare occurrence to begin with, so that's why it gets so much press when it happens. And it's not like it's just Joe Six-Pack sitting in the stands that gets to play if needed. They are at least people that have hockey playing experience. And the only way that they could get around this is to expand the roster and allow teams to carry 3 goaltenders, which I don't think they want to do either. Just embrace it, the fans and the media loves it.

As far as being the little brother to the other major North American sports leagues, it just is what it is. I mean, hockey is a regional kind of thing. If you grow up in Arizona or Mississippi or New Mexico, you don't dream of being an NHL player, although I am sure there are some exceptions. I grew up in New England, so hockey was HUGE, just like it is in a lot of the northern US, but it's just hard to break into the southern market. Not to mention the fact that even in NHL barns, when the Stanley Cup playoffs get into late spring/summer, the ice even sucks in those places. So there aren't a lot of places where people can go see/play hockey in those kinds of places. Even here in Colorado, which is a winter state, there are not many hockey arenas here at all. FFS I grew up in a small town in Vermont and our high school had their own hockey arena for a high school (grades 7 thru 12) of 1200 students. Most division I high schools in Vermont had their own arenas. Whereas with the other sports (baseball, football, and basketball....and even soccer) you can play almost anywhere at anytime and with minimal equipment. Unfortunately, hockey is a sport for people that are more well off when it comes to equipment costs.

[Godfather]

I don't think it's amateur. It's such a rare occurrence to begin with, so that's why it gets so much press when it happens. And it's not like it's just Joe Six-Pack sitting in the stands that gets to play if needed. They are at least people that have hockey playing experience. And the only way that they could get around this is to expand the roster and allow teams to carry 3 goaltenders, which I don't think they want to do either. Just embrace it, the fans and the media loves it.

As far as being the little brother to the other major North American sports leagues, it just is what it is. I mean, hockey is a regional kind of thing. If you grow up in Arizona or Mississippi or New Mexico, you don't dream of being an NHL player, although I am sure there are some exceptions. I grew up in New England, so hockey was HUGE, just like it is in a lot of the northern US, but it's just hard to break into the southern market. Not to mention the fact that even in NHL barns, when the Stanley Cup playoffs get into late spring/summer, the ice even sucks in those places. So there aren't a lot of places where people can go see/play hockey in those kinds of places. Even here in Colorado, which is a winter state, there are not many hockey arenas here at all. FFS I grew up in a small town in Vermont and our high school had their own hockey arena for a high school (grades 7 thru 12) of 1200 students. Most division I high schools in Vermont had their own arenas. Whereas with the other sports (baseball, football, and basketball....and even soccer) you can play almost anywhere at anytime and with minimal equipment. Unfortunately, hockey is a sport for people that are more well off when it comes to equipment costs.

Totally fair.

RE: Arizona, I think it's really cool that now after a generation of hockey players have lived there and raised families, we're starting to see NHL'ers out of those places. Arizona produced Austin Matthews and the Tkachuk brothers partly because Keith stuck around after playing and helped build out their youth hockey programs. Same in Flordia, Jacob Chychrun is a fantastic young NHL'er who grew up there under the wing of some retired vets who made their home there. It would be really cool to see hockey take off in some new markets, but like you said there are major hurdles still.

[Godfather]

NHL is being suspended tomorrow, I'm calling it. With all the news, the NBA, the fact they share facilities... it's donezo tomorrow. Going to hurt if I'm right, this quarantine we're about to live through will be that much less enjoyable without sports.

[Godfather]

NHL is suspended. I'm not crying, you're crying.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

It's a plot against the Bruins [-(

[Godfather]

It's a plot against the Bruins [-(

Hey screw you, if they go straight into playoffs we miss by a fucking OT loss :lol: Meanwhile you guys get to thump Columbus. :P

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:hand:

If they don't resume the season, then they should just award the Bruins the Cup :tup:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/zjtEtR0l.jpg

[Godfather]

The CHL (the body of the 3 highest level major-junior leagues in Canada that a ton of NHL drafts come from) has cancelled playoffs and the Memorial Cup. Sad for the older kids in the league, and will probably change the careers of some of them, but not surprising.

Wonder how long the NHL will hold out before deciding what to do...

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Shalise Manza Young, Yahoo Sports Columnist - Yahoo Sports


https://i.imgur.com/75Dmpxp.jpg
Boston Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs

Not long after NBA commissioner Adam Silver decided to hit pause on the league for the foreseeable future due to coronavirus concerns, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he would make sure game-day employees were taken care of financially.

In the days since, professional athletes, many of whom are often told to “stick to sports,” have donated money from their own pockets to help those same type of hourly wage workers, or they’ve donated money for meals to make sure children in the cities they play in are able to eat despite not going to school. For far too many children, school is the one place they know they’ll be able to get a meal each day.

With the pace of news, each day feels far longer and things that happened less than two weeks ago seem like they happened months ago.

But while many in the sports world have offered to go above and beyond to help their fellow citizens, the Jacobs family was largely silent.

Helmed by 80-year-old patriarch Jeremy Jacobs, the Jacobs family owns two Boston icons: the Boston Bruins and their home, TD Garden. Jeremy Jacobs has owned the “Original Six” Bruins for well over 40 years, and the beloved team he bought for $10 million in 1975 is now valued at $1 billion.

That’s a nice return.

The family also owns and operates Delaware North, the company responsible for food services in over 40 American sports stadiums and arenas. That includes, of course, TD Garden.

Delaware North is valued at $3.2 billion. Jeremy Jacobs’ personal net worth is about the same.

And yet it took until Saturday, after the 30 other NHL teams had promised aid to in-stadium workers who will be profoundly impacted by their loss of income, after the Massachusetts attorney general had pleaded with them — twice! — for them to step up and do the absolute least.

On Saturday morning, the Garden’s Twitter feed posted this:


“The Jacobs Family has established a $1.5 million fund for the Boston Bruins and TD Garden part-time gameday associates who will be financially burdened if the six remaining regular season Bruins games are not played. We thank our associates for their patience and understanding while we worked through the complexity of this unprecedented situation.”

Read that statement carefully and note the word “if.” It’s not often a two-letter word does so much.

If the last six regular-season games aren’t played? If? That decision could be weeks away, and the majority of those workers are hurting now; last week the Massachusetts system that handles unemployment claims was swamped with an “unprecedented” number of calls.

In-arena game-day employees are the face of your experience at the Garden, from the ticket scanners to those pouring your (massively overpriced) beer to those taking care of you in a hospitality suite. Even if the Bruins or the Garden’s other major tenant, the Boston Celtics, win their game the night you visit, poor service from an arena worker can sully your experience.

Notice as well that there’s no mention of those same workers who also keep the arena humming for Celtics games, of which there are nine home contests still unplayed.

The Bruins’ announcement did little to assuage the frustrations of those Garden employees.

“I just am so embarrassed about this because I didn’t even find out from [Delaware North], I found out through a text group from work,” a Garden employee told the Boston Herald. “Most of us work at TD Garden full time, which means every concert, every Celtics game, and every Bruins game, and it’s embarrassing that we might get paid for only six events if and only if they get canceled.”

Where are the Celtics in this? Wyc Grousbeck and the rest of the team’s ownership group were quick to say that they would take care of their game-day staff, but so far have said nothing about Garden employees. They’re tenants, but there’s seemingly no reason they can’t offer to help pay the employees who staff the Garden for their games, as the Los Angeles Kings, Lakers and Clippers are doing for staff at the Staples Center.

It’s wonderful that a 13-year-old Bruins fan and his family started a GoFundMe for those arena employees, a fund that Bruins players have contributed to, but it’s also shameful that they felt they needed to do so after the Jacobses and Celtics ownership didn’t step up right away.

For six-plus months out of the year, Bruins and Celtics fans pour into the Garden. Many are season-ticket holders, some can only afford one or two games a year. Many more may make their first pilgrimage to the arena, their Christmas stocking containing a dream gift, their family maybe setting aside money for weeks or months to make it happen.

Those fans have supported the Bruins and Celtics for generations.

Those fans deserve better than ownership groups that would not step up in an unprecedented time to help those that do their best to make sure every Garden event runs smoothly.

[DemonGeminiX]

Wow, what a cocksucker.

[Godfather]

I don't hate billionaires like some of the real left leaners do, but come on. You're worth billions, how much does it cost to pay people for the 3-4 hours they'd work at minimum wage a few nights a week?! Pathetic.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

by Pete Blackburn - CBS Sports


https://i.imgur.com/XnptHLD.jpg

We've got plenty of time on our hands as the NHL season remains in limbo amid the COVID-19 outbreak, so why don't we use this team to brainstorm some ideas on how to "fix" the league? We love hockey and (sometimes) the NHL but we can probably all agree that it's not perfect.

What changes can we make to make things a little better? I've got some ideas.

3-2-1 points system

The Problem: Under the NHL's current point system, teams get two points in the standings for a win of any kind, while an overtime loss earns a team one point and a regulation loss results in zero. This format aims for parity and, for the most part, it has seemingly done its job. With about a dozen regular season games remaining, only one team in the league has been mathematically eliminated and there are a handful of teams in each conference vying for the final two Wild Card spots. The league was poised for some really interesting races down the home stretch.

But that being said, not all parity is good parity, and the current system just doesn't properly reward teams in a way that makes sense. Why should an overtime loss count as half a regulation win? Simply keeping a game close is worth that much in the standings? Call me crazy, but a team that loses 10 straight games in overtime shouldn't get the same amount of credit as a team that goes 5-5-0 over a 10-game stretch. There's just not enough room to separate good teams that win in regulation consistently.

The Solution: It's an easy one: A 3-2-1 points system. Teams that win in regulation should earn three points, while an overtime win earns two, an overtime loss earns one and a regulation loss earns zero.

With this system, teams are actually incentivized to try and win in regulation. Currently, there's no real downside to letting a game go to OT -- teams are willing to pack it in and play conservative at the end of regulation in a tie game because they'll both be guaranteed a point if it gets to the extra frame, and they won't be docked at all if they come out on the winning side. With the threat of losing a point, you'd see teams play more aggressive towards the end of regulation and that would open up the possibility of more exciting finishes to games around the league.

Ten-minute overtime followed by modified shootout

The problem: Three-on-three overtime is one of the best things that the NHL has going while the shootout is one of the worst. Even if you believe that 3v3 is somewhat of a gimmick and not a true representation of a team's overall hockey ability, you have to admit that it's often an insanely entertaining thrill ride that's impossible to look away from. And you also have to admit it's less of a gimmick than the shootout, which is a glorified skills competition that somehow has too many rules (no spin-o-ramas) and not enough rules (the speed at which players can approach).

There's no bigger buzzkill than when a riveting three-on-three OT leads to a shootout. It's like getting off a roller coaster at a theme park and going straight to wait in line for the bathroom. And while the number of shootouts has dipped since the league switched from 4v4 overtime to 3v3 in 2015, it's still too high if you ask me.

The solution: Just increase the length of three-on-three overtime to further minimize the number of games that ultimately make it to a shootout. If you bump OT from five minutes to 10 minutes, you get more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff. But if some games are going to still make it to the shootout, why don't we attempt to fix that too while we're at it?

There haven't been many memorable shootouts in recent memory -- at least not at the NHL level. Think about the last great shootout you remember. What was it? Let me guess, it was this one:

Yeah, thought so. Jocelyne Nicole Lamoureux-Davidson's game winner in the 2018 Winter Olympics of course comes to mind as well, but she only shot twice in that shootout. Oshie was sent to the ice SIX times, and scored on four of them. That's the chaos I'm going for with this.

NHL shootouts would be a lot more interesting if they took the international rules and allowed the best players to take multiple attempts, notably like Oshie did in the clip above. You'd likely have more goals, more highlights and the potential for epic player-vs-player showdowns to remember. Imagine an Oilers-Avalanche game goes to OT and still can't find a winner. Are you bummed, or are you excited about the possibility of seeing Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon square off in a back-and-forth breakaway showdown? Even if the NHL made three different different skaters take attempts before getting to use a repeat shooter it would be an improvement from the current state of things.

Scheduling and playoff seeding

The Problem: In 2008, the league switched away from a scheduling format that saw teams play 32 inter-divisional games, 72 within the conference and only 10 out of conference. Now, every team plays 29 games within their division (4-5 games per opponent), 21 games within the conference (3 games per non-divisional opponent) and 32 out of conference games (2 games per opponent). The reason for the switch was to limit divisional/conference play and allow for the inclusion/promotion of all 30 (now 31) teams across the league.

That may be part of the reason the league changed its playoff format in 2013 to put an emphasis on divisional rivalries. Instead of using a straight-up 1-8 seeding format, each conference is broken up into two separate divisional brackets. While each division winner draws a Wild Card, the two- and three-seeds in each division automatically match up against one another in the first round.

The most glaring issue with all of this is that a strong division forces good, successful teams into tougher and more unfair first-round matchups than they deserve. Take last year's Atlantic division, which featured three of the best teams in the entire NHL. The Toronto Maple Leafs finished last season with 100 points (tied for 7th-most in the league), making them the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference. But because the Bruins (107 points, T-2nd in the league) finished behind a historically good Lightning team in the Atlantic, the Leafs had the unfortunate luck of drawing Boston in the first round as Atlantic 2 vs. Atlantic 3. And Toronto lost in seven games... again.

The Solution: The league should attempt to place a little more emphasis on divisional rivalries during the regular season by finding a medium between the old schedule format and the current one. It doesn't seem necessary for teams to play 32 out of conference games every year, so cut that number in half and have teams face each out of conference foe once per season, with home games alternating each year. That way, every team sees all 30 teams at least once per season but divisional and conference games, which typically bring more intrigue, have more shine.

With divisional/conference rivalries getting more weight in the regular season, go back to a traditional 1-8 seeding format in the playoffs and let the postseason rivalry matchups happen naturally without trying to force them in the early rounds. And if we want to get really bold here, I like the idea of completely re-seeding the playoff picture before the third round, having the final four teams seeded based on their regular season records. This would essentially eliminate "conference finals" and sometimes make it hard to crown a conference champion, but it would open up the possibility for divisional/conference foes meeting in the Stanley Cup Final. There's no better way to beef up a rivalry than letting two teams play a best-of-seven for the Cup.

