NHL and other ice hockey discussion

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/D5uZEeAl.jpeg

:usa:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/sjlZS42l.jpeg

Not sure how much longer they will be this hot, but it's fun while it's lasting.

[Godfather]

Bruins dominant. WOuldn't have guessed the Devils would be this good either.

My canucks.. I don't even know what to say :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yeah, I don't think the B's can play .889 hockey for the whole season :lol: but damn is it fun being a Bruins fan right now. But now the test will be coming, they have a really tough stretch coming up: @ Tampa tonite, then @ Florida, home to Carolina, home to Tampa, home to Colorado, home to Vegas, @ Colorado, @ Arizona, and @ Vegas.

The Arizona game is the only one in there that could be considered easy. Then at the end of December, they have two games @ New Jersey and both those games are the second games of back-to-backs for Boston.

[Godfather]

Cale Makar just became the fastest d-man to reach 200 points. Wild, he's changing that position, I love his game.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Ovi notched his 800th career goal the other night and he will most certainly pass Gordie Howe (801 goals) for 2nd all time behind only Wayne Gretzky (894 goals). Where does/will Ovi rank in terms of all time greatest NHL players?

[DemonGeminiX]

Truth be told, I had no idea he was actually up there in the rankings. I don't really hold him in high regard.

[Godfather]

Ovi notched his 800th career goal the other night and he will most certainly pass Gordie Howe (801 goals) for 2nd all time behind only Wayne Gretzky (894 goals). Where does/will Ovi rank in terms of all time greatest NHL players?

Such a hard question. If he does it, he'll almost certainly retire top 10 in points all time too. I've never been his biggest fan like DGX, but I think for his skill, speed, longevity, style and pure scoring ability, it'll be hard not to include him among the top 10 of all time... top 5 though? I dono, only one cup (can't see the Caps winning again anytime soon), that horrific +/-, his scoring averages not being what legends with shorter careers like Orr and Lemieux put up... I don't think he'd make the top 5 on most lists. Thoughts?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

It's definitely hard to slot him on an "all time" list. I definitely don't think he'll be top 5, even if he were to pass Gretzky in total goals scored. When I think of the best of all time, I think of names like Gretzky and Lemieux and Orr and Howe and Roy and Brodeur. Not sure that Ovi would even make my top 10 list if I really thought about it :-k

[Godfather]

It's definitely hard to slot him on an "all time" list. I definitely don't think he'll be top 5, even if he were to pass Gretzky in total goals scored. When I think of the best of all time, I think of names like Gretzky and Lemieux and Orr and Howe and Roy and Brodeur. Not sure that Ovi would even make my top 10 list if I really thought about it :-k

Ya I was staring at point totals and averages last night, thinking about Cups won and all that while thinking about your question and TBH I was sorta thinking "I think he's in there if he beats Gretz' record"... but to be honest I totally forgot to think about goalies after looking at point totals for so long :lol: I agree, even top 10 is a stretch. Maybe top 10 forwards? Definitely he'd be in my top 5 'pure goal scorers' list for whatever that's worth.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/im2RoBIl.jpeg

That stat is just unreal

[Godfather]

Wild, that's a great find!

Just looked up the roster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992%E2%80%9393_Maine_Black_Bears_men%27s_ice_hock ey_season

Couple familiar names, most notably Paul Kariya but otherwise mostly just journeyman hockey players. That's neat.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

A record of 42-1-2 and their only loss was a 7-6 OT loss to Boston University.

[Godfather]

The Boston Bruins have more points through 33 games than the Montreal Canadiens had in 82 games in 2021-22. :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Boston Bruins have more points through 33 games than the Montreal Canadiens had in 82 games in 2021-22. :lol:

I keep waiting for the skid to start and they just keep rolling along. This season has been unreal so far for the B's.

[Godfather]

Anyone keeping up with the World Juniors? Been a fun tourny so far, the Czechs and Swedes are looking dangerous but I'm hoping Canada makes the finals. US is looking very strong too.

Bedard is just on another level though... 17 points through 3 and a half games (so far). Can't wait to see him in the NHL... unfortunately probably as a Coyote though :lol:

[Godfather]

My god that Bedard overtime goal... I think he's legitimately going to be on McDavid/Ovie/Crosby levels in the NHL.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Connor Bedard sends Team Canada to the semifinals with a highlight-reel overtime goal and does the Patrick Kane heartbreaker celebration 👀 <a href="https://t.co/Ccv0WRqfgd">pic.twitter.com/Ccv0WRqfgd</a></p>&mdash; Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) <a href="https://twitter.com/CRoumeliotis/status/1610106454169554947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[deebakes]

play some defense! :lol:

[Godfather]

He's a man playing with boys in this tourny frankly. In fact, he's probably going to undress many legitimate first line D-men over his career in the same way. He's elite :lol:

[Godfather]

Good game vs US tonight, Canada had a really poor start and it looked like they were in trouble but our goalie stood on his head for the 2nd and 3rd and stole a win, the US had a ton of shots and could've easily had a few goals that turned that game around.

Good luck to the US for bronze, should be a couple good games tomorrow to finish and excellent tournament! Canada will have their hands full, this Czech Republic team is strong.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:willie:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

BY AARON ITOVICH - Hockey Patrol


https://i.imgur.com/jC4DNupl.jpg

This is truly just a ridiculous story. Matt Murray is under fire right now, for the third time this season, for net manipulation.

Essentially, Murray is being accused of purposefully loosening the net in order to be able to easily knock it off its posts. This would give the Leafs an obvious unfair advantage in high-danger situations.

While it couldn't be proven before, Murray couldn't resist playing with his goalposts mid-game yesterday. He was thus caught on camera in this incredibly incriminating clip:
1612246989743476736
This sparked NHL insider Michael Russo to clue us in to ongoing league investigations concerning the subject:


It was noticed in the Situation Room last night that Murray was wiggling the net during TV timeout. League is actually testing nets coming up but also clipping goalies taking nets off moorings and bringing examples to GM's Meeting in March. Murray's net came off twice last night
1612517370936934400
Whether Murray is confirmed to be cheating or not, he should probably be focussing on the game in front of him!

[deebakes]

cheater

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Andrew Crane - New York Post


https://i.imgur.com/HwpQ1Sq.jpg

Former Islanders winger Gino Odjick has died, his sister Dina shared on Facebook. He was 52 years old.

“Our hearts are broken,” Dina posted on her Facebook page. “My brother Gino Odjick has left us for the spirit world,” with two heart emojis attached to the end of her message.

Odjick suffered a heart attack at a Vancouver medical clinic, where he had gone to get leg bandages replaced, the Montreal Gazette reported.

He was diagnosed with amyloidosis in 2014, according to Sportsnet, and it “attacked his organs and his heart.”

The Islanders, Canucks and Canadiens — three teams that Odjick played with over his 12-year NHL career — released statements Sunday night after his death.

“The New York Islanders are deeply saddened to learn the passing of former family member, Gino Odjick,” the team said in a statement on Twitter. “The team extends our condolences to the Odjick family and friends.”

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

https://i.imgur.com/I0ojcjU.png

Odjick was acquired by the Islanders in 1998, when the Canucks traded him in exchange for Jason Strudwick, He spent parts of the next three seasons in New York. The winger played 13 games in 1997-98, 23 games in 1998-99 and 46 in 1999-2000 before the team dealt him to the Flyers. In 82 games total with the Islanders, Odjick compiled 22 points and 254 penalty minutes.

According to Sportsnet, Odjick holds the Canucks’ record for most penalty minutes in franchise history with 2,127. He led the NHL with 371 penalty minutes in 1996-97, a season when he played 70 of his 605 NHL games.
1614789438051172352
“Gino was a fan-favourite from the moment he joined the organization, putting his heart and soul into every shift on and off the ice,” Canucks chairman and governor Francesco Aquilini said in a statement. “He inspired many and embodied what it means to be a Canuck. Personally, he was a close friend and confidant, someone I could lean on for advice and support. He will be deeply missed.”

[DemonGeminiX]

:rip:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Jarryd Jaeger - The Post Millennial


https://i.imgur.com/fy1lPcMl.jpg

Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Ivan Provorov made headlines for refusing to don a rainbow jersey for his team's "Pride Night" warmup on Tuesday, and since then his jersey has become a hot commodity.

The outsized media attention he received for standing up for his beliefs appears to have worked in his favor, with fans purchasing his jersey to publicly show their support.

According to Outkick, as of Thursday morning Provy's number 9 men's jersey was nearly sold out on both the NHL fan shop and Fanatics, with only the XS size available.

