[jim777]

A full season too late, but there's "an agreement in principle" in place. Maybe I'll break out my Stevens jersey tomorrow.....
http://nhl.com

 

[JJEMMER777]

Bah.....from what I hear they cut back the salary caps so much that the teams arent going to be able to hold on to their star line-ups. I know for the Avalance that means losing the likes of Joe Sakic and other great stars that make our team what it is.....but dont fret.....Football is almost here....yippee

 

[jemsite]

glad it's FINALLY back AND that the players were totally owned & beaten.

believe it or not, i think the NHL will be back stronger & better than ever... it needed a goood flush. Now when jerks like Chelios, JR, Lindros, Forsberg, Koriya, Guerin, Yashin, etc. leave the "new NHL" will be that much greater.... give it a few years

IMHO the salary cap is great for the league - i don't much care about these whiney players opinion on the mater. Certain teams like the NYR & TOR will now be "protected" from it's own stupidity, which in turn makes the league better and prevents foolish GMs from over-reacting. Those dumb contracts (ie. Jagr, Holik, Sundin, etc.) trickle down and make everyone overpaid and underperform due to the old arbitration (where goons were awarded $4mil salary if one team paid that much for a guy like Kasparitis - LOL). Finaly the "trade deadline shuffle" & "rent a guy for the playoffs" is OVER! YES!

Now bring on the rule changes, shootout, total crackdown on obstruction and yes the larger nets.

Come back with a bang. ...glen

 

[elcid]

I'm against the larger nets and other things that will make scoring easier, it will make all the old records useless and cause more pointless arguements about who's record counts for more and blah blah blah.
I'm all for larger ice though, and hopefully some teams will fade away.

 

[jemsite]

i hear you but to be honest, records are a moot point as they added games (longer season) and added teams (diluted talent). records are "generational" anyways... just keep separate records.

i'm not advocating making scoring "easier"... just looking to end the current system of clutch/grab & bloated equipment that makes every mediocre goalie into marty brodeur. these things will separate the talent REAL FAST as the good goalies will adapt and the garth snows will falter.

larger ice is impossible... they're not reconfiguring 30 buildings anytime soon ...glen

 

[elcid]

If I had my way they'd only have to reconfigure about 15-18 new building

 

[jemsite]

that won't help. you'd have alot of crummy large-market franchises left... including the one playing in MSG. would you advocate getting rid of the black hawks? i mean many of the "large market" teams are mismanaged, some grossly (nyr, chi, tor, phi, etc.) and the small market clubs (up to now) couldn't compete.

the good news about the new CBA is that IF the league faulters, two teams will be removed and a couple more relocated... but that's only for another time. ...glen

 

[elcid]

Even though ownership sucks in Chicago, I'd always be opposed to the Hawks leaving, and I can hide behind them being an Original 6 team and avaoid questions like that

 

[jemsite]

LOL. Thing is most of the original 6 (or more) are mismanaged. i'd make a case they all are in relation to the better run franchises (devils, sens, van, min, tampa, atl, etc.)

Bruins - mismanaged
Black Hawks - Yup
Maple Leafs - Poor GM, fiscal irresponsility... YUP
Rangers - poster child for inept franchise
Canadiens - better but inept since trading Roy
Red Wings - leafs with a few cups... bad for hockey

 

[AMD1014]

what about new jersey, they just blow LOL, and now that burns wont be coaching good luck

 

[jemsite]

LOL. every other team in the NHL would love to "blow" as much as NJ does.

3 cups in the past 9 seasons played
best goalie in hockey
best GM in sports
nice mix of young and old
great farm club
new stadium for 2007 season
etc
... glen

ps - robinson already won a cup as head coach and another as assistant. he also coached/scouted all the young guys coming up this year & next

pss - may Burns get well ASAP

 

[AMD1014]

Im always rooting for colorado ive never been a toronto fan they always get old washed up players and the only way they can win is if they get some young players and give it time. Like tampa bay and atlanta. Plus with that new salary cap i really wanna see how the leafs will look like with most of the star players gone

 

[TheOrangeChannel]

Tens of fans just threw their hands up to the heavens in a joyous release...
I'm one of 'em...interesting to see how this plays out once the shuffling of rosters goes down.

 

[AMD1014]

yeah but we gotta hope that ticket prices decrease because fans are getting sick of the prices especially down in some american cities where they can watch other sports that have cheaper tickets.

 

[elcid]

I read some teams were cutting ticket prices by as much as 45%.
I think it mentioned Pittsburg specifically but also pluralized teams.

I'm willing to bet Dollar-Bill Wirtz wont be doing anything like that though, and I'm still dumb enough to be on the glass in one of my over-priced jerseys at next seasons home opener.

 

[jemsite]

Tix prices are out of control, relative to a 41-home game season.

those cuts would be certain seats only... not front row center ice or "box seats", etc.

i'd hope in every arena you'll find some "discount" seats and "family" seats available cheaper. There are so many obvious ideas... all long, long overdue to allow a family of 4 to see a game without dropping $300 on a tuesday night in the winter. They gotta allow a couple of students to go to a game and pickup cheap tix at the box office on a whim. They need youth at games to seed interest in the future.

but overall ticket prices will remain high for any sporting event... glen

 

[guitardevil2005]

all i care about is that the red wings are back in business

 

[gpenguins]

I read some teams were cutting ticket prices by as much as 45%.
I think it mentioned Pittsburg specifically but also pluralized teams.

I'm willing to bet Dollar-Bill Wirtz wont be doing anything like that though, and I'm still dumb enough to be on the glass in one of my over-priced jerseys at next seasons home opener.

Yeah, you know that's not happenin' here. At least there's a minimum so Dollar Bill HAS to spend a certain amount...

... VERY happy for the return of the only sport I love

... oh, and Detroit still sucks - nothin' personal, just trying to get back into the game

 

[JJEMMER777]

... oh, and Detroit still sucks - nothin' personal, just trying to get back into the game

I second that:lol:

 

[jim777]

I was in Chicago for a week on business three weeks ago, and it was difficult as hell finding anything that said "Blackhawks" on it anywhere. I wanted to grab a jersey, because love 'em or hate 'em that's a cool jersey (especially the black one). I eventually found a hat on the Navy Pier (Chicago is a great city to visit). Hockey will come back though. Cheaper tickets will be a necessity, so I'll definitely take advantage. I can't watch juiceball anymore.

And as mentioned, all the best to Pat Burns and his family