Offside reviews

The Problem: Offside reviews have become one of the most infuriating aspects of the new NHL. Since replay review and coaches challenges were implemented a few years ago, the enforcement of the offside rule has been a source of major frustration. We've seen so many goals wiped off the scoreboard because frame-by-frame video analysis revealed that a player entered the zone a millisecond too early or had a skate one or two inches above the blue line as he crossed into the offensive zone. Even worse, some of these reviews inspect zone entries that came well before the goal in question, meaning the entry itself had little effect on the goal-scoring sequence.

Not only is it infuriating to see games come to a halt as we sit through the tedious breakdowns of replay reviews, but the enforcement of these largely inconsequential plays go against the spirit of the offside rule -- which is put in place to make sure teams aren't cherry-picking and gaining substantial unfair advantages over the defending team.

If officials miss a substantial or egregious infraction, it's important that they're able to get it right -- and replay can help with that. But a lot of these reviews put a microscopic lens to a sequence that really had no effect on the outcome of the play at all.

The Solution: Put a time limit on offside reviews or eliminate them altogether. I've always said that if you can't identify an offside in real time or at full speed, it didn't really have much of an impact on the play. It's hard to imagine most fans of the game truly care if a player preceded the puck into the zone by a fraction of a second.

Also, treat the blue line as a vertical plane (think the end zone goal line in football) and a player wont have to actually have his skate on the ice surface in order to be ruled onside while entering the offensive zone. As the rule currently stands, skaters need to keep at least one skate on the ice surface behind or on the blue line when the puck is entering the zone.

To the NHL's credit, they've recognized the headache caused by the current offside dilemma and are looking into implementing the vertical plane aspect beginning with next season.

End of season lottery tournament

The Problem: Like several other sports, the NHL currently has a draft lottery, which rewards (but doesn't guarantee) tanking for draft position. There's not necessarily a major issue with the current format, other than the fact that every year a few teams just become unbearable to watch toward the end of the regular season as they try to maximize their draft position.

The Solution: Let's get weird here for a second. What if there was a mini end-of-season tournament that featured, say, the league's four or eight worst teams playing for extra draft lottery balls? Obviously, you would want to limit the number of games played and days it takes to play out, so a single-elimination format might work best -- maybe a best-of-three "final" if you want to minimize randomness. The winner of the tournament increases their odds of landing a top-three pick in the draft.

Not only does it generate some interest and extra revenue for these stinky teams at the end of a bad season but it also provides a little incentive for the tanking teams to remain competitive and watchable. Plus, it's more entertainment for fans. A battle of the worst is sometimes just as riveting as a battle of the best.

The idea probably needs a little fleshing out, but I'm here for as much chaos as possible -- even at the bottom of the standings.

[Godfather]

I like all these solutions, but I'm not sure the draft lotto one is a good idea. It's a little hoakie for starters, to have a tournament of the worst teams just at face value is ugly :lol: Also total bottom of the barrel teams stay bad for longer (or at least the fans would view it that way). Imagine how bad a look it would be if a big market team like Chicago or Toronto was in last place, then lost the 'draft tournament' two years in a row or something? Another factor is that the players won't give a fuck about this tournament. Players on the last year of a contract looking at being traded, retiring or signing somewhere else won't give a FUCK about playing for a lottery pick for some 18 year old kid they'll never play with. I heard some retired NHL players say that's the first thing that comes to their mind when they hear this idea, they just won't care.

[Godfather]

Man this is sad. Oilers player Colby Cave suffered a brain bleed yesterday, and is in a medically induced coma. Really hope this young guy pulls through, his poor wife.

https://people.com/sports/oilers-player-colby-caves-wife-emotional-update-hospitalization/


Lost a high school classmate like this. One day totally fine and in perfect health, the next they're just gone. Brain aneurysm are scary.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Man this is sad. Oilers player Colby Cave suffered a brain bleed yesterday, and is in a medically induced coma. Really hope this young guy pulls through, his poor wife.

https://people.com/sports/oilers-player-colby-caves-wife-emotional-update-hospitalization/


Lost a high school classmate like this. One day totally fine and in perfect health, the next they're just gone. Brain aneurysm are scary.His wife is reporting that he passed away this morning :(

[DemonGeminiX]

:rip:

[Godfather]

His wife is reporting that he passed away this morning :(

:( Woke up to that too. What a shame. Life isn't always fair.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By MIKE CHAMBERS | The Denver Post


https://i.imgur.com/0BWyBzT.jpg

The Avalanche is reportedly looking at unveiling a Quebec Nordiques-like third jersey for next season — the 25th anniversary season for the franchise in Denver.

“We’ve talked about it, but the opportunity has not arose up to now. It’s not the only thing we’ve talked about. We have talked about a lot of things,” Declan Bolger, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, told The Athletic.

The Nordiques relocated in Denver in 1995, and Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic and two others came with the move and are still with franchise. Sakic was a young star center for Quebec and Matt Sokolowski was the Nordiques’ trainer and Jean Martineau the head of media relations.

An Avalanche spokesman declined to confirm the possibility of a Nordiques-style jersey when contacted by The Post.

[deebakes]

:tup:

[Godfather]

That would be awesome, the Nordiques jersey was pretty cool. Up here at least you still see a lot of people wearing Nordiques as well as Montreal Expos gear.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Hard to believe now that the Avalanche have been in Denver now longer than the Nords were in Quebec City.

[Godfather]

That's crazy eh, I didn't realize that at all. I think Quebec could probably support a team now but with our dollar being so bad I don't see any chance of that happening.

[DemonGeminiX]

A 24 team playoff? What's this new devilry?

[Godfather]

A 24 team playoff? What's this new devilry?

Trying to make it fair for the covid cup. If they did the usual cut-off, some teams will have missed the final game stretch (mine included) fighting for the last few playoffs spots. I like the idea if it happens, give the teams on the bubble a chance to play-in to the playoffs given the regular season was cut short!

[Teh One Who Knocks]

by Chris Bengel & Gabriel Fernandez - CBS SPorts


The 2019-2020 NHL regular season is officially over. On Tuesday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that league will transition into a 24-team, conferenced-based playoff format when play resumes. He also announced and explained the specific details that the NHL will operate under once the playoffs begin.

Here are the details about the playoff format that Bettman outlined:


There is no set start date for the return of play
Two hub cities -- one for Eastern Conference games and one for Western Conference games -- will be announced at a later date
Teams will be limited to 50 personnel in their respective hub city. A small number of support staff will also be permitted in event arenas
A comprehensive COVID-19 testing system will be put in place
Phase 2 of the return to play plan is expected to begin in early June, but there's still no official date
Phase 3 will include the start of training camp and is targeted for early July
Phase 4, which has no target date yet, will include the return of play with clubs facing off in two hub cities for round robins, qualifying rounds, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs

The NHL is currently considering Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and Vancouver as hub cities.

In this particular playoff format, the top four seeds (determined by points percentage) in the East would be the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers. The top four teams in the West would be the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars. Those eight teams will face off in a Round Robin in order to determine seeding for the First Round.

Here's what the play-in round in each conference will look like:

East

No. 5 Penguins vs. No. 12 Canadiens
No. 6 Hurricanes vs. No. 11 Rangers
No. 7 Islanders vs. No. 10 Panthers
No. 8 Maple Leafs vs. No. 9 Blue Jackets

West

No. 5 Oilers vs. No. 12 Blackhawks
No. 6 Predators vs. No. 11 Coyotes
No. 7 Canucks vs. No. 10 Wild
No. 8 Flames vs. No. 9 Jets

Bettman also announced that the league has not yet decided if it will be a bracket format or determined by seeding following the opening round. The First Round will be in a best-of-five series format while the Second Round will transition to a best-of-seven series format. The Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals will also be in a traditional best-of-seven format.

[Godfather]

So friggin excited hockey is back.

I saw a sportscaster had a poll on his twitter: Does this Stanely Cup winner have an asterix beside it in history (because of the revised format/partially lost season).

Personally I saw no... Teams on the bubble still have to play a series to get into the playoffs, there were only about 20 games left in the regular season, I thing the teams that had 20 games left to play still get a perfectly reasonable chance to play themselves into the playoffs, and the ones already in deserved to be there after 60+ games. Hell I'd personally be fine if the regular season was always 60 games. Just my thoughts though, what you guys think?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

So friggin excited hockey is back.

I saw a sportscaster had a poll on his twitter: Does this Stanely Cup winner have an asterix beside it in history (because of the revised format/partially lost season).

Personally I saw no... Teams on the bubble still have to play a series to get into the playoffs, there were only about 20 games left in the regular season, I thing the teams that had 20 games left to play still get a perfectly reasonable chance to play themselves into the playoffs, and the ones already in deserved to be there after 60+ games. Hell I'd personally be fine if the regular season was always 60 games. Just my thoughts though, what you guys think?

No asterisk, it's not fair to the teams or the players. It's not like a strike shortened season or something like that where it was caused by the players and/or owners. They are playing the hand they are dealt. As for the season, I think 70 games would be good, I think scaling back to 60 might be a little too much, but the season could definitely be shortened up. Plus, I would be all for the first round of the playoffs going to best of 5 instead of best of 7.

[Godfather]

No asterisk, it's not fair to the teams or the players. It's not like a strike shortened season or something like that where it was caused by the players and/or owners. They are playing the hand they are dealt. As for the season, I think 70 games would be good, I think scaling back to 60 might be a little too much, but the season could definitely be shortened up. Plus, I would be all for the first round of the playoffs going to best of 5 instead of best of 7.

Agreed, best of 5 round one would be totally fine, and even 70 games would knock 2-3 weeks off the length of the season so we're not watching hockey in the Summer which would be ideal. I personally want hockey wrapped by early May at the latest.


Someone told me today they might push back the next season as far as January with the Playoffs going until probably September. That's going to make for a long dark October-December up here in Canada if true :lol: ....

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Greatest NHL Goal Scorers EAGG (fullpresscoverage.com/2020/06/04/greatest-nhl-goal-scorers-eaggr/)

Pretty interesting article...I like it because growing up Cam Neely was one of my two favorite players (along with Ray Bourque) and I don't think Neely gets the credit he deserves. He was awesome and another Bruin who had his career shortened by chronic injuries.

[Godfather]

Great article, I like this adjusted metric. Scoring in different eras is so tough to compare and I don't love it when people just wildly claim Ovie is the greatest because this era is the toughest to score in.

It's always interesting how Gretz comes up too... he's all time goals leader, but people forget he wasn't know for being a goal scorer first, he was a play maker. Doesn't devalue him as the greatest all time player in my eyes though. You take away all of his goals he still leads the league in all time points - but he wasn't the greatest pure goal scorer of all time!

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Bleacher Report


https://i.imgur.com/PpbVdxWh.jpg

In any professional sport, records can be fabricated or broken in each and every game. A stroke of luck, burst of talent or couple of lucky bounces could lead to a record being broken before you realize that you just witnessed history.

Focusing on the NHL, records can be pretty tough to break, as a result of the fact that the league has been around since 1917, over 90 years. Since that's such a lengthy time span, there are no records that are "easy" to break. The easy records have already been torn down and replaced by a more difficult marker.

It's always exciting watching a record be dethroned, especially if you get to witness it firsthand.

However, some records are essentially etched in stone, set to live forever in the record-holder's name. They're just too incredible to ever be seen again.

Now, approaching this article, there have got to be a few things that you were thinking. You likely considered who holds these records, what they are, and how old they are. You may have even been wondering if your buddy would bet you 20 bucks that Gretzky owns at least three of them.

In the words of the NHL's latest slogan, "questions will become answers." Here are the top 20 NHL records that will likely never be broken.

Honourable Mention: Terry Sawchuk: Most Career Ties by a Goaltender

https://i.imgur.com/kOqoAsS.gif

In reality, this record is actually the most unbreakable out of them all, but for all the wrong reasons.

Due to the fact that ties have been eliminated from NHL play, Terry Sawchuck's record of 172 career ties as a goaltender should stand for eternity. That is, unless the league re-introduces the tie function for a lengthened amount of time.

Putting this record at No. 1 felt like a letdown because it's so obviously unbreakable. On the other hand, putting it anywhere else in the list felt like a lie, for the same reason stated above. Therefore, it has been given the "honourable mention" status, because technically it is a record, but since it physically can't be broken, it's kind of cheating.

Sawchuk played in the NHL from 1949 until 1970, suiting up for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers. He tallied more than half of his ties (65) in his first stint with the Detroit Red Wings, which lasted from the 1949-50 season until the 1953-54 season.


20. Bill Mikkelson: Worst Plus/Minus in a Single Season

https://i.imgur.com/NX53Dly.jpg

This is just incredible. Incredibly bad, that is.

Somehow, Bill Mikkelson finished the 1974-75 season with a glaring plus/minus of minus-82. How a player manages to finish a season with a plus/minus of minus-82 astonishes me to the point of insanity. It seems unbelievable, impossible even. What makes it even worse is that he only appeared in 59 games all year.

Mikkelson played 147 career NHL games, amassing a startling plus/minus of minus-147. For those of you who have had too much to drink or are mathematically dumb, that equals out to an average of minus-one per game. Quite the defenseman, eh?

After 1974-75, Mikkelson would only play one more NHL game in his career. Good riddance.


19. Mario Lemieux: Most Goals Scored in Different Ways

https://i.imgur.com/v4HzLf0.jpg

Lemieux scored five goals in one game in five different ways. He notched a short-handed, power-play, even-strength, penalty shot and empty-net goal all within 60 minutes.

Pretty impressive, if you ask me.

This record isn't exactly impossible to break, but it would be pretty darn tough.


18. Dave Williams: Most Career Penalty Minutes

https://i.imgur.com/mP0hhpV.jpg

Williams posted 3,966 penalty minutes. That's more than two-and-a-half days spent sitting in the sin bin.

NHL players just don't play the same penalty-filled game they used to. The next closest active player to Williams is Ian Laperriere, and he "only" has 1,956 minutes. I can't see this record ever being broken.