Provorov, who is a member of the Russian Orthodox Church, defended his decision following the game, which the Flyers won 5-2. "I respect everybody's choices," he said. "My choice is to stay true to my religion, that's all I'm gonna say."

When reporters pressed him further, he simply replied, "That's all I'm gonna comment on that. If you have any hockey questions, I would answer those."

Flyers coach John Tortorella stood up for his d-man, saying, "That's one thing I always respect about Provy, he's always true to himself."

Provorov was excoriated by members of the media, perhaps most vehemently by Breakfast Television's Sid Seixeiro.

He attacked Provorov for adhering to his religious beliefs, and went so far as to suggest that the Flyers should be hit with a million-dollar fine for his actions.

"Nothing scares me more than any human being that says 'I'm not doing this because of my religious beliefs', "Seixeiro said, visibly shaken. "When you look at people's lives who normally say that publicly, you'd throw up at what you saw."

[DemonGeminiX]

Good man. :thumbsup:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The liberal sports media is all kinds of upset over this whole thing about him not wanting to wear that jersey.

[deebakes]

wtf... team pride is wearing the damn team jersey, not a pride team jersey

[DemonGeminiX]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnyBJpE45GE

[Godfather]

If I was in the NHL, I'd wear that jersey. I'd prefer support the gay community quietly in a 'live and let live' kinda way, and don't personally feel the need to say/do anything outwardly to prove it... but if this small tribute meant something to someone who feels excluded from the game I love, that's cool with me and I'd wear it with my teammates.... That said, I don't have a problem with Proporov not wearing it. Torts is usually a headcase but his comments about it I think have been a beacon of rationality and show leadership as the coach defending Prop. The guy has said and done nothing disparaging or hateful, he hasn't hurt anyone, he's just one guy doing what he wants to do.


What I find most annoying, if that's the right word, is how polarized some folks are. If you're part of the gay community or some kind of virtue-signal 'ally' and are this upset, you're way too desperate for approval and that's your problem - accept that not everyone is going to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you about everything. In the same breath, I'd also say that if you're putting this guy on a pedestal as some hero for not wearing a jersey... again, you're probably way too desperate for acceptance and reinforcement. A lot of people are making way too much out of this IMHO

[Godfather]

Also re: Gino. Such a beloved figure in Vancouver, thanks for posting that Lance. RIP. I have fond memories of watching that early 90's team sitting with my dad on the couch, they were a lot of fun and Gino was a great member of Canucks alum and the community.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/8dJgPUr.png

Both B's goalies are in the top 5 for GAA this season so far.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

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

It's been an unreal season so far. I just hope they don't just burn through the regular season setting records and then get bounced in the first round of the playoffs.

[Godfather]

Actually unreal, every time I check the standing I'm flabbergasted at the Bruins record.

[Godfather]

Lol we traded our captain away. Thanks to Bo Horvat for 9 great years, he did all he could I think. Seems we got OK return, biggest thing was we weren't going to be able to afford him after this season as a UFA because of horrid cap management. Just a shame. I'm fully on team tank.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

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

[Godfather]

Elias Petterson won hardest shot at the all star comp... his listed weight is 175, only the second forward to win hardest shot beside Ovie. I have no idea how that's possible :lol:

[deebakes]

mad skillz yo

[Godfather]

Aaaand the Islanders signed Bo for $8.5x8 years, that's totally reasonable to me. We signed JT Miller (who's older and not as good) for $7x8 so this is such a slap in the dick to Nucks fans. Fuck this team man :(

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Aaaand the Islanders signed Bo for $8.5x8 years, that's totally reasonable to me. We signed JT Miller (who's older and not as good) for $7x8 so this is such a slap in the dick to Nucks fans. Fuck this team man :(

:empathy:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/7z0xoXp.jpeg

[DemonGeminiX]

https://i.imgur.com/7z0xoXp.jpeg

It must be a slap in the face every time an expansion team wins the Stanley Cup or even a Conference championship.

[Godfather]

Leafs fans are insufferable, dont you dare feel bad for them :lol: :P

[Godfather]

Wow, Bruins pulled off a rade to get Orlov and Hathaway... they kinda robbed the Caps for a very late 1st rounder and 2025 2nd and 2024 3rd rounder. Hilarious. They are utterly stacked.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Wow, Bruins pulled off a rade to get Orlov and Hathaway... they kinda robbed the Caps for a very late 1st rounder and 2025 2nd and 2024 3rd rounder. Hilarious. They are utterly stacked.

Plus we actually shed some salary in the deal and gained more cap space. :lol: It was an awesome trade and really filled in a piece that we needed for the Cup run.

[Godfather]

I'm just glad these two players didn't end up on the Leafs :lol: Boston's D now are just so deep. Now do me a favor and let the Bruins thump the nucks tomorrow... team tank baby.

[Godfather]

Goalie goal, so good :lol:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B97Kxv7ji-o&feature=youtu.be

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/Zm4qZWkl.jpeg

:outtahere:




And what was up with this? :lol:
1629662540484714496

[Godfather]

That was a wild trade deadline, maybe one of the best in years. The Flames and Yotes swapped the Ritchie brothers in a 4 player trade, first time that's ever happened - weird one.

Nucks management proved again they have no plan. We go and get a 1st rounder for Horvat to load up in the future... then trade it away for a player on an expiring contract who's going to want to get paid like Horvat? The fuck are we even doing. I wish I knew how to force my brain to love another team, this is a lifetime of torture.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/8KxDriyl.jpeg

[Teh One Who Knocks]

63 wins for the B's, a new NHL record for wins in a season :cheers: Now on to Lord Stanley's Cup.

And the hatty yesterday for Pasta to get to 60 goals :cheers:

LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOO!

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/1zllPWd.png

[Godfather]

Bruins and McDavid both put on performances that go down in the record books.

Honestly this has been one of the best regular seasons of NHL hockey in years. Cant wait for the 1st round of the playoffs to start, best time of year for sports.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

McDavid and Draisaitl are this Oilers generation of Gretzky and Kurri.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Bruins v Panthers in the first round starting Monday night. Let's fucking go!

[Godfather]

Gentlemen's sweep was my prediction, Bruins in 5 I'm guessing.

First round has been great so far. LA is giving Edmonton some trouble, my bet is winner of that series goes to the finals from the West but Mini is looking good too. No clue what'll happen with Carolina NYI or Winnipeg vs Vegas, I'm guessing the Avs win in 6. Hoping Toronto loses obviously :lol:

[DemonGeminiX]

Hoping Toronto loses obviously :lol:

Sorry you're disappointed.

[DemonGeminiX]

Edmonton advances. Will face the Golden Knights.

[DemonGeminiX]

The Florida Panthers beat the Boston Bruins in OT in games 7, 4 - 3. The Panthers move on to Round 2.

The curse of the Presidents Trophy continues...

[DemonGeminiX]

The Seattle Kraken defeat the Colorado Avalanche, 2 - 1, to take the series 4 - 3.

Sunday was not a good day for Lance.

[Godfather]

Bruins losing that game and that series was shocking... wow. I hadn't seen enough of Florida all season to know much but they're scrappy alright.

[DemonGeminiX]

Presidents Trophy winners have won the Cup only 8 times in the history of it being awarded.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Bruins losing that game and that series was shocking... wow. I hadn't seen enough of Florida all season to know much but they're scrappy alright.

Absolutely the BIGGEST fucking choke job in NHL history. Embarrassing as fuck.

[DemonGeminiX]

It is so weird to watch the Devils play and not hear the announcers say "Brodeur" or "Stevens".

[Godfather]

Absolutely the BIGGEST fucking choke job in NHL history. Embarrassing as fuck.

They couldn't stop Matthew Tkachuk, he was unbelievable. I know the feeling. The Nucks won back to back Presidents trophies and the second time got bounced in 5 games to LA in the first round... that'll always sting. Probably hurts worse with the Bruins absolutely epic 65 win season but either way, ya what sucker punch after being so hyped all season.

[Godfather]

Bergy played through a herniated disc... unreal. If that's it for him, he'll go down as one of the biggest warriors, hardest workers, best captains in history. They should rename the Selke after him honestly. Not only has he won it the most times, but he won it 5 times and was a finalist for 11 years... that's insane to still play at Selke levels for over a decade.

[DemonGeminiX]

The Edmonton - Vegas series is getting ugly.

[Godfather]

Ya it sure is. I don't really care who wins the Canes Devils series either but the hits have been HUGE in that series too, it's been fun to watch.

The leafs on the other hand :lol: Nobody can solve Florida right now. Crazy

[DemonGeminiX]

When Philly isn't in the mix and the Devils are, I'm cheering for the Devils. I grew up in New Jersey, so I owe the Devils some small semblance of allegiance. Besides, the team name "Devils" has a cool backstory, and I'm a spooky-horror fan, so there's that.