17. Bobby Orr: Most Points by a Defenseman in a Single Season

https://i.imgur.com/jAAdWmm.jpg

Bobby Orr posted 139 points in the 1970-71 NHL season. What's different about that record is the player closest behind Orr was only a point away. Paul Coffey put up 138 points in 1985-86.

The reason this is still considered an "unbreakable record" is that Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey were extremely special players. Only five defensemen in NHL history could even break the 100-point mark (Orr, Coffey, Al MacInnis, Brian Leetch, Denis Potvin).

It's worth noting that Orr broke that mark six times in his shortened career, and Coffey reached the plateau five times.


16. Bobby Orr: Highest Plus/Minus in a Single Season

https://i.imgur.com/1moxtyB.jpg

Orr posted a plus-124 in the 1970-71 season, which is coincidentally the same season that he set the record for most points by a defenseman.

I can't see this record ever being beaten, because Orr played in a very high-scoring era, which can equal in a very high—or very low—plus/minus. That fact combined with his incredible skill level resulted in a plus-124.

The highest appearance from the 2000s on the leaderboard for highest plus/minus is a plus-52, coming in at 95th place. Peter Forsberg recorded it in 2002-03.


15. Martin Brodeur: Most Career Wins by a Goaltender

https://i.imgur.com/yDRjclTl.jpg

Brodeur hasn't retired yet, so this record will just keep getting higher and higher. It currently sits at 606, and Brodeur is just starting to hit the downside of his career. Look for the number to rise slightly.

Patrick Roy (551) and Ed Belfour (484) are the second- and third-place goalies. Chris Osgood (396) and Nikolai Khabibulin (307) are the closest active goaltenders, but you can barely call them active as they are both 37 and have younger goalies moving in on their turf as starters.

It's safe to say that nobody will ever eclipse Brodeur's mark.


14. Doug Jarvis: Most Consecutive Games

https://i.imgur.com/QFrx8gK.jpg

Doug Jarvis earned the nickname "Iron Man" due to the 964 consecutive games that he played in the NHL. He played every game from the 1975-76 season to the 1984-85 season, and kept the streak going partially into '86.

Nowadays it's often hard to find a player that plays every game in a single season.


13. Gordie Howe: Oldest Player

https://i.imgur.com/fmN906F.jpg

52 years and 11 days.

That's how old Gordie Howe was when he retired from NHL action. They don't call him Mr. Hockey for nothing.

Considering that today, players rarely play past the age of 40, I don't think Howe's record will ever be touched. Simply imagining a 50-year-old playing in the modern-day NHL is brutal. It would be nearly impossible for him to keep up with the pace of its newer, faster game.

Not even Chris Chelios could do it.

Unless we find a way to halt the aging process, Howe will hold this record forever.


12. Wayne Gretzky: Most Assists in a Single Season

https://i.imgur.com/PofpQlu.jpg

And so marks the first appearance of Wayne Gretzky on this list. Keep track of how many more times he appears.

Gretzky tallied 163 assists in 1985-86 on an 80-game schedule. For comparison's sake, the next closest player who isn't Gretzky on that list is Mario Lemieux. Lemieux, widely considered to be Wayne's only competition for the title of "Best Player In History," comes in a tie for eighth with Gretzky at 114.


11. Bill Mosienko: Fastest Hat Trick by a Single Person

https://i.imgur.com/DFSpXmD.jpg

Bill Mosienko scored three goals in 21 seconds on March 23, 1952.

I can't see that record ever being touched, simply because I don't think that anyone else will have the same amount of good fortune Mosienko did. The feat of scoring three goals in 21 seconds is probably made up of about 10 percent skill and 90 percent luck. At those odds, I just can't see this happening again.

He first beat Rangers goaltender Lorne Anderson at 6:09 of the second period, and then again at 6:20 and 6:30. Altogether, that makes 21 seconds.

Nobody has ever even come close to Bill's record (Jean Beliveau is in second place with three goals in 44 seconds).

Hey, it's not impossible, but it's darn close.


10. New York Islanders: Most Consecutive Playoff Series Victories

https://i.imgur.com/tJwou3Zl.jpg

The New York Islanders won 19 consecutive playoff series from 1980-84.

This streak occurred during the Islanders dynasty of the '80s. The streak of 19 consecutive playoff series victories just shows the pure dominance the Isles enjoyed.

Their streak was ended in the 1983-84 playoffs, when they lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals.


9. Wayne Gretzky: Most Assists in a Career

https://i.imgur.com/AATqeoA.jpg

Wayne Gretzky tallied 1,963 assists in his career. That total alone is enough to put him at number one on the all-time points list (Messier is number two with 1,887).

'Nuff said.


8. Wayne Gretzky: Most Career Points

https://i.imgur.com/cDv76m5.jpg

I could easily just say "See Previous Slide" and be done with this one, but I think I'll break it down a bit more.

Wayne Gretzky posted 2,857 career points in 1,487 games. That evens out to about 1.92 points per game.

As I mentioned in the previous slide, his assist total alone is enough to eclipse each and every NHL player in history as the record holder for most points. I also mentioned that the player closest to Gretz is Mark Messier with 1,887 points.

Strangely enough, Messier played 269 more games than Gretzky, yet he could only get to within 970 points of him.

Gretzky was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of player, and I just can't see his points record being broken.


7. Teemu Selanne: Most Goals by a Rookie

https://i.imgur.com/uuxU0SM.jpg

I'm sure you all knew this record would be on the list somewhere.

Teemu Selanne posted the highest goal total he would ever achieve in the 1992-83 NHL season, notching 76 markers as a rookie. That is not only the highest goal total by a rookie, but it's the sixth-highest goal total in NHL history.

"The Finnish Flash" also added 56 assists for 132 points that year.


6. St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins: Fastest Two Goals (Both Teams)

https://i.imgur.com/FKASdo2l.jpg

This is one of those records that was pretty much a complete fluke.

The Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues each scored a goal two seconds apart on December 19, 1987. The Bruins were down 6-4 in the third period when Ken Linesman scored with 10 seconds remaining. The slim chance that they could score once more was slashed when Blues center Doug Gilmour scored off the faceoff into an open net.

In my opinion, that's pretty crazy.

It's almost guaranteed that this won't be broken, unless it's broken by a tenth of a second or something. I don't think you can get much faster than two seconds.


5. Washington Capitals: Fewest Wins in a Single Season

https://i.imgur.com/kzB85bml.jpg

Eight.

Eight wins. Eight stinkin' wins in an entire 80-game season.

A final record of 8-67-5. Twenty-one points out of a possible 160.

Eight.

Eight!

I think you get the point. Need I say more? Didn't think so!


4. Jean Beliveau: Most Stanley Cup Rings in a Lifetime

https://i.imgur.com/5uIQf3d.jpg

Most players don't ever get to lift the Stanley Cup. The perfect feeling of skating around the ice holding hockey's most prized possession is one that most NHLers don't get to enjoy. However, some have lifted the Cup more than once.

In his lifetime, Jean Beliveau captured the Stanley Cup 17 times—10 times as a player and seven as a member of Montreal's front office.

That's a tough stat to wrap your head around. Seventeen times? How does that happen?

The inflated number could be attributed to the fact that the NHL was a six-team league when Beliveau played.


3. Montreal Canadiens: Most Consecutive Stanley Cup Finals Appearances

https://i.imgur.com/HSLg8Sol.jpg

The Montreal Canadiens appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals 10 times in a row from 1951 to 1960. Sounds impossible, right?

Well sure, it looks great and everything, but this record was set when the NHL was a six-team league. Starting to look less impressive now, eh?

Today, a 10-year streak in the Finals would be pretty much impossible. This record, like many others, can be attributed to a lack of teams. However, that doesn't change the fact that this is one of the most unbeatable records in the league.

The Canadiens were enjoying a dynasty, something that is unfamiliar in today's NHL. In modern times, the closest thing we've seen to a dynasty is the Detroit Red Wings' run since the late '90s.


2. Glenn Hall: Most Consecutive Complete Games by a Goaltender

https://i.imgur.com/gZwyX9q.jpg

This record is truly incredible, especially considering Hall played in an era where goaltenders didn't wear masks.

Glenn Hall played in 502 consecutive games as a goaltender, a record which spanned over eight seasons, from 1955 to 1963.

Today, goaltenders wear an insane amount of padding and equipment, but Hall played his streak donning the simple equipment shown in the picture to the left. Even with the excess of equipment that modern-day goalies wear, they still don't play complete seasons. Hall played almost eight full seasons without missing a game.

Fantastic.


1. Henri Richard: Most Career Stanley Cup Wins as a Player

https://i.imgur.com/jF2XhDm.jpg

Before I start I would like to get one thing straight.

I, as a Leafs fan, would like no wisecracks about how the Canadiens and their players hold three of the top five spots on this list.

Moving on!

Henri Richard won 11 Stanley Cups in his 19-year career. I can pretty much guarantee that this record will never be broken, due to the number of teams in the NHL.

In the 30-team NHL, a player making it to the Stanley Cup Finals 11 or more times in his career is nearly impossible. For the bulk of his career, Richard played in a league that only contained six teams, the “Original Six.” In 1967, the league expanded to 12 teams, but that’s still a significantly smaller number than 30.

Bottom line is, if it was hard to accomplish half a century ago, it will be impossible to achieve now.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

by Nicholas J. Cotsonika / NHL.com Columnist


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The NHL Seattle expansion team is making progress toward the announcement of its name, logo and colors.

"Some have speculated it's a long time off. It's not," NHL Seattle CEO Tod Leiweke said Thursday. "Vegas did it a year out. We'll do it well in advance of that."

The Vegas Golden Knights, the previous NHL expansion team, announced their name, logo and colors Nov. 22, 2016, and made their regular-season debut on Oct. 6, 2017. Seattle will begin play in the 2021-22 season.

"This is one of those issues where you want to measure twice and cut once, and that's exactly what we're doing," Leiweke said. "And we'd like to think when we do roll it out, people will say, 'Hey, they got it.' And so, we're working away on it, and that's the next stop."

NHL Seattle is going through the trademark process with multiple finalists.

"If you camp out on one name with everything that happens in the trademark world, you put yourself at some risk, so we've got a handful of names that we think can work," Leiweke said. "We probably have a leader in the clubhouse. But we're working away on it. And it's not going to happen this afternoon, but it won't be too far off."

Amazon announced Thursday it purchased the naming rights to the building in which NHL Seattle will play. The building will be called Climate Pledge Arena, modeled on The Climate Pledge, which was created by Amazon and Global Optimism in 2019 and calls on signatories to be net zero carbon across their businesses by 2040.

Images of the building released Thursday used shades of green and some light blue.

"Obviously the colors that fit with the climate pledge are green," Leiweke said. "I'm not sure I'd read into that. The team is going to have its own unique identity, and colors and wordmarks, all those things, are going to go into what we think will be a fantastic brand when we're done."

An 18,100-seat new arena is being constructed under the iconic roof of the former Key Arena near the Space Needle in Seattle Center. Leiweke said construction was not materially delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, which paused the NHL season March 12, and will be complete in time for the 2021-22 season.

Asked if the building will be ready in time to potentially host the 2021 NHL Draft, Leiweke said: "It depends on when that season launches and when the draft is, but we're a group with ambition, and that would be an incredible way to start a franchise."

[Godfather]

That NHL draft was so dumb...

[Teh One Who Knocks]

That NHL draft was so dumb...

So they had a lottery to have another lottery to determine the first pic? :huh:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Emily Zanotti - The Daily Wire


https://i.imgur.com/WXqYHj3l.jpg

Hockey commentator Jeremy Roenick alleges, in a lawsuit filed Friday, that he was fired from his position with NBC Sports for being straight and for being a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump.

The longtime NHL player was fired from his job as an NHL commentator for NBC News after he made lewd comments about a female coworker to a hockey podcast called “Spittin’ Chiclets” and jokingly suggested that he, his wife, and his coworker had slept together.

“I play it off like we’re going to bed together every night, the three of us,” Roenick says, referring to a vacation he and his wife took to Portugal with fellow NBC broadcaster, Kathryn Tappen. “If it really came to fruition, that would really be good, but it’s never going to happen.”

Roenick also said that his wife and Tappen looked “f***in’ smokin’” in bathing suits. “A** and boobs everywhere. It’s great.”

NBC suspended Roenick indefinitely before deciding to terminate his contract.

In a lawsuit, filed against NBC last week, however, Roenick alleges that his comments were used as cover and that NBC News really fired him for being a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, according to Fox News. The lawsuit suggests that other NBC commentators have made similar, lewd jokes about coworkers and received a pass from network management.

“The lawsuit says that while Roenick was fired for his comments about Tappen, the network responded differently after NBC figure skating commentators Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir made a comedy promo for the network’s streaming service that referred to a vulgar term for the vagina and other sexual remarks along with footage of Olympic figure skater Bradie Tennell,” Fox reports.

He alleges that Lipinksi and Weir frequently made sexually tinged comments about figure skaters when they were covering high profile sporting events for the network but that Weir’s comments were brushed off because he is gay. Specifically, the lawsuit claims that when Roenick confronted NBC supervisor Sam Flood, that Flood excused Weir’s behavior because he is “gay and can say whatever.”

Roenick also says he was denied the opportunity to speak at the 2016 Republican National Convention in support of now-President Donald Trump because NBC frowned on Trump supporters.

“Roenick claims that when he asked Flood if he could speak at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Flood said, ‘I’m not saying what you can do. You know who you work for. You work for NBC. That would not look good on your NBC record,'” per Fox.

“Mr. Roenick is the victim of double standards wrongfully asserted against him,” Roenick’s lawyer told media late last week. “A person’s career should not be thrown away by a company as Mr. Roenick’s career was with NBC. We are confident that the evidence that will be brought to light from this lawsuit will reveal the rampant disregard of Mr. Roenick’s rights.”

NBC has not yet commented on the lawsuit.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/Px5BZP6.jpg

[FBD]

I fkn love hockey, and am glad its back on. I always felt bad that I was never able to watch much of it, literally only catching a handful of games a year, but I refuse to get cable tv, I got rid of that shit in the year 2000. But now that I can grab games online, I can be an actual hockey fan again, lol.

[FBD]

lol September in Boston last night

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Exhibition game, nothing to be terribly concerned about. The Blues didn't look great in their game either.

[FBD]

wild conclusion to the blue jackets vs maple leafs best of 5 series

...Dubois gets OT hat trick winner for jackets in game 3,
Leafs come back in game 4 and score 4 6 on 5 goals in the last ~3.5 min of the game and win in OT
...and their 6v5 is completely shut down in game 5, jackets win by one fluke goal and one very nice shot

[DemonGeminiX]

East
1 Philadelphia vs 8 Montreal
2 Tampa Bay vs 7 Columbus
3 Washington vs 6 NY Islanders
4 Boston vs 5 Carolina

West
1 Vegas vs 8 Chicago
2 Colorado vs 7 Arizona
3 Dallas vs 6 Calgary
4 St. Louis vs 5 Vancouver

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Bruins first game that 'counts' is today and I don't have much faith. They went from the best team in hockey, a juggernaut on the way to the President's Trophy, to a team that couldn't muster much of anything in the round robin. Blah. :|

[FBD]

Bruins first game that 'counts' is today and I don't have much faith. They went from the best team in hockey, a juggernaut on the way to the President's Trophy, to a team that couldn't muster much of anything in the round robin. Blah. :|

just as well I was watching a big batch of BHO cook off instead :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Damn....Tampa and Columbus play a 5 OT marathon yesterday :shock: And because of that, it caused the Boston/Carolina game to be postponed until today.

[FBD]

gahdayum! does that mean its going to be on during work?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

NESN says the game starts at 11 AM EDT.

[FBD]

:woot: moar work distractions

:sad: way too busy tho, lol

[Teh One Who Knocks]

3-3 and heading into the 2nd OT.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Bergeron scores!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just at the start of double OT.....4-3 Bruins final :cheers:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1293621276154757123

[DemonGeminiX]

Watching Canadiens at Flyers, game 1, and I hear the name Max Domi and see this short guy putting one of the Flyers in a one-armed headlock. "Nawww, it can't be...", I say. I google him... that little bastard Tie Domi had a son and he's in the NHL too. :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Haha you didn't know his kid was in the NHL? Like father, like son :lol:

[FBD]

its becoming these days that if one is to be in the l33t crew of any sport, best be gettin to it by the toddler years

[DemonGeminiX]

Haha you didn't know his kid was in the NHL? Like father, like son :lol:

I had no idea Tie Domi was married. Man, who the hell marries a goon?

[FBD]

shamefur dispray from washington, september quality mistakes

[lost in melb.]

shamefur dispray from washington, september quality mistakes

S'cusi

:bong:


:empathy:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Well that's the Bruins fucked now, Rask just opted out of the rest of the playoffs, just 90 minutes before the puck drop for game 3 :|

[FBD]

the fuck?

[FBD]

that was a hell of a 3rd period for the Bruins last night, down 2 going in and have a 4 goal 3rd period including two from debrusk, Bruins up 3-1 on the Hurricanes

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I just hope that Halak can hold up for the whole playoffs. He hasn't had this kind of work load in a long time.

[FBD]

I just hope that Halak can hold up for the whole playoffs. He hasn't had this kind of work load in a long time.

Is Rask injured? I know you said he bowed out of the playoffs, but I cant think of a reason outside of injury, either to his body, or vagina

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Is Rask injured? I know you said he bowed out of the playoffs, but I cant think of a reason outside of injury, either to his body, or vagina

He said the playoffs don't feel "right" and he wants to go back and be with his family.

[FBD]

He said the playoffs don't feel "right" and he wants to go back and be with his family.

hell of a teammate :roll:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yeah, they've been in the NHL bubble for awhile now, he couldn't have figured this out before they started? So Halak could have at least gotten most of the playing/practice time?

[DemonGeminiX]

East
1 Philadelphia vs 8 Montreal
2 Tampa Bay vs 7 Columbus
3 Washington vs 6 NY Islanders
4 Boston vs 5 Carolina

West
1 Vegas vs 8 Chicago
2 Colorado vs 7 Arizona
3 Dallas vs 6 Calgary
4 St. Louis vs 5 Vancouver

Vegas knocked off Chicago

[FBD]

Ovechkin scores two in the 3rd to keep the Caps alive! (they got a first round bye, right? seems like that mighta hurt 'em in this series, they finally looked a bit better last night)

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Rask is now telling WEEI radio in Boston that the real reason he left the team is because there was a medical emergency with his daughter. If that's the case, then it was completely understandable.

[DemonGeminiX]

The Boston Bruins won their series against Carolina.
The Tampa Bay Lightning won their series against Columbus.
The Colorado Avalanche won their series against Arizona

[FBD]

Hell of a surprise goal at the end of the second from Bergeron, behind the red line and into mrazik's skates! Mrazik stopped so many breakaways in the first 2 periods it was crazy.

I tuned in to the Colorado game for a very short bit, 6-1 and lol

[DemonGeminiX]

The New York Islanders have won their series against the Capitals
The Dallas Stars have won their series against the Flames

[FBD]

Islanders second goal was a thing of beauty

[DemonGeminiX]

The Philadelphia Flyers have won their series against the Canadiens
The Vancouver Canucks have won their series against the Blues.

[DemonGeminiX]

EASTERN CONFERENCE (Scotiabank Arena – Toronto)
No. 1 Philadelphia Flyers vs. No. 6 New York Islanders

Game 1: Monday, Aug. 24, 7 p.m. ET – NBCSN
Game 2: Wednesday Aug. 26, 3 p.m. ET – NBCSN
Game 3: Thursday, Aug. 27, 7 p.m. ET – NBCSN
Game 4: Saturday, Aug. 29, 12 p.m. ET – NBC
*Game 5: Monday, Aug. 31 – TBD
*Game 6: Wednesday, Sept. 2 – TBD
*Game 7: Thursday, Sept. 3 – TBD

No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 4 Boston Bruins

Game 1: Sunday, Aug. 23, 8 p.m. ET – NBC
Game 2: Tuesday, Aug. 25, 7 p.m. ET – NBCSN
Game 3: Wednesday, Aug. 26, 8 p.m. ET – NBCSN
Game 4: Friday, Aug. 28, 7:30 p.m. ET – USA Network
*Game 5: Sunday, Aug. 30 – TBD
*Game 6: Tuesday, Sept. 1 – TBD
*Game 7: Wednesday, Sept. 2 – TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE (Rogers Place – Edmonton)
No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 5 Vancouver Canucks

Game 1: Sunday, Aug. 23, 10:30 p.m. ET – NBCSN
Game 2: Tuesday, Aug. 25, 9:45 p.m. ET – NBCSN
Game 3: Thursday, Aug. 27, 9:45 p.m. ET – NBCSN
Game 4: Saturday, Aug. 29, 8 p.m. ET – NBCSN
*Game 5: Monday, Aug. 31 – TBD
*Game 6: Tuesday, Sept. 1 – TBD
*Game 7: Thursday, Sept. 3 – TBD

No. 2 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 3 Dallas Stars

Game 1: Saturday, Aug. 22, 8 p.m. ET – NBC
Game 2: Monday, Aug. 24, 9:45 p.m. ET – NBCSN
Game 3: Wednesday, Aug. 26, 10:30 p.m. ET – NBCSN
Game 4: Friday, Aug. 28, 10 p.m. ET – NBCSN
*Game 5: Sunday, Aug. 30 – TBD
*Game 6: Monday, Aug. 31 – TBD
*Game 7: Wednesday, Sept. 2 – TBD

[FBD]

that opening goal from Coyle :dance: goalies gotta be thinking cmon you gotta be fkn kididng me :lol:

Bruins go up 3-0 and finish 3-2 to win game 1

[DemonGeminiX]

The Flyers got shellacked by the Islanders.

[FBD]

I might have to root for Barry this year, should Boston fail :lol:

[FBD]

No such luck for Boston last night, close game that ended in a scramble in front of Boston's net and somehow the puck went in. there were a couple last night that were sketchy like that.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Did the Bruins have a goalie in net last night? :-k

[FBD]

Did the Bruins have a goalie in net last night? :-k

its rare to see all 4 wheels come off a vehicle at once :lol:

hell of a way to get tossed into the fire for an nhl debut, poor kid :lol: those penalties added up, big time

[DemonGeminiX]

Oh fuck off. "We're trying to do the right thing [by not doing our jobs] in protest of racial injustice."

I'm tired of this horseshit. I'm done with all professional sports. Fuck them all.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Oh fuck off. "We're trying to do the right thing [by not doing our jobs] in protest of racial injustice."

I'm tired of this horseshit. I'm done with all professional sports. Fuck them all.

https://i.imgur.com/PuhiIGh.png

[FBD]

Oh fuck off. "We're trying to do the right thing [by not doing our jobs] in protest of racial injustice."

I'm tired of this horseshit. I'm done with all professional sports. Fuck them all.

are you seriously telling me the NHL paused their fucking playoffs for a larp A SECOND TIME

unreal. fuck "professional" sports.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

And the Bruins are done.

[FBD]

:hand: dont care no mo...I will always love hockey but fuck the nhl, it will be a long time before I ever watch another game, if ever

[Godfather]

Late to the party but ya that NHL stoppage for 2 days was wack. I'm just not sure what it accomplished.

There's now this demand to have more black executives in the NHL by a certain year which seems insane to me. How can you expect that when the league has maybe 4-5 black and non-white guys at any time?

Hockey definitely has too many stories of racist comments from minorities which I hate. I saw it first hand growing up with an Indian friend. There can be no tolerance for that on the ice... but the fact is it's a very privileged sport to play. The initial cost of buying gear when I got back into it a few years back was over $1000 and I pay $700+ a year in league fees just for shitty beer league. If you're a kid and need new gear every year, league fees, camps, trainers... I'm sure it costs tens or even hundreds of thousands to get to the NHL if you add it all up (plus you probably need a stay at home parent). If they want more diverse executives, something would have to be done at the grassroots level to make it affordable first and foremost I believe. How does one do that when sticks and skates cost $200+ each? No clue.

And even then, hockey players mostly come from small, white rural towns in Canada, Europe and US states that all start with M for some reason (Minnesota, Michigan...) :lol:

Can you just mandate a sport to be black when the people interested in it are mostly white Canadian and European communities? I'm trying to be nice here but I dono what else to say about it. It's unreasonable at best...

[Godfather]

Tampa wins the cup! They were dominant. Didn't play a single game 7 or lose back-to-back games once. Sucks Stamkos was hurt but great to see him lift the cup.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Meh...it sucks but all the virtue signaling done by all the sports leagues and athletes has completely put me off sports. For now at least. 3 weeks into the football season and I haven't even watched 1 second of any game this year.

[FBD]

I read that in shoresy's voice, lol

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Mark J. Burns - LA Biz


https://i.imgur.com/cDK9YoP.jpg

Mike “Doc” Emrick’s road to professional hockey and becoming arguably the sport’s best play-by-play caller began with the Port Huron Flags of the now-defunct International Hockey League. Forty-seven years ago this month, Emrick now recalls Flags left winger Dale Dolmage scoring a game-winner on a slap shot from the left circle to give Port Huron a 6-5 victory at the Toledo Hornets.

“Even though it was a 250-watt nighttime station in Port Huron, Mich., you just think that 50 million people are listening to this station and thinking about everything you’re saying. You wanted to do the best job possible,” said Emrick, 74, who made $160 a week in his first pro announcing gig during the 1973-74 season.

After more than 3,750 pro and Olympic hockey games, 45 NHL Game 7s, 22 Stanley Cup Finals and many more accolades later, Emrick is now retiring as the main play-by-play voice behind the NHL on NBC.

Famously known as “Doc” because of his Ph.D. in broadcast communications from Bowling Green State University in 1976, Emrick for years would sit in the corners of ice rinks, call games on a portable recorder and send them into prospective employers, but to no avail. Ironically, for a position calling BGSU games for campus radio station WBGU-FM, director Terry Gottschalk didn’t require a tape. Still, the games logged by Emrick from 1971-73 while on campus working on his doctorate opened the door to Port Huron.

Emrick, who would have been a teacher had it not been for hockey, said he’ll miss sitting alongside players in the dressing room and across from coaches in their office and learning not only more about the sport but their lives, and then serving as a conduit between them and the fans.

Fifty years after serving as a freelance reporter for the Beaver County Times covering the Pittsburgh Penguins, the time was right to retire, Emrick said. The coronavirus pandemic contributed to the decision, but according to Emrick, “it wasn’t everything.”

He and his wife Joyce, who are both animal enthusiasts, will remain committed to local animal causes around their home in St. Clair, Mich. One hundred percent of Emrick’s split from his newly released book, “Off Mike,” with former USA Today hockey scribe Kevin Allen, will go toward supporting various initiatives, including paying for veterinary bills for those who cannot afford them otherwise.

“We’re here in the autumn of our lives,” Emrick said last week, a day after he announced his retirement. “How about we just take time out now for ourselves and our creatures? That’s what is important to us.”

[Teh One Who Knocks]

A true broadcasting legend.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Hank Berrien - The Daily Wire


https://i.imgur.com/kdqrxnXl.jpg

On Sunday, the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, marking the first day of Native American Heritage Month, announced that in deference to the Native American community, they will preface home games by reading an “Indigenous land acknowledgment.”

The team said they would issue “a formal statement that recognizes the unique and enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories,” The Hill reported.

The Blackhawks, founded in 1926, were one of the six original teams in the NHL, (along with the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadians, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs), and have won six Stanley Cups.

The team got its name from its original owner, Chicago coffee tycoon Frederic McLaughlin, who had been a commander with the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86thInfantry Division in World War I, which was nicknamed the “Blackhawk Division” after Black Hawk, a citizen of the Sauk nation. The team’s name was spelled in two words as the “Black Hawks” until 1986, when the team changed it to one word because of the spelling found in the original franchise documents.