I had no idea that Florida was that good, but they always seem like the underdog going into the playoffs every year they make it.

[Godfather]

Ugh, was really hoping the canucks might have a miracle and win the draft lotto. Instead is went to Chicago... gross. Bedard is going to be a generational talent.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/yd6ah2ql.jpg

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1655944996770709507
Really sad. Missed all of this past year and now going to miss all of next year. He's 30 and missing 2 full seasons with this kind of knee injury is going to make it hard for him to come back. I wish him the best, but he might be done playing hockey.

[Godfather]

That's really awful, I hope he can make a comeback, if he can he'll deserve the Masterton. If not, well he went out a champion.

That must really change the dynamic in Colorado too, as an outsider it sort of seems like he's the good cop to McKinnon's sort of tough love/bad cop vibe (the story of Nate giving guys shit for eating a cookie that one of the Avs players told on a podcast recently comes to mind :lol: ).

[Godfather]

https://i.imgur.com/yd6ah2ql.jpg

That's wild... he's going to be worth every penny those fans pay though I think. He's from my hometown of North Vancouver, I'm really pulling for him to live up to all the hype, I love everything I've seen and read from him already.

[DemonGeminiX]

The Panthers eliminate the Maple Leafs to get to the Conference Finals for the first time since 1996.

[Godfather]

lmao leafs

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/sM4RTNEl.jpg

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/4abLY3Hl.jpg

[Godfather]

Damn, Oilers too. Cup is never coming back to Canada is it :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Damn, Oilers too. Cup is never coming back to Canada is it :lol:

It's only been since 1993 :hand:

:lol:

Here's a great article about it from The Athletic, it was from last year, but still.


Canadian teams stopped winning the Stanley Cup in 1993. What’s going on?
Sean McIndoe Jun. 10, 2022

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

The Edmonton Oilers were eliminated from the NHL playoffs on Monday, ensuring that one of the strangest streaks in pro sports will continue for another year. No Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since 1993. For almost three decades, the oldest trophy in North American professional sports, one that predates the NHL itself by a quarter-century, has resided in the United States. It’s all but the trophy’s permanent home these days.

Canadians are, to put it mildly, not thrilled about this.

Oh, many of them are fine with the Oilers losing, just like they’re fine with whichever rival has the longest run every year ultimately falling short. This isn’t about the whole “Canada’s Team” debate, which was conclusively settled here. Many Canadian fans would never sell out for the Oilers, Habs, Leafs or any other team other than their own.

But still … 28 seasons? Somebody can’t step up and win one championship in all that time, if only so we don’t have to hear about it anymore?

On the surface, the odds are hard to fathom. There are seven Canadian franchises, nearly a full quarter of the NHL’s 32 teams. Those numbers have changed over the years, but the ratio has been roughly consistent, meaning you’d expect a Canadian team to win a Cup every four or five years. Instead, nothing.

Various attempts have been made over the years to calculate just how unlikely all this would be. We asked our own Dom Luszczyszyn to crunch the numbers, factoring in the quality of each season’s Canadian entries. Here’s what he came up with, using odds data from SportsOddsHistory.com:

https://i.imgur.com/A51b9KO.png

You’re reading that correctly. Since 1993, the numbers tell us that it would have been more likely for Canada to win 10 or more Stanley Cups than to win zero. And yet, here we are.

What’s going on?

That’s what we’re going to try to figure out today. I’ve put together a list of eight of the more common theories about what’s behind all of this. Some are more convincing than others, but we’ll give them each a chance to make their case. Let’s see if we can crack the code on Canada’s national Cup drought.

Theory 1: Canadian fans are not demanding enough

We’ll start here, because it might be the most common theory. And often, somewhat oddly, it comes from Canadian fans themselves.

It goes something like this: Canadian fans prefer to see their teams win, but they’ll support them even if they don’t. The sport is so ingrained in our national culture that the idea of tuning out a losing team is foreign to us. We’ll complain, we’ll boo, we’ll rant on Twitter or the local call-in show, but we won’t cancel our season tickets or make other plans for a Saturday night.

Meanwhile, the American teams are dealing with more fickle fan bases that have no problem looking elsewhere for their entertainment. Canadian teams want to win, but American teams need to. So they do.

Why it makes sense: As with a lot of these, we can point to the Maple Leafs as a prime example. The Leafs have a league-record Stanley Cup drought of 55 years and counting; they haven’t even been to a final in all those years and haven’t won a playoff round since 2004. But their building is full every night, even with some of the highest ticket prices in the league, and they consistently draw monster ratings on television. The franchise makes lots of money, even when they’re losing. So why invest in winning?

It makes a certain kind of intuitive sense in Toronto, as well as in other larger Canadian markets like Montreal and Vancouver.

Why it doesn’t: The theory kind of falls apart when you think about it.

For one, the Maple Leafs spend a ton of money – not just on players, where the team is always up against the salary cap, but on facilities, the front office, coaches (and ex-coaches), you name it. So do most other Canadian teams. If the idea is to rack up profit by being cheap, they’re doing it all wrong.

Beyond that, this theory seems to be stuck in the 1980s, when cartoonishly evil Toronto owner Harold Ballard could ice a legitimately awful team and still sell out Maple Leaf Gardens. Back then, gameday revenue made up almost all of the bottom line. Today, teams have more revenue streams than ever, and many of those have nothing to do with selling tickets. The Leafs make money even when they miss the playoffs, but they’d make so much more if they ever won a Stanley Cup. Think of the difference between the profitable Yankees of the ’80s and early ’90s, and the juggernaut they’ve been since the Jeter-era championships. The Leafs could be the NHL’s version of that, if they ever actually won anything.

There simply isn’t a viable business model that sees any Canadian team making more profit as losers than as champions. If it’s all about the bottom line and responding to financial incentives, the country’s teams should be winning all the time.

They’re not, meaning we need something else. So let’s flip our first theory around …

Theory 2: Canadian fans are too demanding

Does this theory directly contradict the first one? Yes. Do some fans and media use both interchangeably? Somehow, also yes.

The NHL is the top game in town in every Canadian market. Toronto has MLB and the NBA, and there’s also MLS, the CFL and women’s hockey around the country. But the NHL is front page news everywhere, in a way that just isn’t the case in any American market.

That attention, the theory goes, works against Canadian teams. Every decision is micro-analyzed, every player is nitpicked and criticized, and every loss is a catastrophe. If things are bad, local media will create a crisis. If things are good, well, we’ll get a crisis anyway, because somebody will have to play the contrarian and find the negative angle. Eventually, good players are driven away, management starts making short-sighted decisions, and nobody can stick to a plan because the fan base won’t let them.

Why it makes sense: I mean, if you’ve spent any time here, then a lot of this rings true.

It’s great to live in a market where hockey is a big deal, but sometimes the noise that comes with it is exhausting. The media in Montreal is infamous for its constant spotlight, and even smaller markets like Winnipeg and Ottawa will ramp up the drama whenever possible. Imagine trying to make the long-term decisions necessary to build a winner in that kind of environment. You couldn’t.

https://i.imgur.com/sEp6O49h.jpg

Why it doesn’t: First of all, this theory only works if you believe that Canada and/or hockey are somehow unique in pro sports. Canadian fans are demanding, sure, but so are Yankees fans, or Patriots fans, or Lakers fans, and they’ve all won plenty.

It also seems like we’re casting too wide a net here. A demanding fan base doesn’t suddenly make a goalie cough up a rebound, or a sniper go cold. They don’t make a key prospect stagnate, or a star player get hurt, or a referee miss an obvious call. Fans don’t have much influence over what happens on the ice, good or bad.

But I do think there’s some truth to this one, so let’s see if we can narrow it down into something a little more useful …

Theory 3: Canadian teams won’t (or can’t) bottom out

The modern NHL is a league where teams aim for the extremes. Ideally, you’re contending for a Stanley Cup. But if not, you want to be at the bottom, collecting high draft picks that turn into the elite prospects that become the star players on cheap entry-level deals and, eventually, the needle-moving superstars that lead a team to a championship.

But until recently, it was rare to see Canadian teams at the very bottom of the standings. Teams like Chicago or Pittsburgh or Tampa Bay could finish last or close to it for years at a time, drafting superstars with high picks. But Canadian teams rarely did that. The Calgary Flames have never picked higher than fourth in franchise history. The Vancouver Canucks have never had a first overall selection in 52 years of franchise history, and haven’t picked higher than fifth since 1999. The Jets have picked in the top five once since returning to Winnipeg in 2011. The Habs will pick in the top-two this year for the first time since 1980, and even the moribund Leafs somehow went 26 years without using a top-five pick.