NBC News added that the team released a “Land Acknowledgment” on Sunday that read:


The Chicago Blackhawks acknowledge that the team, its foundation, and the spaces we maintain, work and compete within, stand upon the traditional homelands of the Miami, Sauk, Fox, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, and the council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations. We understand that this land holds immense significance for its original stewards, the Native Nations and the peoples of this region.

We would also like to recognize that our team’s namesake, Sauk War Leader Black Hawk, serves as a continuous reminder of our responsibility to the Native American communities we live amongst and draw inspiration from.

In October, a Blackhawks logo statue outside the United Center was defaced.
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“The Chicago Blackhawks announced earlier this year that it would not change its name despite the requests amid the protests over racial injustice. But it decided to ban fans from wearing headdresses when fans are allowed in-person again,” The Hill added.

In July, the team stated that it would keep its name:


The Chicago Blackhawks’ name and logo symbolizes an important and historic person, Black Hawk of Illinois’ Sac & Fox Nation, whose leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans and the public. We celebrate Black Hawk’s legacy by offering ongoing reverent examples of Native American culture, traditions and contributions, providing a platform for genuine dialogue with local and national Native American groups. As the team’s popularity grew over the past decade, so did that platform and our work with these important organizations.

We recognize there is a fine line between respect and disrespect, and we commend other teams for their willingness to engage in that conversation. Moving forward, we are committed to raising the bar even higher to expand awareness of Black Hawk and the important contributions of all Native American people. We will continue to serve as stewards of our name and identity, and will do so with a commitment to evolve. Our endeavors in this area have been sincere and multi-faceted, and the path forward will draw on that experience to grow as an organization and expand our efforts.

[Godfather]

At least they're keeping the logo and name. Best logo in the entire NHL IMHO. Had a native buddy who always said the same too.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

At least they're keeping the logo and name. Best logo in the entire NHL IMHO. Had a native buddy who always said the same too.

Give it time, if the PC crowd got the Redskins to change their name, they will come for the Blackhawks eventually.

[FBD]

the NFL is 100 times more cucked, though

[Godfather]

Give it time, if the PC crowd got the Redskins to change their name, they will come for the Blackhawks eventually.

I'm hopeful the Blackhawks stays long-term. Redskins is now a derogatory term, while the hawks are named after an actual tribal leader from the midwest... gives me a bit of hope you can't cancel Black Hawk, but I'm probably being too optimistic :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1325900615189467137

[FBD]

Orr School

[Teh One Who Knocks]

MIKE CHIARI - Bleacher Report


https://i.imgur.com/4bS24Fp.jpg

A rare Wayne Gretzky rookie card has set the record for the most expensive hockey card to ever be sold at auction.

According to TMZ Sports, Heritage Auctions sold a Gem Mint 10 1979 O-Pee-Chee Gretzky rookie card for $1.29 million.

Heritage Auctions noted that there are only two Gem Mint 10 O-Pee-Chee Gretzky rookie cards known to be in existence, primarily because O-Pee-Chee's card-cutting process resulted in many of the cards getting cut poorly.

Aside from the rarity of a Gem Mint 10, the fact that Gretzky is unquestionably the greatest player in hockey history helps the card's value immensely.

The Great One burst on to the scene in the NHL in 1979-80, racking up 51 goals and 86 assists for 137 points in his debut season in the league as a member of the Edmonton Oilers.

Over the course of a 20-year NHL career with the Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers, Gretzky set NHL career records across the board with 894 goals, 1,963 assists and 2,857 points.

No. 99 is also a nine-time Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP, 10-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL's leading point-scorer, four-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP.

Any and all Gretzky collectibles and memorabilia are highly sought-after to this day, but a Gem Mint 10 O-Pee-Chee rookie card may be the holy grail for collectors, which explains a price tag in excess of $1 million.

[FBD]

goddam :lol:

[Godfather]

LMAO so latest woke hockey drama here in Vancouver.

Some douche professor Sean Carleton, a historian and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba wrote a long article claiming that the Canucks logo is offensive to our First Nations and 'cultural appropriation.'


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EpOmWpzVoAESAF-?format=png&name=360x360


Thankfully some local reporters dug into it. Turns out the team created the logo years ago and did consult local bands, and it wasn't considered to be native art at all, they see it as just a cartoon. On top of that, one reporter canvased all the local chiefs and the Grand Chief of the largest band and could not find a single one who considered it in bad taste/offensive/inappropriate/appropriation. :lol: The Grand Chief said something like "nope, no way, absolutely not" on the record.

These fucking liberal arts douche-bag profs grasping at straws as usual. Should think twice before telling First Nations, who generally love the Canucks as much or more than every other Vancouverite, how they feel.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Chris Peters - ESPN Staff Writer


https://i.imgur.com/Yla9ac5.jpg

The United States upset heavily favored and undefeated Canada 2-0 in Edmonton, Alberta, on Tuesday to win the gold medal in the first world junior ice hockey championship played in a bubble.

In a defensive special, Boston College goaltender and Florida Panthers prospect Spencer Knight stopped all 34 shots he faced to secure Team USA's first gold since 2017.

Knight recorded his third shutout of the event, the most for an American goaltender in the tournament. Forward and Anaheim Ducks draft pick Trevor Zegras led the tournament in scoring with 18 points and was named most valuable player of the tournament. The 18 points were the second most by an American player in tournament history. Zegras also tied the record for most points by an American in his world junior career with 27 over the past two tournaments.

https://i.imgur.com/JhhGHA8.jpg

The U.S. took the lead in the first period off a redirection at the front of the net from Los Angeles Kings prospect Alex Turcotte. That goal was the first 5-on-5 goal Canada had allowed in the World Junior Championship and the first time it had trailed at any point in the tournament.

"That was by far the biggest goal I've ever scored in my life," said Turcotte, who was the No. 5 overall draft choice of Los Angeles in 2019 and was part of last year's U.S. squad that was eliminated in the quarterfinals.

The U.S. overwhelmed Canada for stretches of the first period and held a 13-9 shots-on-goal advantage in addition to the 1-0 lead.

Zegras extended the Americans' lead 32 seconds into the second period when he collected the puck and slipped it past Canadian goalie Devon Levi, who was leaning the wrong way.

That goal gave Zegras a tie with former NHL player Jordan Schroeder for USA Hockey's all-time scoring lead at the World Junior Championship with his 27th point collected over the past two tournaments. He ranks fifth among players who have appeared in multiple World Junior Championships with 2.25 points per game, a list that is led by Hockey Hall of Famer Peter Forsberg.

Zegras also picked up second place on the Americans' single-tournament scoring list, compiling 18 points to lead all players in the 2021 tournament. He moved past Jeremy Roenick and fell one shy of Doug Weight's record of 19, set in 1991. He was the only U.S. player to be named to the tournament all-star team, joining Canada's Levi, Dylan Cozens and Bowen Byram, Finland's Ville Heinola and Germany's Tim Stuetzle.

Canada had outscored opponents 41-4 before Tuesday night's final in its bid to repeat as world junior champion.

"This is the first team that really pushed back in the first period. We were not used to it and it took a little bit of time to get back at it. After we adjusted, we were really good, but we didn't score," Canada coach Andre Tourigny said.

The U.S. found itself defending for much of the second half of the game. Canada outshot Team USA 25-8 over the final two periods, including a 15-1 shots-on-goal advantage in the final frame.

"We had our looks, but Knight played great. We didn't get the bounces," said Cozens, who led Canada and finished second among all players with 16 points in the tournament.

Knight, who was selected 13th overall by the Panthers in the 2019 NHL draft, made several big saves in his third and final trip to the World Junior Championship. After collecting shutouts in games against the Czech Republic and Sweden in the preliminary round, he became the only U.S. goalie to record three shutouts in a single tournament and the only American to collect three shutouts in his world junior career. He was named U.S. player of the game.

In addition to records set by U.S. players, Team USA video coach Theresa Feaster became the first woman to serve as an assistant coach for a gold medal-winning team at the tournament. Feaster has been on head coach Nate Leaman's staff at Providence College for the past seven seasons, including the past four as coordinator of men's hockey operations, breaking down video and statistics for the coaching staff.

"I told the guys after the game, I was going to be proud whether we won or lost this game," said Leaman, who won the NCAA men's hockey championship with Providence in 2015. "This was a group that cared about each other. They had good character. The team came together and they cared more about a team than anything individually."

The win gave USA Hockey its fourth consecutive victory over Canada in a World Junior Championship final, having earned wins in 2004, 2010, 2017 and 2021. USA is 4-1 in gold-medal games against Canada, which owns 18 golds in the tournament's history.

:usa:

[FBD]

wow!!!

was sure mom was going to be happy about that, and I asked her and she's like I FELL ASLEEP FOR THAT GAME, I COULDNT BELIEVE IT....she literally watched the entire tournament, prelims and everything :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

A little blast from history that was funny and amazing (from back when the Stanley Cup was still a challenge trophy):

The Dawson City Nuggets (also known as the Klondikes) were an ice hockey team from Dawson City, Yukon, that challenged the reigning champion Ottawa Hockey Club, aka "the Silver Seven", in January 1905, for the Stanley Cup. The Dawson City team was composed of hockey players from the city, most of whom did not have any elite hockey experience. The Nuggets made the 4,000 mile (6,400 km) journey to Ottawa over several weeks, travelling by dog sled, bicycle, foot, train, and ship. They arrived in time to play the best-of-three game series. In the first game, Ottawa defeated Dawson City 9–2. In the second game, Ottawa defeated Dawson City 23–2 to win the series. The second game remains the most lopsided game in Stanley Cup playoff history. Ottawa's Frank McGee scored 14 goals alone in the second game, which is a record for a player in a Stanley Cup playoff game.

[Godfather]

Hockey is back!!! 115 straight days of hockey. Actually kind of excited for the all-Canadian division. It may get old, or the rivalries and fights may get crazy. Hard to predict yet, but the games today were great. Just happy to have it back while stuck at home.

[DemonGeminiX]

Are these divisions just for this season? What's going on?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Are these divisions just for this season? What's going on?

Yeah, it's just for this season. They grouped all the Canadian teams together because of the border restrictions between the US and Canada. It wasn't feasible for American teams to travel to Canada to play and have to quarantine for 14 days every time they crossed the border.

[FBD]

I keep forgetting what a meme clownworld it is out there and that these things exist :lol: I'm still pissed about them pausing the playoffs for black lives matter, that was fkn insulting.

[Godfather]

The league said financially it'd be cheaper not to even play this season. I've heard the NFL would be profitable even without fans in stadiums, but the NHL is not that way at all yet so I'm just glad we're getting a season at all. Crossing my fingers there aren't any big outbreaks that shut things down. I really need hockey in my life right now :lol:

[Godfather]

4 games in and all the Russians on the Caps have Covid including Ovie :lol: Sounds like they were up late partying their dicks off drinking vodka. Oopsies. Can take a Russian out of Russia, but can't take the Russia out of the Russians.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

4 games in and all the Russians on the Caps have Covid including Ovie :lol: Sounds like they were up late partying their dicks off drinking vodka. Oopsies. Can take a Russian out of Russia, but can't take the Russia out of the Russians.

The league fined the Caps $100K for the Covid restriction violations.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Chris Bengel - CBS Sports


https://i.imgur.com/f2ztG2D.jpg

Like many sports leagues, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the NHL very hard from a financial standpoint. They've been hit so hard that, according to a report from Mark J. Burns and Chris Smith of Sports Business Journal, the league has borrowed approximately $1 billion, which will be divided amongst the 31 teams.

The lenders haven't been revealed and the league hasn't issued any statement regarding the massive loan. Each team will have access to an estimated $30 million in the event of cash-flow problems, payroll issues and other expenses. That figure makes this similar to the support plan the NBA recently put in place to financially assist basketball teams.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman had already revealed that he expects the league to lose billions of dollars to operate during the 2021 season, which began in early January.

"We have made some financial arrangements that make sure our cash flow is what it needs to be, although that's not found money, that's debt," Bettman said earlier this month. "Our clubs, our owners are having to write checks and so while there's an economic consequence to playing a season, all of our owners and our clubs are in a position to weather it."

A league-wide credit facility already exists, but, according to the report, the NHL teams that have "well-financed" owners aren't likely to take the additional funds.

[FBD]

did the players take salary cuts while this garbage is going on?

[Godfather]

did the players take salary cuts while this garbage is going on?

Nope

They did accept more advertising though. There are now small ads on their helmets and you see a bit more advertising around the league than last year. Even the 4 divisions' names are sponsored :lol: It's not ideal... we better not look like those euro-trash hockey leagues.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/GfUISLO.png

https://i.imgur.com/o7nrPUX.png

https://i.imgur.com/0CdqOl2.png

https://i.imgur.com/Eqdr2Hl.png

[Godfather]

My Nucks are horrible this year.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

My Nucks are horrible this year.

You can always become a Leafs fan :tup:


:outtahere:

[Godfather]

This is hilarious. Bob McKenzie is the man.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hchreSFjFA

[DemonGeminiX]

:rofl: That was awesome.

[Godfather]

Poor old Mr. Gretzky Sr. died this week. He did wonderful things for the game of hockey and the community.

[DemonGeminiX]

:rip:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Associated Press


https://i.imgur.com/3nXOlXLh.jpg

MINNEAPOLIS — Mark Pavelich, the speedy center from the Iron Range who played on the “Miracle on Ice” Olympic hockey team, has died at a treatment center for mental illness. He was 63.

Officials in Anoka County, Minnesota, confirmed Friday that Pavelich died at the Eagle’s Healing Nest in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, on Thursday morning. The cause and manner of death are still pending.

“We are saddened to hear about the passing of 1980 Olympic gold medalist Mark Pavelich,” USA Hockey said in a statement. “We extend our deepest condolences to Mark’s family & friends. Forever a part of hockey history.”
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Pavelich was undergoing treatment at the home as part of a civil commitment for assaulting his neighbor in Cook County, Minnesota, in August 2019, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. Pavelich thought the man had spiked his beer.

He was charged with felony assault but Judge Michael Cuzzo found he was incompetent to stand trial because he was mentally ill and dangerous. According to the judge’s order from December 2019, a psychologist found Pavelich was suffering from delusions and paranoia. Another psychologist found he suffered from a mild neurocognitive disorder due to traumatic brain injury, likely related to repeated head injuries.

Pavelich assisted on Mike Eruzione’s winning goal against the heavily favored Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics. He sold his gold medal for more than $250,000 in 2014, two years after wife Kara died in an accidental fall.

Pavelich starred at Eveleth High School and was an All-America selection at the University of Minnesota Duluth before earning a spot on the Olympic team.

The 5-foot-8, 170-pound forward spent five seasons with the New York Rangers and played briefly for the Minnesota North Stars and San Jose Sharks, finishing with 137 goals and 192 assists in 355 NHL regular-season games. He had a five-goal game for the Rangers on Feb. 23, 1983, in an 11-3 victory over Hartford.

“As a kid growing up in Hibbing I used to go to the arena and hang out with gear in hand waiting to see if I could skate with the teams that rented the ice,” former Minnesota and NHL player Pat Micheletti tweeted. “Mark Pavelich always let me join with the Eveleth guys. He taught me so much about the game.”

Pavelich’s sister, Jean Gevik, didn’t immediately respond to a message.

The Rangers said in a statement they were saddened by Pavelich’s death.

“His determination, passion and dazzling playmaking ability earned him the adoration of Rangers fans during his five-year tenure in New York,” the team said.

[FBD]

what a sad story :rip:

[DemonGeminiX]

:rip:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Mark Fischer - New York Post


https://i.imgur.com/BLzU42q.png

Former Rangers captain Barry Beck, in a blistering Facebook post, said the team and USA hockey were “accountable” for the death of Mark Pavelich because they did not support the “Miracle on Ice” star as he battled mental illness.

Pavelich, who played five of those seasons with the Rangers, died Thursday at a mental health treatment facility in central Minnesota, and Beck is among those who believe his condition was related to head injuries suffered during a seven-year NHL career.

Beck also took aim at the NHL, which he called “cowards” for avoiding conversations about the physical sport’s lasting impact on the brain, hours after officials announced Friday that his 63-year-old former teammate had been found dead.

The cause of death is under investigation.

In the 946-word post, a heartbroken Beck rebuked team president John Davidson, also his former teammate, for not returning an email asking the Rangers to “publicaly show their support for Mark by just saying one of their own former players was sick and we wish him well.”

But The Post learned Davidson had been in constant contact with former Rangers netminder and current president of the NHL alumni association Glenn Healy regarding Pavelich. In the Facebook post, Beck credited Healy and the alumni association for becoming “involved” with Pavelich.

“Well JD did not even return my email. I guess he was too [f—ing] busy,” wrote Beck, a Rangers defenseman from 1979-86. “He should have picked up the phone and called me. That would have been the right thing to do as we were teammates and he certainly would have my back right?

“You’re on your throne now John but if our paths ever cross you better be ready. Or maybe just turn your back again.”

The Rangers, who declined to comment on Beck’s post, said in a statement Friday that they were “saddened” to learn of the passing of Pavelich, a 5-foot-8 hard-nosed, skilled center who spent five seasons with the organization from 1981-86 after playing a key role in the United States’ stunning gold medal win at the 1980 Olympics.

USA hockey and the NHL sent out similar statements. Neither immediately responded to requests for comment in light of Beck’s post.

“The Rangers and USA hockey are accountable for Marks death,” Beck wrote. “The NHL has to grow a set of balls and take action.”

Pavelich was undergoing treatment at the facility as part of a civil commitment for assaulting a neighbor in August 2019. Pavelich was charged with felony assault, but was found incompetent to stand trial because he was deemed by the judge to have a mental illness and dangerous.

Beck wrote that Pavelich’s sister, Jean Gevik, believed the Eveleth, Minn., native suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease often found in hockey and football players. It is associated with depression, memory loss and dementia and can only be diagnosed after death.

“Mark is the most kind and gentle person you’d ever know,” Gevik previously told the Star Tribune, but that he had turned into a “totally different guy” over the years.

https://i.imgur.com/sQEo9FK.png

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has previously said that the “relationship between concussions and the asserted clinical symptoms of CTE remains unknown,” even as several other deceased players were found to have had the disease.

In 2016, the league settled an $18.9 million lawsuit with 302 retired players who claimed the NHL failed to protect them from head injuries or warn them of the risks involved with playing.

“Now not one NHL team will discuss CTE or any of their players, staff or employees,” wrote the 63-year-old Beck, who once told The Washington Post that he experiences depression as a result of concussions sustained in hockey. “After the CTE lawsuit the NHL was just happy they didn’t have to discuss it anymore. They told teams under no circumstances shall any team discuss CTE the shrinkage of the brain. Not even the stick boy.

“They don’t discuss it because their cowards. The only thing that matters to them is money.”

Following Pavelich’s arrest, Beck wrote that he “immediately contacted his sister Jean to see how I could help. I asked her ‘has anyone from the Rangers or USA hockey contacted you yet to offer their support?’ No one called and still to this day no one called. Who the f&$k do these people think they are? They better not send their condolences now because they missed the boat. If they do I’ll chew them up from one end to the other.

“USA hockey you can throw them in the same boat as the Rangers,” Beck wrote. Wouldn’t respond to help Mark. A [f–-king] American hero!! You stupid MF’S!

Beck, who is coaching in Hong Kong, wrote that he was “deeply saddened, shocked and overcome with grief” upon hearing of Pavelich’s death.

The two spoke recently. Pavelich consoled Beck after his 20-year-old son, Brock, was killed, local police said, in a road rage stabbing in July in Ontario, Canada.

“Climbing one big mountain to overcome my sons death is a difficult task. Now I have two mountains to climb,” Beck wrote. “Well I’m ready to climb for Mark now.”

[Godfather]

Sad stuff, damn. Never knew about his struggles.

[FBD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TPk4RGqwVo

[FBD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI2FJEiLY0M

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au8acStAvzw

Bobby Orr, the absolute greatest defenseman to ever lace up the skates, turned 73 yesterday. Oh what could have been had his career not been cut incredibly short by injuries.

[FBD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwobgBWwJKQ

[Godfather]

Man that guy loves the game like nobody else. You hear stories about him having the keys to the rink and being there for hours before and after everyone else, even in the middle of the night

He posted sort of a sad, reflective story a few years back about it, admitting his love of the game cost him family and friends and even just time for relaxation, but huge credit to the guy for finding a way to stay working as a pro at that age.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Shanna McCarriston - CBS Sports


https://i.imgur.com/cDOzEoz.jpg

The NHL draft lottery is going to look a bit different moving forward. According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the NHL's board of governors has formally approved changes to the draft that were requested by the league in October.

The requests came from general managers and pertain to helping teams that finish lower in standings get a higher chance of winning the draft lottery. In the last ten years, a last place team has landed the top pick in the NHL draft lottery only two times.
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Below is a look at some of the other major changes. The first will start in 2021 and the other two will begin in 2022.


The number of lottery draws is reduced from three to two, so the last-place team can't draft lower than third overall
Clubs can move up a maximum of 10 spots, so only 11 teams have a shot at winning the No. 1 pick (instead of the current 16)
No team can win the draft lottery more than twice over a five-year period (this takes into account lotteries beginning in 2022)

The changes to help teams that finish lower in the standings come one year after the 18th place New York Rangers won the 2020 draft lottery. The Detroit Red Wings, who had the worst record in the league, came up fourth in that draft lottery.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

PAUL KASABIAN - Bleacher Report


https://i.imgur.com/u7Hv15L.jpg

NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell has said the league is "investigating" an incident that involved an official appearing to admit to a makeup call during the Detroit Red Wings vs. Nashville Predators game Tuesday.

Hockey writer Ken Campbell relayed the news regarding the remarks from the director of hockey operations, who did not comment further on the incident. Campbell later reported that a "reliable source" reported that the call was made by referee Tim Peel.

Tommy Stokke of the Action Network provided a breakdown of what allegedly happened.

"NHL referee Tim Peel was heard on a hot mic admitting he was looking to call a penalty against the Nashville Predators in the second period against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.

"The penalty in question came just under five minutes into the second period when Peel whistled Nashville's Viktor Arvidsson for tripping Detroit's Jon Merrill. It was the second penalty of the game, but the first on Nashville. Detroit was called for interference with 6:19 remaining in the opening period."

Sportsnet video producer Matt Best provided video on Twitter that appeared to capture a voice (presumably an official) talking about the call on a hot microphone (language NSFW).

"It wasn't much, but I wanted to get a f--kin' penalty against Nashville early in the..." a voice is heard before trailing off as the Fox Sports Tennessee broadcast went to commercial.
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Ultimately, the call had no effect on the game.

Detroit didn't score on the power play, and the Predators ended up winning 2-0. Nashville finished the night with four penalties to Detroit's three in a relatively clean contest.

[FBD]

that ref should lose his job and get beaten with a rubber hose

but since he's being paid by someone for this behavior, I dont think it will stop

[Teh One Who Knocks]

MIKE CHIARI - Bleacher Report


https://i.imgur.com/LvEznL9.jpg

The NHL announced Wednesday that referee Tim Peel will no longer officiate NHL games following a comment he made that was picked up by a microphone during Tuesday's game between the Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators.

NHL executive vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell released the following statement on the matter:
1374716621978238977
According to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, Peel called Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson for a tripping penalty during the second period of Tuesday's contest.

Following the call, Peel was heard on the broadcast saying: "It wasn't much, but I wanted to get a f--king penalty against Nashville early."

[Godfather]

that ref should lose his job and get beaten with a rubber hose

but since he's being paid by someone for this behavior, I dont think it will stop

I disagree. I think Peele probably realized he made a bad call in favor of the Preds earlier (maybe he saw video and realized he made a mistake - these guys are human and this is the fastest game on earth so it happens), and wanted a penalty to make it even. Simple as that.

People don't like the way the sound bite comes off as it reads as him having some vendetta against the Preds, but this line of 'make-up call' mentality is very very normal in the game of hockey from TimBits 5-year old leagues, up to the pros. The game is too fast to get every call right every single play, so refs sometimes need to even things out with a soft call the other direction. Peele got caught saying it which I guess is a tough look, but I sort of already assumed everyone who knows hockey knows that refs think this way at every level.

I absolutely don't think he deserved to lose his job over this.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I disagree. I think Peele probably realized he made a bad call in favor of the Preds earlier (maybe he saw video and realized he made a mistake - these guys are human and this is the fastest game on earth so it happens), and wanted a penalty to make it even. Simple as that.

People don't like the way the sound bite comes off as it reads as him having some vendetta against the Preds, but this line of 'make-up call' mentality is very very normal in the game of hockey from TimBits 5-year old leagues, up to the pros. The game is too fast to get every call right every single play, so refs sometimes need to even things out with a soft call the other direction. Peele got caught saying it which I guess is a tough look, but I sort of already assumed everyone who knows hockey knows that refs think this way at every level.

I absolutely don't think he deserved to lose his job over this.

I can see both sides of the argument, but being caught on a hot mic kinda forced the NHL's hand. You can't be blatantly saying that you are wanting to call a penalty on a particular team, whether you think the penalty was 'needed' to make up for a bad or missed call earlier in the game. We don't need the NHL to become the NBA where the officiating is just a joke and the refs there make no attempt to hide the fact that they are biased against certain teams and/or certain players.

I understand that hockey is a fast game and that penalties get missed all the time, but there should never be a "make up" penalty because one got missed or because you think a penalty was unfairly called earlier against one team. Things are always going to get missed. That's part of the human element of the game. And while I'm sure that this is going to continue ("make up" penalties), it just needs to be left unsaid. I think the league did what they had to do, you can't let anyone even get the whiff of an idea that there may be something hinkey going on with the officiating or else people will start believing that the games are fixed.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Pete Blackburn - CBS Sports


https://i.imgur.com/MLwGs0Bl.jpg

One of the NHL's most controversial and maligned officials, Tim Peel, is done refereeing games at the NHL level. This much was announced Wednesday morning, just hours after Peel was caught on a hot mic admitting to handing out a bogus penalty while working a game.

During Tuesday night's Red Wings-Predators game in Nashville, Peel didn't realize his microphone was on and could be heard saying he "wanted to get" a penalty against the Preds.

"It wasn't much but I wanted to get a f---in' penalty against Nashville early in the..." Peel could be heard saying over the air before FOX Sports Nashville's broadcast cut to commercial.

It remains unknown why Peel went out of his way to penalize Nashville despite little provocation, but "game management" and make-up calls from officials are nothing new to the NHL. It's recognized (and often expected) as part of the game, but rarely is there ever any hard evidence proving that a referee committed to calling a game unfairly.

Tuesday's incident in Nashville was the exception, and it was damning enough that the NHL couldn't overlook it. Peel's admission was enough of the black eye that league swiftly announced he would "no longer be working NHL games now or in the future."

"Nothing is more important than ensuring the integrity of our game," NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell said in a statement released Wednesday. "Tim Peel's conduct is in direct contradiction to the adherence to that cornerstone principle that we demand of our officials and that our fans, players, coaches and all those associated with our game expect and deserve.

"There is no justification for his comments, no matter the context or his intention, and the National Hockey League will take any and all steps necessary to protect the integrity our game."

While this seems like a surprisingly strong (though entirely appropriate) action from a league that doesn't often hold officials accountable in a public forum, it can also be argued that it's not quite as harsh as it appears on the surface. Peel, 53, was set to retire from officiating at the end of this season anyway, so his dismissal only expedites his departure about a month early. No where in the NHL's statement does it say that Peel was "fired" or "terminated" or anything of the like. Just that he won't work any additional games.

Some will view Peel's dismissal as the league feigning a moral stance while guiding him out the door slightly earlier than expected. Others will say that it's an adequate response that to the situation and the league's statement could serve as a warning shot to other officials who may find themselves in a similar set of circumstances moving forward.

Regardless of which camp you reside in, the next set of questions should be rather obvious: Where does the league go from here? Will this change anything? Would Peel have even gotten in trouble had he not been caught on a live mic? (I think we can all probably answer that last one.)