The Senators picked high in their early expansion years and the Oilers had a memorable run of first overall picks that culminated in getting Connor McDavid, but they’ve been the exceptions. Maybe there’s something unique about Canada that pushes teams into the dreaded mushy middle.

Why it makes sense: This is where we actually could see some realistic fan influence. Drafting high in the NHL requires being bad and then having some lottery luck. Many teams pursue those lottery odds for years, in what some would call a strategic retreat from a short-term focus on winning. Others would call it tanking. Yeah, let’s go with tanking.

Maybe Canadian teams can’t tank, because it’s just too hard to do when every loss is given crisis-level attention. You have a plan, you think everyone is on board, and next thing you know you’re in last place in December and everyone wants the coach fired, the star player is getting ripped apart every night on two sports networks, and the owner is panicking. So you abandon the long-term plan and go back to trying to squeeze into the playoffs.

Meanwhile, teams in the States can finish last for years at a time, and their fans just shrug and watch the NBA until the hockey team is ready to win again.

Why it doesn’t: We could argue over whether teams like the mid-’90s Senators or 2010s Oilers were tanking or just incompetent. But more recently, there isn’t much debate. The Maple Leafs tanked for a few years, and it paid off with Auston Matthews in 2016. This year, the Habs finished dead last. The Senators have also just come out of a full-scale teardown. Maybe that proves our theory is wrong. Or maybe it just means that we’re on to something, Canadian teams have figured it out too, and they’re course-correcting.

But wait, didn’t we mention the draft lottery up above? If you need to win the lottery to get a star player, and Canadian teams haven’t had much luck with the lottery, then that must mean …

Theory 4: It’s all a conspiracy!

Canada hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since 1993. Do you know what else happened in 1993? Gary Bettman arrived as commissioner. He’s in his 28th full season on the job, and Canada is 0-for-28. Connect the dots, sheeple.

Why it makes sense: Bettman is an American executive who came over from the NBA. He clearly prioritized American markets, including non-traditional ones in the South, and allowed two Canadian teams to move to the U.S. within years of taking the job. He’s been chasing a big U.S. television contract for decades, and now that he’s finally back on ESPN, he needs big ratings. He and the NHL have all the incentive in the world to prioritize their American teams over Canada, where we already know the fans will tune in whether their teams win or not.

So what would you do if you were Bettman? I don’t know, maybe rig a few draft lotteries to make sure players like Sidney Crosby wound up in key American markets? Maybe let the referees know which way the wind was blowing, especially in the playoffs? Make sure that Canadian teams get hit with big suspensions in the Stanley Cup Final, or even have the video review guys “forget” to check on a few Cup-winning goals?

Why it doesn’t: Come on.

I don’t really have a rebuttal for all of this except that it’s dumb. If the NHL was going to rig draft lotteries, there’s zero chance they would have let Connor McDavid wind up in Edmonton, a result that probably cost the league tens of millions of dollars. More recently, Toronto and Montreal have won the lottery too. Every Canadian team can point to a blown call or officiating controversy, but so can every American team. And while U.S. TV ratings matter to the league, their current Canadian deal is for comparable money, and it’s the next one to expire. If anything, Bettman should be rigging things for Canada.

But he won’t, because he’s not rigging anything at all. Doing so would risk all of the league’s credibility, not to mention Bettman’s career, for questionable gains. It’s a dumb theory, and I’m only including it here so I can ask you to stop mentioning it.

On to something a little more reality-based …

Theory 5: It’s the economics

Before the cap, smaller Canadian teams were barely surviving, and were badly outspent by big American markets. The hard cap that was introduced in 2005 helps, but the playing field isn’t even, and outside of Montreal and Toronto, the Canadian teams are still at a disadvantage. Even now, Ottawa and Winnipeg can’t spend much, and the Flames have a nearly 40-year-old arena that they’re still trying to upgrade (which has even been floated as an excuse for this year’s playoff loss). The Canadian dollar usually lags well behind America’s. Maybe it’s just the economy, stupid.

Why it makes sense: The cap limits what teams can spend on their roster, but there are other ways to spend money on building a winner (and smart teams can find ways to outspend the cap if they want to). There isn’t a direct correlation between what a team spends and how much they win, and in the pre-cap days it wasn’t rare for big-spending teams like the Rangers to miss the playoffs. But having money sure doesn’t hurt, and some Canadian teams don’t have as much as their American counterparts.

Why it doesn’t: It’s not like the American teams that win Cups are always from the richest markets. Chicago and Detroit are big hockey towns, but Colorado was brand new when they won, Tampa and Los Angeles aren’t exactly traditional markets, and the Devils were on the verge of relocating when they won their first Cup. Meanwhile, the big-money Rangers have one title in 82 years.

More importantly, the economy theory ignores the long droughts in Montreal and (especially) Toronto, two markets that print money. Spending is a hurdle in Ottawa and Winnipeg, sure, and maybe occasionally in Edmonton or Calgary over the years. But it doesn’t seem like it could be the only factor in play, or even a major one.

Then again, you can’t spend big on the best players if they won’t take your calls …

Theory 6: The best players don’t want to play here

Whether due to media attention, higher taxes, cold weather or whatever else, many star players just prefer to play in the US.

Why it makes sense: Playing in Canada means constant attention, much of it negative, not to mention lousy weather during most of hockey season and higher taxes. While every player’s priorities are different, it’s not hard to see why someone might prefer to play down south, where they don’t have to constantly hear about every little mistake and nobody recognizes them out in public except for the attendant at the golf course.

Why it doesn’t: Is there really much evidence that this has been an issue? Fans can point to Canadian star Steven Stamkos taking less with Tampa than what Toronto or Montreal were offering in 2016, but he was choosing to stay with the contender that had drafted him, so it wasn’t all that surprising. We’ve heard about other players preferring America or having Canadian teams on their no-trade list, but we’ve also seen guys like John Tavares accept big money to move up north, and players like Connor McDavid and Carey Price didn’t hesitate to sign long-term extensions with Canadian teams. And while Canadian fans love to bring up tax rates as a significant disadvantage, an NHL agent has largely debunked that concern.

More importantly, NHL players just don’t have that much control over where they play. With few exceptions, they’re bound to the team that drafts them for years, with unrestricted free agency and no-trade protection only becoming available after they’re already past their prime. So even if there’s some occasional truth to this one with guys like Chris Pronger, the impact can’t be huge.

Theory 7: The Don Cherry factor

It’s our game, and we know best. Except, what if we don’t?

Hockey has changed over the decades, but Canadians are set in their ways about how they expect the game to be played, so our teams adapt more slowly. Whether it was welcoming Russian and European stars in the early ’90s or embracing skill over toughness today, Canada wants to watch good Canadian boys playing old-time hockey. Maybe that’s what’s holding our teams back.

Why it makes sense: I call this the Don Cherry Factor, based on the legendary and controversial broadcaster who ruled Hockey Night in Canada’s intermission show for decades. Love him or hate him or somewhere in between, Cherry was the most influential voice for a generation of Canadian fans.

The idea here isn’t to blame one broadcaster for a 28-season Cup drought. But I do think his influence is hard to understate, and his views really did shape how the game was perceived across an entire country. They also weren’t completely unique, so even without Cherry and his pulpit, there was just a certain style that Canadians are supposed to appreciate more than fans anywhere else in the world. Hard-hitting, nasty, tough, and played by Canadians.

So when the league opened up to Soviet stars for the first time in the early ’90s, it wasn’t the Leafs or the Habs that reaped the benefits. Instead, it was the Red Wings and Devils who welcomed the new players and strategies, and won Stanley Cups as a result. And when the game shifted away from “Slapshot”-style silliness toward more skill and speed, some of the Canadian teams were always a step behind. In a league with so much parity and such small margins, being even a little bit behind the times could be costly.

Why it doesn’t: This is my pet theory, but it’s not perfect, in part because it’s oversimplifying. There are millions of Canadian hockey fans, and we’re not some monolith that all want the same thing. Yes, we love Wendel Clark and Jarome Iginla and Ryan Smyth and Trevor Linden. We also love Mats Sundin and Teemu Selanne and Pavel Bure and Saku Koivu. We’re complicated like that.

But there’s a bigger issue here, and it’s the same one you may have spotted with a few of our other theories: Canada’s NHL teams haven’t actually been all that bad. They just don’t win Cups. Let’s look at Dom’s numbers again:

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

That chart is based on how good Canada’s teams were during the regular season. If this was all the fault of Don Cherry, or economics, or stars not wanting to play in Canada, or fans that are either too demanding or not demanding enough, shouldn’t that hurt teams during the season too? Shouldn’t every year look like 1998 or 2014? Why is it that so much of all this only seems to rear its head in the playoffs?

Maybe we’re back to conspiracy land, with Gary Bettman and his army of crooked referees waiting until the postseason starts to pull the rug out on those well-deserving Canadian teams. Or maybe it’s something even more scary and nefarious …

Theory 8: Maybe this is all just bad luck

“Luck” is the one four-letter word you’re not supposed to say near a hockey rink. But what if that’s it? What if this is just a long string of national bad luck, with lots of good and even a few great teams just continually having the fates plinko-chip them away from the big prize?

Why it makes sense: More than any other theory, this one squares with all of Canada’s near-misses. Six Canadian teams have gone to the final during the drought, and four of those went to a Game 7. In total, Canadian teams have played six games where a win would have meant a Cup, and they lost them all. Those losses include the Canucks hitting the crossbar in 1994, the Flames’ controversial no-goal in 2004, and the Oilers losing their goalie to injury in 2006.

Dom calculates the odds of this sort of drought happening just purely based on chance as roughly 1-in-142. That’s less than 1 percent. But it’s not zero percent, and again, Canada has come awfully close over the drought. If Martin Gelinas’ goal counts and Dwayne Roloson doesn’t get hurt, we’re talking about two Cups in 28 seasons, roughly a 10 percent chance, and nobody finds that especially unusual. The line between a national crisis and a shrug emoji is razor-thin. Maybe that’s all this is.

(We should also point out that all of this Canadian Cup drought talk always involves playing with arbitrary end points; before the drought started, Canada won eight of 10 Stanley Cups, meaning they’ll have won eight of the last 39 counting this year, almost exactly what you’d expect given the ratio of teams in the league.)

Why it doesn’t: For one, it’s super unsatisfying. All this hand-wringing over a fluke? There has to be something better than that to blame.

And then we go back to the numbers. One last Dom chart:

https://i.imgur.com/9w5XE0E.png

I’ll save you the math — that adds up to between four and five Cups that Canadian teams should have won, again based on their regular-season performance. It’s a big drop all the way to zero. Could luck explain all of that away? Yeah, actually, it could. But it’s certainly unlikely, and there’s no way to know for sure.

And the winner is …

… not Canada, for the 28th season in a row. But why?

As you’ve probably guessed, I don’t think we can settle on one answer. I’ve given you the eight best theories that are out there, and none of them stands out as being unassailable. But that doesn’t mean we’ve come up empty. Most complicated problems have more than one cause, so we can pick and choose from our options here.

Personally, put me down for a mix of theories 3 and 7, a little bit of theory 5, and a healthy dollop of theory 8. Your recipe might be different, and I’m open to hearing it, or any other theories you might want to share. Head down to the comments and let me know.

No rush, though. Us Canadians have got a year to think about it. And up here, we’re used to that.

[DemonGeminiX]

Keith Tkachuk must be smiling right now. His kid is unreal.

[DemonGeminiX]

For some odd reason, I really don't want Vegas to win this series.

[Godfather]

I'm with you, that's the one team I really dont want to win.

Florida is 10-1 since going down 3-1 to the Bruins in the first round... wild surprise. Pulling for them. Bobrovsky has .978 SV% this series, 132/135 shots. Incredible.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Looking like it will be a Vegas-Florida final for the Cup.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/BLZecqXl.jpeg

Now that the sting has faded a bit, I can now appreciate this as kinda funny. Also, it helps that Florida is just bullying everyone, so it's just apparent that Florida is a buzz saw this year in the east.

[Godfather]

Aaaand they swept the Canes. That does have to make you feel better. They only got in because Chicago beat Pitt right at the end of the season too... nuts. Kinda reminds me of the Kings unexpected run in 2012, brushing aside the President's Trophy Canucks that year and going on to destroy everyone too. Makes you feel a bit better... but not really eh :lol:

[DemonGeminiX]

I like the Panthers. I'm still not liking the Knights.

As an aside, Carolina's coached by Rod Brind'amour, former Philadelphia Flyers' center. There was a year pre-Lindros where Rod was the top scorer for the Flyers. I had no idea Rod went into coaching, and apparently, he's been coaching the Hurricanes for the past 5 or 6 years. Shows you how much I've been paying attention.

[Godfather]

Rod the Bod! Dude is still known around the league for being the fittest coach too. Honestly there's a lot to like about Florida. They built that roster somehow with only 3 players they drafted themselves which is just a weird stat. Really don't want Vegas to win, I can't get over them coming into the league so stacked, it's not right.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Just heard on a podcast that Carolina is now 0-12 in their last 12 Conference Finals games....they've been swept the last 3 times they've made it that far.

[Godfather]

That's fucking brutal :lol: Ouch

[Godfather]

This gap between the last series and SCF is stupid. Start the damn series, it's June tomorrow ffs! I wish they'd cut the season by 10 games and end it in May. Feels wrong watching hockey when it's basically summer.

[Godfather]

Congrats to Vegas, helluva team they put together.

I really wanted Florida to pull it off but they just couldn't slow down Vegas. Tkachuk played game 4 with a broken sternum and scored the tying goal but couldn't even tie his own skates or dress himself, unreal. Still can't quite say I'm a fan but I'm no longer a hater, that's for sure. Same goes for Vegas overall, can't be too mad at 19 Canadians getting rings.

[Godfather]

The NHL decided to get rid of themed warm-up jerseys next year, like when the team warms up in military themed or pride themed jerseys.

People are up in arms but honestly, all the people skreetching on social media are exactly who ruined it. Ya 1 guy didn't wear a pride jersey, but instead of still enjoying the night, all these losers on twitter completely forgot the point and decided to act like this guy committed a heinous crime. Turned into a total clown car, sideshow distraction. That guy didn't ruin it, Karens on social media did.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

It's a sad, sad day in Bruins town :( Goodbye to one of the classiest people to ever lace up the skates in the NHL. He will sorely be missed.


A Statement from Patrice Bergeron
by Patrice Bergeron @NHLBruins / Boston Bruins


https://i.imgur.com/j26wage.jpg

When I was around 12 years old a teacher asked everyone in my class to write about our dreams. For me, my dream was already clear: to become a professional hockey player.

I was probably a little naive growing up, because in my mind this dream was never a question of if, but when it would happen. The path to making my dreams come true was not easy. I faced adversity and made so many sacrifices, but throughout it all my love for the game only grew and my determination to achieve my goals always remained strong.

For the last 20 years I have been able to live my dream every day. I have had the honor of playing in front of the best fans in the world wearing the Bruins uniform and representing my country at the highest levels of international play. I have given the game everything that I have physically and emotionally, and the game has given me back more than I could have ever imagined.

It is with a full heart and a lot of gratitude that today I am announcing my retirement as a professional hockey player.

As hard as it is to write, I also write it knowing how blessed and lucky I feel to have had the career that I have had, and that I have the opportunity to leave the game I love on my terms. It wasn't a decision that I came to lightly. But after listening to my body, and talking with my family, I know in my heart that this is the right time to step away from playing the game I love.

I also know that none of this was possible on my own, and I would like to humbly take this opportunity to acknowledge some people who helped me achieve my goals and who made my career so special.

From my minor hockey days in Quebec City all the way through major junior in Acadie-Bathurst, there were so many coaches, teammates and parents who helped me fall in love with hockey. Thank you for laying the groundwork on what became a lifelong passion.

In 2003, the Bruins drafted me, and from the moment I put my draft sweater on, everyone in the organization believed in me. I want to thank the Jacobs family, team management, coaches, trainers, support staff, team doctors and psychologists, scouts and TD Garden staff. The commitment of this group of people and constant support on and off the ice made wearing the Black and Gold so special every day.

One of the best parts of pulling on the spoked-B jersey is the incredible history of the franchise. The players that came before me always welcomed me with open arms and were always there with encouragement, to listen and help me better understand the tradition and responsibilities that come with playing for the Bruins.

While not always easy, I always tried my best to understand that part of being a professional hockey player included my responsibility to the media who helped tell our story to the fans. I enjoyed getting to know some of you personally over the years and I always appreciated being covered fairly and the job that the media did telling the story of our team.

Over the last 20 years I have had the honor of taking the ice with so many great teammates. I have tried to learn something from each and every one of you and I always tried to be the best teammate that I could be. I will never forget your trust, the laughs, the endless memories, the ups and downs, and ultimately the long lasting friendships. I will forever be grateful being a part of such an exceptional group of men, and I will carry the pride of winning in 2011 with me forever.