Again, "game management" has long been accepted as part of hockey. Many times we've seen one team get hosed on a penalty call (or non-call), only to be conveniently gifted a make-up call shortly thereafter. But why do we accept this as common practice? And, perhaps a better question, why are officials allowed to double-down on bad officiating without being held accountable by the league?

It's easy enough to look past this behavior and say it's just part of the game, but the NHL does have an opportunity to use this latest incident as a catalyst for meaningful change. The league could save a little face here by committing to accountability and transparency when it comes to on-ice officiating.

What might that look like? Well, for starters, the NHL could look at what the NBA does with its "Last Two Minute Reports." When it comes to those reports, the NBA investigates and analyzes the quality of officiating decisions toward the end of close games, and they release those findings to the public -- openly conveying when refs get things right or wrong.

The NHL could implement a similar system in which the league offices examine officiating decisions in each game and release reports on where things were called correctly or incorrectly. And before you rush to grab your pitchforks, that doesn't necessarily mean the league has to fine or suspend officials every time they get something wrong. There's a human element to officiating and the job is harder than most of us realize, especially in a game as fast as hockey.

But, at the very least, such a system would offer transparency to teams and fans and help the league keep receipts on the behavior of its officials. The NHL has been plagued by a number of major controversial officiating decisions in recent years -- many of them coming in highly consequential postseason situations when there seems to be a different (read: much more lenient) rulebook in place. Rarely has the league gone out of its way to publicly provide clarification or a consistent response to these controversies.

There also exists a strong lack of direct accountability and communication from the officials themselves. The NHL are almost never made available to the media after games, even in situations where an officiating decision may have had a significant impact on the game. The league occasionally directing officials to answer questions from reporters could also offer a channel of clarification and accountability.

There's also the chance that implementing this sort of system would also help create a greater general understanding of the ways certain penalties are called (or not called) on the ice as well. There tends to be a lot of discretion when it comes to how officials call minors and majors, particularly in instances of boarding, charging and targeting hits. If the league and its officials consistently make efforts to explain where they're coming from, the gray areas could be painted more black and white.

The Peel incident should serve as a bit of an awakening for how protected NHL officials are, even when it's generally acknowledged that they sometimes get things wrong on purpose, and how we're only promised accountability when a microphone is accidentally switched on. If nothing else, having the NHL commit to simply acknowledging when an official performs poorly would be a step in the right direction.

[FBD]

I disagree. I think Peele probably realized he made a bad call in favor of the Preds earlier (maybe he saw video and realized he made a mistake - these guys are human and this is the fastest game on earth so it happens), and wanted a penalty to make it even. Simple as that.

People don't like the way the sound bite comes off as it reads as him having some vendetta against the Preds, but this line of 'make-up call' mentality is very very normal in the game of hockey from TimBits 5-year old leagues, up to the pros. The game is too fast to get every call right every single play, so refs sometimes need to even things out with a soft call the other direction. Peele got caught saying it which I guess is a tough look, but I sort of already assumed everyone who knows hockey knows that refs think this way at every level.

I absolutely don't think he deserved to lose his job over this.

Reality, the penalty needle getting a bit more sensitive after certain calls, but having a ref sit there thinking I have to penalize one team and I'm looking for just that...is just severely unprofessional. If the leagues want integrity then they will need to up their reffing game. Its one thing when its timbits, but when its a multibillion dollar professional sports league and shit tons of money exchanges hands betting on it, it just dents the integrity of the game. I dont watch football anymore because the refs alter the game so much...I dont want them to give me more reasons to avoid watching "professional" hockey.

[Godfather]

Ya I agree with what you and lance are saying, really good points. It may be the culture but it's amateur hour when it gets out there on a hot mic. And I think the NHL already has the reputation at times for being the little brother of the other top tier leagues so there's not much latitude for this sort of stuff.

[FBD]

this is definitely one case where little brother does not want to be like big brother....when the betting tables start swaying games, the game has a problem

[Godfather]

My Canucks are so fucked. 21/22 active players + 4 staff all got COVID in a matter of days, sounds like the Brazilian variant but with all the testing and protocols they have to follow I'm still somewhat shocked the virus spread through the team so quickly. This must be the biggest outbreak any pro team has seen so far?

They're all healthy young guys so I'm sure they'll all be fine, but they should just bow out of this season honestly. They won't have played for 2+ weeks when they cleared to play again, they're not making the playoffs anyways, especially with their schedule which will now be crushingly tight... just throw in the towel :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Chris Bengel - CBS Sports


https://i.imgur.com/qwqGhHV.jpg

Last month, former "Miracle on Ice" hockey star Mark Pavelich was found dead in his Minnesota home. On Monday, a Minnesota medical examiner ruled Pavelich's death a suicide.

The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office in Anoka County ruled that Pavelich's death was a result of asphyxia. The 63-year old was staying at the Eagle's Healing Nest in Sauk Centre, Minnesota to undergo treatment after assaulting his neighbor in Cook County, Minnesota in August 2019.

Following the incident, Judge Michael Cuzzo ruled that Pavelich was "incompetent to stand trail" due to being mentally ill and a danger to others. Cuzzo stated that psychologists found that the former hockey star was suffering from delusions and paranoia, which could've led to the altercation. Pavelich was diagnosed with a mild neurocognitive disorder due to traumatic brain injuries, which likely occurred during his hockey career.

Pavelich was a huge part of the 1980 United States men's hockey team that won the gold medal at the Lake Placid Olympics. Pavelich dished out the assist on Mike Eruzione's game-winning goal against the Soviet Union in the tournament semifinals. He later sold his gold medal for $250,000.

Following his Olympic success, Pavelich played for the New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars, and San Jose Sharks during his seven-year professional career. During that time, Pavelich registered 137 goals and 192 assists in 355 regular season games, which mostly came with the Rangers.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Kind of excited about the B's getting Taylor Hall. They didn't give up too much to get him and the upside is possibly huge. If he can regain even a sliver of what he was during his Hart Trophy season, it will be the steal of the trading session this year. And because that the B's gave up almost nothing, the downside is pretty much non-existent. Especially considering that the Sabers are still paying half his salary this year.

[Godfather]

Kind of excited about the B's getting Taylor Hall. They didn't give up too much to get him and the upside is possibly huge. If he can regain even a sliver of what he was during his Hart Trophy season, it will be the steal of the trading session this year. And because that the B's gave up almost nothing, the downside is pretty much non-existent. Especially considering that the Sabers are still paying half his salary this year.

Absolutely huge for you guys, he's a stud. The B's already have some incredibly cap friendly deals which look even better in this new 'flat cap' era. Really good stuff for them.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Absolutely huge for you guys, he's a stud. The B's already have some incredibly cap friendly deals which look even better in this new 'flat cap' era. Really good stuff for them.

Two things give me a little bit of pause though. First, he's only scored two goals this season which isn't really great :lol: And two, the rumors that he's a locker room cancer, which could be the worse of the two issues. He is on a team now where he won't be expected to carry the load in any way shape or form, so he's got almost zero pressure on him.

[Godfather]

Two things give me a little bit of pause though. First, he's only scored two goals this season which isn't really great :lol: And two, the rumors that he's a locker room cancer, which could be the worse of the two issues. He is on a team now where he won't be expected to carry the load in any way shape or form, so he's got almost zero pressure on him.

Could help for sure, seems like he's primed for a comeback.


There's also one big fail-safe you to remember - even if you tank and it's all his fault, Hall has the best draft luck in the world - been on 3 separate teams that have won draft lottos, for a total of five first overall picks. Worst case scenario doesn't look so bad :lol:

[Godfather]

Hey Lance not sure if you care but the Bruins are still doing their behind the scenes doc this season which I always enjoy:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3NHkZYCdbE

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Hall gets his first goal with the B's last night :cheers:
1382866029970399232

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Hey Lance not sure if you care but the Bruins are still doing their behind the scenes doc this season which I always enjoy:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3NHkZYCdbE

I'll have to check it out!

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Tuukka got his 300th win last night too and that puts him at 36th all-time in the NHL. He is so very underappreciated in Boston for a goalie that is so good.

[Godfather]

Hall gets his first goal with the B's last night :cheers:
1382866029970399232

Hall: 2 goals in 37 games as a Sabre
Also Hall: 2 goals in 3 games as a Bruin



:lol: So good. I feel bad for Sabres fans but MAN that must be a terrible organization to work in. You look at that roster this year and I bet you recognize almost every single name on that team, on paper they look good but they just seem to have a culture of losing.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Hall picks up another point with an assist on a goal by Krejci this afternoon.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1383847097326211079

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/0ZU1AoS.png

Cautiously optimistic about Swayman's play and potential. Looks like he could be a legit #1 eventually and that's great news considering that Rask and Halak are both getting up there in age and either one of them could retire at anytime. Will definitely need to see more from Swayman before getting all seriously excited about him taking the reigns though, because I still remember once upon a time Andrew Raycroft won the Calder with the Bruins and I remember just how well that turned out. :lol:

[Godfather]

No story here, just a fantastic shot of Chara beating the lights out of Martin :lol:

Terrifying


https://i.imgur.com/TxiY6br.jpg

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I'm still sad the Bruins let him go :(

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Taylor Hall scores again for Boston
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[Godfather]

Turns out the players aren't the problem in Buffalo eh.... I'd feel bad for Jack Eichel if he wasn't making $10 mil a year for 8 years :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Turns out the players aren't the problem in Buffalo eh.... I'd feel bad for Jack Eichel if he wasn't making $10 mil a year for 8 years :lol:

Makes Buffalo look like a great place to go and play, doesn't it? :lol:

Hall had 2 goals and 17 assists and a -21 in 37 games for the Sabres and he now has 4 goals and 3 assists and a +8 in nine games with Boston.

[Godfather]

Makes Buffalo look like a great place to go and play, doesn't it? :lol:

Hall had 2 goals and 17 assists and a -21 in 37 games for the Sabres and he now has 4 goals and 3 assists and a +8 in nine games with Boston.

I'd love to listen to a local sports radio station in Buffalo take open calls about this :lol: Their fans must be absolutely losing their minds at that organization.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I'd love to listen to a local sports radio station in Buffalo take open calls about this :lol: Their fans must be absolutely losing their minds at that organization.

Buffalo might be the worst organization in hockey right now :lol:

And Hall scored again last night:
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Sweet move by Krejci to get the puck over to Hall for the easy goal.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Larry Brooks - New York Post


https://i.imgur.com/ERsKm3b.jpg

The NHL’s ultimate decision whether and for what duration to suspend Tom Wilson for twice body-slamming Artemi Panarin, who will miss the final three games of the season, to the ice after the Washington recidivist went upside a prone and defenseless Pavel Buchnevich’s head with a sucker punch during a second-period incident at the Garden on Monday will not be a reflection on Wilson, but instead on the league, itself.

This was not only bush-league stuff from this notorious headhunter who has been suspended five times in his NHL career, it was frightening how close his initial body slam of Panarin, on which the Washington winger grabbed a chunk of hair to gain leverage, came to causing calamitous damage.

Had Panarin’s head, rather than shoulder, hit the ice full force, the NHL might be presiding over a death.

This is reckless stuff that is repeated over and over again and is enabled over and over again by the Washington organization. Just as Caps coach Peter Laviolette shrugged off Wilson’s blow that concussed Boston’s Brandon Carlo in early March that earned Wilson a seven-game suspension, the coach did it again after Monday’s match.

“I thought it was just a scrum,” Laviolette said after his team’s 6-3 victory in which Wilson, who received nothing more than a double minor for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct for his indiscretions, scored once. “Some physical play … it happens a lot.”
1389382019289784320
Funny how it happens a lot when Wilson, who preened in the penalty box, is involved. But it is not funny at all. It is a blight on the league.

This is stuff from the 1970s, stuff from the days of the Broad Street Bullies, stuff that no longer can be tolerated. This is stuff that merits as strong a rebuke as possible from Sixth Avenue.

Enough is enough. Wilson should be banned for the rest of the season and the playoffs, and he should have to apply for readmission to the league next season. A man with no hockey conscience has forfeited his right to play.

You’re up, commissioner.

[FBD]

stuff like this is worse when you have teams playing each other so many times in a season, cant wait until the idiot restrictions are lifted

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/uXzFx3v.jpg

51 years ago today Bobby Orr scored possibly the most famous goal in Stanley Cup history to clinch the Stanley Cup for the Bruins.

[deebakes]

it's a convenient thing his helmet fell off so a good picture could be taken...

:fbd:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

it's a convenient thing his helmet fell off so a good picture could be taken...

:fbd:

Pretty much nobody wore helmets before the early 80's :slap:

[FBD]

might wanna take a look at the goalie, dee :lol: doesnt look like he had one on either

[deebakes]

Pretty much nobody wore helmets before the early 80's :slap:

don't let facts get in the way now lance :hand:

[deebakes]

might wanna take a look at the goalie, dee :lol: doesnt look like he had one on either

also strangely convenient :-k

[FBD]

:lmao:

[Godfather]

Some pretty serious allegations of sexual assault came out against Canucks' forward Jake Virtanen last week. He's been put on leave, and I think his career is probably over.

Innocent until proven guilty of course, but the rumors of him being a shady, seedy, difficult player have floated around town since he was drafted 5-6 years ago. I have friends in the restaurant industry who have said the rumors of him being a creep are well known.

That aside... we signed him this summer instead of re-signing Tyler Taffoli. Taffoli makes $1.5m more, but has scored 28 goals and 44 points in 52 games, while Virtanen has just 5 points this year.

Just the icing on the cake of a horrible year, and horrible management decisions. This team desperately needs new ownership... I can't even watch anymore.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Some pretty serious allegations of sexual assault came out against Canucks' forward Jake Virtanen last week. He's been put on leave, and I think his career is probably over.

Innocent until proven guilty of course, but the rumors of him being a shady, seedy, difficult player have floated around town since he was drafted 5-6 years ago. I have friends in the restaurant industry who have said the rumors of him being a creep are well known.