The amazing people of New England welcomed a young French Canadian who didn't speak great English and you treated me like one of your own. I can't imagine representing a better community or more passionate fan base than the Boston Bruins. Your passion, your dedication and your kindness towards me and my family will never be forgotten. Please know that every time I took the ice I tried to compete for you the right way, and off the ice I tried the best that I could to give back to the community that supported me. The connections and friends that my family and I have made here are unquantifiable. Boston is, and will forever be, a special place for me and my family.

There is only one other jersey that I ever wanted to wear, and that is the Canadian jersey. Representing my country at the highest level - especially winning Gold in Vancouver and Sochi are also some of my proudest moments. I would like to thank everyone who helped make those experiences possible.

Navigating life as a professional athlete is not easy, and my two agents, Kent Hughes and Phil Lecavalier, helped me find my way. Your guidance through the ups and downs of my career helped eliminate distractions and uncertainty so that I could focus on being the best player that I could be. I have also had a great team of professionals in Boston and Quebec who have been instrumental in both my physical and mental health, allowing me to reach my maximum potential.

Since day one, my friends and extended family in Quebec have been by my side. You guys know who you are. I remain so appreciative of your continued support.

To my mom, Sylvie and my dad, Gerard. It all started with you both, and your unwavering love. I couldn't have asked for better parents. What I have achieved, and who I have become, is because of you. The sacrifices that you both made for my goals are appreciated more than I can ever state. You guys have always believed in me and my dreams, even when no one else did. You always found the right way to help guide me in this journey with endless support.

To my brother Guillaume. It's hard to find words to explain our bond. You have been the biggest influence in my life and the best role model a little brother could hope for. My dream started by playing street hockey with you as young boys and you have been my number one fan every step of the way. I am forever thankful for all of your advice, words of encouragement and for always having time to simply listen to me.

To my wife Stephanie. Steph you're my rock. You put your career aside and allowed me to pursue my passion. Grateful is an understatement for my appreciation for your sacrifices. You always see the positive in every situation and your unconditional love means the world to me. Most importantly, you always see me as a husband and a dad before a hockey player. The kids and I are so lucky to have you. I love you.

To my wonderful kids Zack, Victoria, Noah and Felix. Daddy loves you so much. As I turn the page on this chapter of my life I am hopeful that through my experiences you realize that anything in your life is possible. Believe in your dreams and follow the voice inside you. Work endlessly for whatever it is that makes your eyes sparkle, and when times are tough, get back up and keep pushing. I'm the prime example that anything is possible and that amazing things happen when you believe in yourself and do what you love. Daddy will always be in your corner no matter where life takes you.

Finally, to the next generation of hockey players. I had a dream at 12 years old, and through hard work and perseverance my dreams came true more than I ever could have imagined. Respect the game and your peers. Welcome adversity and simply enjoy yourself. No matter where you go from there the game will bring you so much happiness.

As I step away today, I have no regrets. I have only gratitude that I lived my dream, and excitement for what is next for my family and I. I left everything out there and I'm humbled and honored it was representing this incredible city and for the Boston Bruins fans.

Sincerely yours,
Patrice Bergeron-Cleary

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/9YUVb57l.jpg

[Godfather]

https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/1702813509875028460?s=46&t=rYocaT5F4fHDBbQaymncgg

[Godfather]

Aaaaand Babcock is gone, Biz was right, everyone owes him an apology. Bab's style doesn't work in this day and age. You can't have an off-facility meeting with young guys and take their phones and just scroll through them. Wouldn't fly in any workplace, definitely doesn't fly with a coach already accused of being a complete bully and getting a second shot many said he shouldn't have had.


I hope NHL teams learn a bigger story about this. Stop recycling the same fucking coaches over and over.

[Godfather]

My nucks are 6-2-1 to open the season! So fun to watch this year too, Petey and Hughes are near the top of the league, they're playing fast, scoring goals. Didn't think they'd be half this good right now.

Granted, I think we're heading for a Boston-Vegas final no matter what, but it's nice to see some good hockey here for the first time in years.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

After losing Bergeron, Krejčí, and Hall among others, I didn't expect much from Boston this year. Can't believe that they have started 8-0-1

[Godfather]

After losing Bergeron, Krejčí, and Hall among others, I didn't expect much from Boston this year. Can't believe that they have started 8-0-1

Really shocked me too. David Pastrnak is still getting better at 27, McAvoy is sick. Lot of credit to Don Sweeney here for somehow not only surviving but it seems like actually improving the team after losing those guys...

[Godfather]

Nucks beat the Sharks 10-1 tonight, the poor Sharks man... they haven't won a game :lol: I had to look it up and tickets were $9 to the game.

[FBD]

kinda surprised that the Matt Petgrave question mark kick-murder was not mentioned here at all. some english league that I never heard of until this incident.

idiots trying to say it was some sort of accident, but if you watch the replay, it is a UFC worthy question mark kick, the dude has a history of throwing his leg out in crazy ways and was suspended 2 of his last 4 games for doing violent crazy stupid shit.
I know, you guys have seen me defend Brad Marchand and Tom Wilson plenty.....but this is an entire measuring stick above and beyond anything those two ever did. like if I were that other dude's family I'd be paying someone to shank him.

just saw he attended a game in england last night (he's suspended after the murder) and received a fucking standing ovation from the crowd.

absolutely disgusting. if that mf ever showed up here I'd show up to the rink with a fresh pack of D cell batteries to pelt him with

of course I saved a copy of the offense for posterity's sake, but its one of those you dont ever watch and just keep it to show people who dont want to believe you that it was straight up murder 3, although I dont know exactly what the laws are over there.


here's the slow mo, no blood shown (no reason to try and make this playable, if anyone really wants to watch the question mark kick, they can click)
https://i.4cdn.org/pol/1699920894929125.webm
stabilized
https://i.4cdn.org/pol/1699981914817710.webm

[FBD]

now all of a sudden they cant say Petgrave's name [-( but at least he was arrested and its being investigated.

my brother is a hockey coach and he was fuming when he saw the video

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-67419951


Adam Johnson: Manslaughter arrest over ice hockey player's death

A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson, whose neck was cut during a match.

The Nottingham Panthers player was injured by a skate in a match against Sheffield Steelers on 28 October.

The 29-year-old was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A post-mortem examination confirmed Johnson died as a result of a fatal neck injury, South Yorkshire Police said.

The force said detectives arrested the suspect on Tuesday, adding that he remained in custody.

Det Ch Supt Becs Horsfall, from South Yorkshire Police, said: "We have been carrying out extensive inquiries to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances.

"We have been speaking to highly specialised experts in their field to assist in our inquiries and continue to work closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our ongoing investigation.

"Adam's death has sent shockwaves through many communities, from our local residents here in Sheffield to ice hockey fans across the world."

She urged members of the public to refrain from "comment and speculation which could hinder" the police investigation.

The death of Johnson, who was from Minnesota in the US, sparked an outpouring of grief across the world.

He previously played in North America's National Hockey League (NHL), featuring 13 times for Pittsburgh Penguins.

He made the move to the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for the 2020-21 season, before spells with the Ontario Reign and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the American Hockey League.

Johnson played for Augsburger Panther in Germany before switching to the Nottingham Panthers in August.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yeah, he's guilty, it was intentional. I'm disappointed that it took so long for him to be arrested, especially with his reputation.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Bruins keep on rolling...they're now 12-1-2 and it's crazier than what they were doing last year. Upcoming road trip soon to Tampa and Florida, so we'll see how that goes. First real tough teams they'll be facing back-to-back like that.

[FBD]

disappointed the Caps just dont really seem to have enough in 'em for Ovechkin to beat the goal record

[FBD]

https://www.is.fi/jaakiekko/art-2000009992978.html


Aittola coached Petgrave in the Slovak League in the 2021-2022 season, when he was an assistant coach at HK Spisska Nova Ves, represented by the Canadian.

- I coached Matt for a very short time. I wanted to get rid of him immediately, says Aittola.

The defenseman was the team's best scorer, but he also took an awful lot of ice. He moved to the Czech main league in the middle of the season.

Petgrave's behavior was not to the Finnish coach's liking.

- I was left with a very negative image of him. He doesn't respect himself or his opponents at all, says Aittola.

According to him, Petgrave was often involved in situations where the opponent was injured.

- He used to get into somewhat unclear situations. He is a very dirty player.

LAST SEASON, PETGRAVE moved to the English league in the ranks of Sheffield, where he continued with a questionable style of play. He collected the most ice minutes in the series: 129 minutes in 54 matches.

Aittola was not surprised. He says that he followed Petgrave's excerpts closely and that he went through his farewell on video.

- What all is happening to him and happening... Hell's wonderful frolicking and falling. I have one clip where he slide tackles an opponent who is going by. Pulls on the socks, so to speak.

translated link

https://archive.is/wFmCn

[Godfather]

The Bruins keep on rolling...they're now 12-1-2 and it's crazier than what they were doing last year. Upcoming road trip soon to Tampa and Florida, so we'll see how that goes. First real tough teams they'll be facing back-to-back like that.

Love that you're following them this year, was worried you were off hockey! For a minute there, my nucks and the bruins were top 2 in the league! A rematch of 2011 gives me PTSD to think about but I'm here for it, if it happens (although I can't see us getting past Vegas out of the west, even if we magically make a deep run) :lol:

Went to the game tonight and the Nucks pulled out a 3-1 win, but it was against the Sharks who are now 3-14-1. The Sharks might just be the worst team in modern NHL history this year... truly hilarious.

[Godfather]

kinda surprised that the Matt Petgrave question mark kick-murder was not mentioned here at all. some english league that I never heard of until this incident.

idiots trying to say it was some sort of accident, but if you watch the replay, it is a UFC worthy question mark kick, the dude has a history of throwing his leg out in crazy ways and was suspended 2 of his last 4 games for doing violent crazy stupid shit.
I know, you guys have seen me defend Brad Marchand and Tom Wilson plenty.....but this is an entire measuring stick above and beyond anything those two ever did. like if I were that other dude's family I'd be paying someone to shank him.

just saw he attended a game in england last night (he's suspended after the murder) and received a fucking standing ovation from the crowd.

absolutely disgusting. if that mf ever showed up here I'd show up to the rink with a fresh pack of D cell batteries to pelt him with

of course I saved a copy of the offense for posterity's sake, but its one of those you dont ever watch and just keep it to show people who dont want to believe you that it was straight up murder 3, although I dont know exactly what the laws are over there.


here's the slow mo, no blood shown (no reason to try and make this playable, if anyone really wants to watch the question mark kick, they can click)
https://i.4cdn.org/pol/1699920894929125.webm
stabilized
https://i.4cdn.org/pol/1699981914817710.webm


I'll be honest, my initial gut reaction the night-of was to want to defend the play, just strictly by nature of being a hockey player and my heart not wanting to believe anyone could do something to stupid and reckless in this game. I've seen wild shit in hockey when you're moving with that much speed. Hip checks where it's a complete yard sale and skates go flying, people losing an edge and going ass over end... But what Petgrave did, lifting his leg on purpose to interfere with Johnson without any other contact that might justify an awkward fall, is clear and it's horrific. There's even a video of him kicking his leg out back in 2010, not getting as high, but pulling the same sort of shit.

I've watched the gif below 100 times and can't see any logical reason that his momentum would cause his skate to come up like strictly by accident or as part of a falling motion. It's impossible to defend.

[No gore]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Matt Petgrave isn’t bumped by the other player in fact he clearly tries to avoid contact with him so he can hit Johnson. Watch the video! <a href="https://t.co/xz2cNV7HsI">pic.twitter.com/xz2cNV7HsI</a></p>&mdash; ����������-�� �� ��-�������� (@punkrockdub) <a href="https://twitter.com/punkrockdub/status/1724647458444017769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



now all of a sudden they cant say Petgrave's name [-( but at least he was arrested and its being investigated.



For whatever it's worth, I read them omitting his name is some sort of standard law/practice in the UK, but obviously we know who it is... bozos online tried to speculate maybe it was the team medical staff for negligence at first. Some people are really desperate not to believe there's any fault here.

[FBD]

I'll be honest, my initial gut reaction the night-of was to want to defend the play, just strictly by nature of being a hockey player and my heart not wanting to believe anyone could do something to stupid and reckless in this game. I've seen wild shit in hockey when you're moving with that much speed. Hip checks where it's a complete yard sale and skates go flying, people losing an edge and going ass over end... But what Petgrave did, lifting his leg on purpose to interfere with Johnson without any other contact that might justify an awkward fall, is clear and it's horrific. There's even a video of him kicking his leg out back in 2010, not getting as high, but pulling the same sort of shit.

I've watched the gif below 100 times and can't see any logical reason that his momentum would cause his skate to come up like strictly by accident or as part of a falling motion. It's impossible to defend.

[No gore]





For whatever it's worth, I read them omitting his name is some sort of standard law/practice in the UK, but obviously we know who it is... bozos online tried to speculate maybe it was the team medical staff for negligence at first. Some people are really desperate not to believe there's any fault here.

Admittedly, I saw this first on the chans so it was straight to "N* murders white man on ice" in some form and it was straight to the video. I understand your position, though I never made it past neighborhood hockey at the lake down the street from where I grew up. Its just beyond imagination that anyone would do this purposefully. But there it was, although I dont think Petgrave meant to kill him, he's just a dirty bastard player doing dirty bastard shit. Its always lawshit the reason they dont say a name like that, but when its the case that they were already saying his name enough but the moment he gets arrested....its like what's the point, everyone paying attention already knows its him.

[FBD]

Love that you're following them this year, was worried you were off hockey! For a minute there, my nucks and the bruins were top 2 in the league! A rematch of 2011 gives me PTSD to think about but I'm here for it, if it happens (although I can't see us getting past Vegas out of the west, even if we magically make a deep run) :lol:

Went to the game tonight and the Nucks pulled out a 3-1 win, but it was against the Sharks who are now 3-14-1. The Sharks might just be the worst team in modern NHL history this year... truly hilarious.

I've loved hockey forever, its nice to be able to catch games these days here and there, I dont have TV or cable or NHL subs, last I had cable tv was '99 :lol: I didnt think the Bruins "looked" that good this year at the outset esp w/o Bergeron, but they seem to be doing great so far!

[Godfather]

I've loved hockey forever, its nice to be able to catch games these days here and there, I dont have TV or cable or NHL subs, last I had cable tv was '99 :lol: I didnt think the Bruins "looked" that good this year at the outset esp w/o Bergeron, but they seem to be doing great so far!

I thought the Bruins would stink this year TBH, losing two incredible players... but I guess they just have that winning culture completely baked into their locker room at this point, and David Pastrnak is one of the best players in the league right now. Crazy... must be nice being a Bruins fan and having a team that hasn't sucked in so long, I can only dream :lol:

[FBD]

I thought the Bruins would stink this year TBH, losing two incredible players... but I guess they just have that winning culture completely baked into their locker room at this point, and David Pastrnak is one of the best players in the league right now. Crazy... must be nice being a Bruins fan and having a team that hasn't sucked in so long, I can only dream :lol:

hehe, I just wish they played seriously in the last 4 games of their playoff season last year :lol: nothing worse than your team kicking ass and then resting on their laurels with the "yeah we'll win, whatever" mindset and going from 3-0 to 3-4 in a series

I too thought they would be mediocre this year like the Caps after losing some of their players from their cup season. Would like to see OV reach that record!

[Godfather]

hehe, I just wish they played seriously in the last 4 games of their playoff season last year :lol: nothing worse than your team kicking ass and then resting on their laurels with the "yeah we'll win, whatever" mindset and going from 3-0 to 3-4 in a series

I too thought they would be mediocre this year like the Caps after losing some of their players from their cup season. Would like to see OV reach that record!

I was sure OV would do it coming into this season, I still sort of think he will even with only 5 goals in 16 games. He's 67 away with a .3% scoring pace which just with my napkin math mean another 216 games which is roughly this season and 2 more at a ~22 goal pace until he's 40. I think he can do it, it's just going to take 3-4 years and I'm not 100% sure he doesn't go back to Russia if he's slowing down.

[FBD]

I was sure OV would do it coming into this season, I still sort of think he will even with only 5 goals in 16 games. He's 67 away with a .3% scoring pace which just with my napkin math mean another 216 games which is roughly this season and 2 more at a ~22 goal pace until he's 40. I think he can do it, it's just going to take 3-4 years and I'm not 100% sure he doesn't go back to Russia if he's slowing down.

from watching the Caps this year & last, it seems like a bigger part of the problem is their team is too shit to even have him with a lot of scoring chances, which necessarily slows him down big time

[Godfather]

from watching the Caps this year & last, it seems like a bigger part of the problem is their team is too shit to even have him with a lot of scoring chances, which necessarily slows him down big time

Definitely. They're winning games now, but low scoring.

Backstrom on LTIR really hurts Ovie's chances. I've heard that hip resurfacing surgery that he had is almost impossible to come back from too so good chance he's done. Kane just had it so we'll see how he does. Jovo and Kesler were never the same after theirs.

[FBD]

hip resurfacing....jfc

Backstrom was a good dude, sucks to see mfs get injuries like that. He was one of their big keys to success that cup year they had.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Well, a bit of a rough stretch for the B's there, giving up 5 and 7 goals in back-to-back games. Ouch.