That aside... we signed him this summer instead of re-signing Tyler Taffoli. Taffoli makes $1.5m more, but has scored 28 goals and 44 points in 52 games, while Virtanen has just 5 points this year.

Just the icing on the cake of a horrible year, and horrible management decisions. This team desperately needs new ownership... I can't even watch anymore.

Hindsight is always 20/20 but it doesn't help with the present. Even if they can't prove and convict him of the sexual assault, having that hanging over his head forever is going to just make him persona non grata in the NHL, so you're right, his career is most likely over.

What happened with the ownership? The 'Nucks used to be always one of the best teams in the league and always seemed like a well run organization.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1391933859797811207
Hall scored twice for the B's last night, including the one to win it in OT.

A tale of two players...Hall's stats with the Sabres versus with the Bruins.

https://i.imgur.com/RystPg4.png


And the Bruins will face the Caps in the first round of the playoffs. That's a tough matchup in the first round.

[Godfather]

Hindsight is always 20/20 but it doesn't help with the present. Even if they can't prove and convict him of the sexual assault, having that hanging over his head forever is going to just make him persona non grata in the NHL, so you're right, his career is most likely over.

What happened with the ownership? The 'Nucks used to be always one of the best teams in the league and always seemed like a well run organization.

It's mostly rumors but the current Aquilini group that owns the team has only owned a majority share since 2006. By then they had a decent foundation for our best years as an organization from 2008-2011 without having to do much.

Since then it's just gone downhill, we've just missed the playoffs this year for the 5th time in 6 years which has never happened before. Our salary cap is a disaster and the rumors around town are very strong that ownership is highly involved in day-to-day decision making.

As an example, a couple years back we hired our most beloved former captain of all time Trevor Linden, as president of hockey operations which fans loved... He only stuck around for a few years before leaving due to 'differences' with ownership. Not a good situation.

[FBD]

it sucks when the owners are micromanaging douchebags

[Teh One Who Knocks]

It's mostly rumors but the current Aquilini group that owns the team has only owned a majority share since 2006. By then they had a decent foundation for our best years as an organization from 2008-2011 without having to do much.

Since then it's just gone downhill, we've just missed the playoffs this year for the 5th time in 6 years which has never happened before. Our salary cap is a disaster and the rumors around town are very strong that ownership is highly involved in day-to-day decision making.

As an example, a couple years back we hired our most beloved former captain of all time Trevor Linden, as president of hockey operations which fans loved... He only stuck around for a few years before leaving due to 'differences' with ownership. Not a good situation.


it sucks when the owners are micromanaging douchebags

Yup, nothing worse than when ownership thinks they know better than a real GM or team president that has been involved in the DTD operations for years. Quick way to ruin a team. Look what Daniel Snyder did to the Washington Redskins. They've been awful for well over a decade now. Same here in Denver with the Rockies. It sucks.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

On this day 8 years ago, the best video on YouTube was filmed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8GCH5qf9IY

[Godfather]

Amazing day in history.

I love to remind my Toronto fan friends "It was 5-1" :rofl:

Truly fuck the leafs. You can be watching a 7pm EST game of Vancouver vs Calgary on national broadcasts and they'll spend 10 minutes talking about the '92 Maple Leafs. This year they'll probably cruise out of the North Div but I hope they get crushed immediately after.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

My favorite is the guy at the end after Bergeron scored and he's just, "how....? how....?" :|


:lol:

I think the Leafs might be one of the most universally hated teams among NHL fans that aren't already Leaf fans.

[FBD]

:lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1393709207514456065

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/ODgzFXX.png

:rofl:

[Godfather]

Hall ties it with 3 minutes left and the Bruins win in OT?! :lol: Amazing. I'm pulling for you guys to smoke the Caps.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Hall ties it with 3 minutes left and the Bruins win in OT?! :lol: Amazing. I'm pulling for you guys to smoke the Caps.

This series is waaaaaaaay too tight for my liking. I'm hoping it changes more in the B's favor when they hit the Garden for the next 2 games.

But if there was any doubt that Hall still had something in the tank, all doubts have been erased since he's been on the Bruins. Absolute steal of the trade deadline.

[Godfather]

Do you follow/root for the Avs at all lance? They're such a fun team to watch too. They were strong against the Blues in game 1.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Do you follow/root for the Avs at all lance? They're such a fun team to watch too. They were strong against the Blues in game 1.TBH I haven't followed the Av's that closely in quite awhile now. I still listen to a local Avalanche podcast and I keep up on their wins and loses to a point, but I just don't feel that close to the team anymore and I don't know why. Especially considering how good they are.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Another OT game again for the B's...this series shouldn't be this tight. :shakehead: But at least Boston came out on top again.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1395206261109571584
Awful sloppy puck handling considering you are in double OT.

[FBD]

Awful sloppy puck handling considering you are in double OT.

did the nhl make some rule that all normal goalies need to take the bench and everyone has to put backups in or something

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bdpFYsmjWM

Hall's goal last night was pretty sweet.

[Godfather]

My god that collision with Tavares was sickening... nobody's fault IMO, clean hit but he fell into Perry's path despite Perry trying to jump out of the way. The way he stumbles when the try and stand him up, ugh...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GihRgHaB1b8

[Teh One Who Knocks]

That was awful :wha: Luckily he gave a thumbs up as he was being stretchered off the ics and this morning they are saying that he was kept in the hospital overnight for observation and that all tests so far have come back clear. Doubtful though if he returns for the series.

[deebakes]

:puke:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

He's been released from the hospital and is now resting at home. He is listed as out indefinitely at this point.

[deebakes]

at least he is out of the hospital

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1396644725197733888

[deebakes]

that guy is a beast

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Winnipeg sweeps the Oilers :shock:

[Godfather]

I wonder if anyone bet on that, and what the odds would've been... as much as I root against the Oilers, it's honestly sad to see for McDavid. They have no depth, and this offseason it looks like depth scorers are going to get over-paid so I have no idea how they'll address it.

[FBD]

yeah its like him and draisatl and a bunch of beer leaguers, poor bastads

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Leafs are pathetic :facepalm:

:lol:

https://i.imgur.com/DOZc0Yf.png
1399545575125647362
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1399689000508530691
1399543916647653376
1399692799847636995
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1399539856280371200
1399547382430408705

[FBD]

:lmao:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47SNpDwo6is


2021 NHL Playoffs Montreal vs Toronto

A collection of outstanding plays by the dynamic duo!

[FBD]

https://media.tenor.com/images/e813a437b72d798c2036378915296609/tenor.gif

[Godfather]

The memes are too good :lol:


A few of my favorite anecdotes from this:
- Leafs haven't won a round since 2004...
- They had an Amazon Prime documentary crew following them this season because it was 'supposed to be their year'
- Earlier in the pandemic, Leafs fans penned letters to PM Trudeau begging him to ease pandemic restrictions to allow fans in the building for the finals. THE FINALS :rofl:

[FBD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffhiX1gDwYc

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The memes are too good :lol:


A few of my favorite anecdotes from this:
- Leafs haven't won a round since 2004...
- They had an Amazon Prime documentary crew following them this season because it was 'supposed to be their year'
- Earlier in the pandemic, Leafs fans penned letters to PM Trudeau begging him to ease pandemic restrictions to allow fans in the building for the finals. THE FINALS :rofl:

And the thing was, with the way the divisions were set up this year, a trip to the 3rd round was basically gift wrapped with a bow for the Leafs. They were far and away the best team in that whole division. But then of course the playoffs started and then they remembered, "hey wait, we're the Leafs, we don't win playoff series!" and they piss away a 3-1 series lead to a very, very average (at best) Habs team.

:lol:

[Godfather]

Scheifele's hit on Evans was so unnecessary... 4 game suspension feels right (but the Department of Player Safety still has a wildly unpredictable track record this season).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlgnemTo4TM

[FBD]

:shrug: call me a barbarian, but what else was he supposed to do to prevent that goal from being scored? sure it was a rough hit, but... (but that's always my first impression...what? that wasnt that bad, was it?)

damn that dude's down a while, what was schieffle gonna do though, dive with his stick?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Schieffle isn't a dirty player and I'm sure that he didn't mean the hit to turn out the way it meant to be, but I'm sure that he will get suspended for it.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zWTP-UM2xE

Talk about a tough angle....

[FBD]

that's gotta be something they look for and practice, hitting the far side corner when you see a goalie really come down tight to the iron like that

[Godfather]

Ya a few people have had that take online... Scheifele is not a dirty player at all so I give him a lot of slack for that but I do think he dropped his hand off the stick and went full throttle at Evans there after the puck was in... but then again you do have to remember that things don't happen at slo-mo speeds in the NHL, he probably was thinking a hit could prevent that goal. I'd like to be a fly on the wall for the DPoS hearing to see what he had to say. I'm sure he feels awful.

[Godfather]

Wow, Canada won gold at the IIHF World Hockey Championship today... I actually had no clue we made the finals :lol: I feel kinda bad but I paid zero attention to this tournament with NHL playoffs being on and the IIHF team having almost no star players this year.

[deebakes]

:canada:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Montreal is the hope for Canada to break the Stanley Cup curse. And they were the last team from Canada to do it, back in 1993. Amazing that no Canadian team has won in 28 years.

[FBD]

28 years, cmon you slackers

[Teh One Who Knocks]

There hasn't even been a Canadian team in the finals for 10 years. Vancouver was the last one in 2011.

[Godfather]

I was 5 when the Cup was last won by a Canadian team, I have zero memories of it ever happening :lol: I do vaguely remember the Blue Jays winning the World Series that year though, mostly just my cousins and I being yelled at by my dad and uncles to shut up as they cheering :lol:

But while Montreal has surprised the hell out of Canada these playoffs, I don't hold much hope of them advancing to the Finals.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Welp, the Bruins are done, just played like shit after taking a 2-1 series lead. They played Rask even though know it's obvious they shouldn't have because they're saying he needs surgery in the offseason now. What a collapse from what was a great and promising season and playoff run up until this. Bergy and Marchand (and Rask) aren't getting any younger, how many more years can they play at this level? One? Maybe two? The door is quickly closing on what has been a great decade for the B's, and they only have one Cup to show for it and tow finals losses.

[FBD]

Rask is still there? I thought he'd be having beers with Timmy by now

[Godfather]

Welp, the Bruins are done, just played like shit after taking a 2-1 series lead. They played Rask even though know it's obvious they shouldn't have because they're saying he needs surgery in the offseason now. What a collapse from what was a great and promising season and playoff run up until this. Bergy and Marchand (and Rask) aren't getting any younger, how many more years can they play at this level? One? Maybe two? The door is quickly closing on what has been a great decade for the B's, and they only have one Cup to show for it and tow finals losses.

I know it's no consolidation after your team lost when they were promising, it stings for a while... but I'd happily give my left nut for the last 10 years the Bruins have had even if the window is closing for their core to win another cup. I'd love to see Bergy win won as captain though, one of the most passionate guys in the game.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I know it's no consolidation after your team lost when they were promising, it stings for a while... but I'd happily give my left nut for the last 10 years the Bruins have had even if the window is closing for their core to win another cup. I'd love to see Bergy win won as captain though, one of the most passionate guys in the game.Oh believe me, I do appreciate how good the B's have been over the last decade plus. It's not just you, there are fans of a lot of teams that would be beyond thrilled with a team that was a perennial playoff team and one with the ability to get to the finals and win the Cup. But when your team is that good, you are just always expecting more. It's just human nature. :lol:

[Godfather]

Oh believe me, I do appreciate how good the B's have been over the last decade plus. It's not just you, there are fans of a lot of teams that would be beyond thrilled with a team that was a perennial playoff team and one with the ability to get to the finals and win the Cup. But when your team is that good, you are just always expecting more. It's just human nature. :lol:

Totally get that

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Wow, didn't see the Isles coming out and taking out the Lightning in game one. Although I am probably rooting for the Islanders now because if they win the Cup, at least I can say the B's were taken out by the Cup winners. :lol:

Series is far from over, but taking game 1 in Tampa is huge though. And now we'll have to see if the high of beating the Avalanche will cause a hangover for the GK's against Montreal. To me, this series hinges all on Carey Price. If he can stand on his head, the Habs have a chance. Otherwise, this could be a really short series.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/KpuGhLt.jpg

A week late but still funny :lol:

[Godfather]

I'm hoping for an Isles vs Habs final, good to see teams take runs that haven't been there in a while

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1404503418350178305
:woot:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I'm hoping for an Isles vs Habs final, good to see teams take runs that haven't been there in a while

Didn't look good for the Habs last night.

[Godfather]

Didn't look good for the Habs last night.

For several years running, the two teams I pull for in the semis lose, so I'd say bet on Tampa and Vegas :lol:

[Godfather]

For fuck sake can someone at NHL.com please fix this!? It's been like this for a week, it's going to give me an aneurysm. :lol:



https://i.imgur.com/dxLhECS.png

[Teh One Who Knocks]

And the Habs are up 2 games to 1 now :shock:

[FBD]

I couldnt find anywhere online to watch that shit last night. NBC had it but wouldnt stream to me, buncha other bullshit to pay for.

past few seasons I've been able to find places to watch online free and easily....wtf's up with this, is it time to say fuck the NHL I'm not bothering to even think about you fuckfaces anymore because I either need cable or pay for some asinine bullshit just to watch hockey? (again?)

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/DuzcGe2.jpg

A look back at the Bruins bar bill after they won the Cup 10 years ago.

[Godfather]

136 bud light has always been my favorite part of that bill. You can pay hockey players millions but they'll always drink bud light :lol: Love it.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

That Lightning/Isles game was touch and go there right up till the end :-k

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Habs take home ice back after beating Vegas last night. I bet the Forum (I have no idea what their newest arena is called, I'm old school, it's always gonna be the Forum to me) will be a madhouse for game 6.

Could a Canadian team actually win the Cup? :shock:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJJze6ynJXw

And with that, the Montreal Canadiens are in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in 28 years....

[FBD]

wow, that's great for the habs! and great for canada too, ya pansies were starting to worry us! I started watching this game while I was at Sliders last night, didnt stay for too much of it.