[FBD]

that was one hell of a sally'd pass that put that game out of reach for 'em last night

[Godfather]

The Corey Perry situation is a weird one. Booted from the team mid-road trip over inappropriate conduct. Team has moved to terminate his contract. Stupid rumors swelled up online (from a Vancouver based twitter troll I believe :lol: ) that it was because Perry fucked Bedard's mom. The internet absolutely ran with it and I think a lot of people genuinely believe it. What a grotesque rumor for an 18 year old, who already has to deal with so much media, to have to see online.

Team GM did a press conference yesterday stating clearly the conduct had nothing to do with any players or family, but they couldn't give specifics (which I guess makes sense, if anyone is fired their company usually can't comment on reasoning). New rumor is that he sexually harassed a team staff member... Wild drama though. Wonder if the truth ever comes out.


In other news, Patrick Kane signed with Detroit which I didn't really see coming but I like the Wings so that'll be fun to watch.

[FBD]

Destroyt still has a rink standing? :lol:


(either me or my younger brother came out with Destroyt in like '79 :lol: )

[Godfather]

I have clients in Windsor (which is a dump) who keep telling me "come out and visit, we'll take you for a night on the town in Detroit, it'll be awesome, it's gotten better!!"

I'm thinking... isn't that place a notorious shithole? :lol: I'm dragging my feet on that one...

[FBD]

I have clients in Windsor (which is a dump) who keep telling me "come out and visit, we'll take you for a night on the town in Detroit, it'll be awesome, it's gotten better!!"

I'm thinking... isn't that place a notorious shithole? :lol: I'm dragging my feet on that one...

It is a notorious shithole, although you can probably go more by people that live there, if they go out and party on the city and its no big deal.

I mean compare NYC in the 80s vs today, its much more safe these days (thanks Rudy!)

https://i.imgur.com/7P4OZi2.jpg

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/BMRGL20.jpg

[FBD]

that'd be a difficult one to calculate, you'd have to properly estimate how much momentum would be eaten by squishyness, taking away from the final vector :lol:

[FBD]

https://media1.tenor.com/m/7xehtjCj5kAAAAAd/wtf-kentucky-fried-movie.gif

https://www.hockeyfeed.com/nhl-news/full-video-and-text-message-exchange-between-woman-and-one-of-the-5-world-juniors-players

https://i.imgur.com/8IJI1Ja.jpeg


>The first video clip shown to The Globe is six seconds long and was recorded at 3:25 a.m. on June 19, 2018, the lawyers said. It shows a woman from the neck up. A male voice can be heard saying “You’re ok with this?”

>“I’m ok with this,” the woman says.

>The second clip is 12 seconds long and taken about an hour later at 4:26 a.m. The same woman appears to be covering herself with a towel in a hotel room, with a closed door to the hallway visible in the background.

>“Are you recording me?” she asks. “Ok, good. It was all consensual. You are so paranoid, holy. I enjoyed it, it was fine. It was all consensual. I am so sober, that’s why I can’t do this right now.”

whore does some whoring

players obtain audio visual recorded proof of consent in addition to written consent and it still doesn’t matter :-s

fuckin hoonnnnnnnnnnnnnnk

[Godfather]

The full description is pretty vivid and disturbing. Obviously I'm not 100% convinced of anything, but this paints a different story of how that video might have been coerced:


The statement of claim alleged that at some point, the player allowed seven others to enter the room without her "knowledge or consent."

The statement of claim also said the men brought "golf clubs with them, knowing it would further frighten and intimidate her."

Over several hours, according to the statement of claim, the group of hockey players engaged in a series of degrading sexual acts, including placing genitals on the victim's face, slapping her buttocks, spitting and ejaculating on her and engaging in vaginal intercourse while she was too intoxicated to consent.

The young woman reported that at some points she was crying and tried to leave the room, but was "directed, manipulated and intimidated into remaining," the statement of claim said.

The claim said that after the alleged sexual assault ended, the players filmed the young woman, instructed her to say she was sober and told her to shower.

The statement of claim also alleged the players pressured the young woman not to report the allegations or cooperate with a police investigation.

[FBD]

Its amazing how the day 2 story differs from the day 0 video recordings :lol:

[FBD]

watched Boston put up 4 in 4:14 on the Flyers yesterday

felt bad for the flyers by halfway through the 2nd and went to watch OV notch another :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Edmonton has won 16 in a row :shock:

[FBD]

Edmonton has won 16 in a row :shock:

nice, isnt that a record?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The next game is to tie the record at 17.

[FBD]

Inquest into hockey player's careless and senseless murder suspended :roll:

[Godfather]

Alright I don't care about the all star game but Michael Buble as one of the team celeb captains saying at the presser he took too many mushrooms was funny as shit :lol:

[FBD]

I thought it was a pretty decent format, both the skills competition as well as the mini 3v3 ladder

but I love hockey like I'm fuggin canadian, so there's that

[Teh One Who Knocks]

So Godfather are your 'Nucks all in for the Cup this season now?

[FBD]

rootin for Edmonton!

but Bruins also acceptable :lol:

and I'm starting to doubt OV's potential to overcome Gretzky - its like without Backstrom et al to set up and feed him, the opportunities just arent there

[Godfather]

So Godfather are your 'Nucks all in for the Cup this season now?

Sure looks that way! I'm just trying to live in the moment and strictly enjoy that we should be going to the playoffs though... had zero expectations going into the season so don't want to ruin it with any sudden higher expectations now that we're having an unexpected regular season.

We don't have playoff experience, so if this year we can just get there and the nucks get their feet wet, that's awesome. Of course down deep I can't help but daydream of a miracle, but it would be just that if we went far this year after missing the playoffs the last several. :lol:

[FBD]

beautiful move
start @ 7:20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=542YGtGQvGs

[FBD]

ouch, Nucks couldnt catch a break for anything last night, even when the stick breaks it still goes in

[Godfather]

I was looking forward to that game as they're two top teams... 2011 flashbacks right there :lol:

[FBD]

and then the caps turn around and make the bruins look like crap :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I was looking forward to that game as they're two top teams... 2011 flashbacks right there :lol:

There wasn't anyone pumping anyone's tires though :rofl:

[Godfather]

There wasn't anyone pumping anyone's tires though :rofl:

Bro don't do this to me :lol:

https://media1.tenor.com/m/GjqLIt28NkQAAAAd/vietnam-flashback.gif

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:lol:

[FBD]

Bruins Oilers, heck of a close game last night! Its annoying when the other team just bum rushes the goal and it goes in to tie it late in the 3rd :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Anna Kulesa - NHL.com Staff Writer


https://i.imgur.com/L7E9M59.jpeg

The Boston Bruins' and Linus Ullmark’s small gesture made a special fan’s day.

The Bruins sent a care package to a Swedish Special Olympics goalie named Simon after the Gothenburg native went viral on social media.

Last month, TSN’s Jesse Pollock posted a video of Simon’s priceless reaction (https://twitter.com/jpolly22/status/1760410772121755660/video/1) after receiving a Bruins puck from the Hockey Hall of Fame and a Bobby Orr jersey. He also wrote that Simon was Ullmark’s biggest fan.

The clip caught the Bruins' attention and the team sent Simon a special gift.

In a video posted to social media, Simon was ecstatic as he opened the package of Bruins swag.
1765041794205598199
He screamed and hugged his sister when he saw Ullmark’s jersey was signed.

The Special Olympics goalie was then brought to tears after watching a special video message Ullmark made for his number one fan.

Ullmark wrote on social media watching Simon’s reaction made him emotional.

“It was heartwarming," Ullmark said. "I got sent that video a couple of days ago before they posted it on social media. It was very heartwarming. I cried a little bit, obviously. I got to see the whole version of it. So I’m very fortunate, blessed, to be in the position to do quote-unquote small things for someone else that means the world to them. It was a very special moment I’ll always keep with me for the future.”

[FBD]

:clap:

[Godfather]

Quiet trade deadline for my Nucks, but I think we did ok this last couple months with the Zadorov and Lindholm trades. Sort of hoped for one more piece but the prices at the deadline were high and with our young core I'm glad they didn't completely leverage the future to attempt to win now, we've got a few year window here it's finally looking like.

[FBD]

was surprised to see the Pens trade Guentzl

[Godfather]

Ya tough one to understand. Contract expiring at the end of the year, team on the way down... try and trade an expiring contract for a few picks maybe was the best outlook they had on the situation with his contract? I dono, it's still hard to understand.

[FBD]

yeah he seemed to be one of their long termers, mom's a pens fan