The official NHL thread

[NeverSurrender]

Haley ws the guy who fought Brent Johnson in the Isles Pens brawl game. He's now in the Rangers system.

[chungasrevenge]

Haley ws the guy who fought Brent Johnson in the Isles Pens brawl game. He's now in the Rangers system.

Okay right. I pretty much had the black and gold blinders on and I wanted to check out Kreider a bit but Messier could have skated out for the Whale and I wouldn't have noticed.

Spooner was another player that really stood out to me for Providence. Both goalies messed themselves. Malcolm Subban might have to skip developement if Rask can't stay healthy.

But yeah, I miss the NHL.

[NeverSurrender]

I would miss the NHL if I wasn't an Isles fan, and I didn't hate Bettman.

[John Simon Ritchie]

Fuck.

11:15AM EST November 20. 2012 - Philadelphia Flyers star Claude Giroux is leaving Germany to have his neck injury examined by a specialist in Atlanta.

Eisbaren Berlin, where Giroux had been playing during the lockout, said the tests were precautionary so he didn't suffer a more serious injury down the road.

A test taken after he was the victim of a high hit last week was inconclusive and he continues to feel unwell, the team said.

Giroux went to Berlin with Flyers teammate Danny Briere in October. Both have scored 19 points, Briere doing it in 10 games and Giroux in nine.

Giroux finished third in the NHL last season with 93 points.

He missed four games last season with a concussion when he fell and teammate Wayne Simmonds struck his head as he tried to leap over him. He suffered a more serious concussion early in his career.

Also Tuesday, the Kontinental Hockey League team Barys Astana announced that New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh was leaving for family reasons and to have an injury treated.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nh ... y/1716867/

[Facedown]

Federal mediators are now involved in the talks.

[WOLF]

There is talk of the NHLPA decertifying, as a tactic.

If they do this, it would be nuclear war. Basically, there would be no union to negotiate with. Each player would be an independant contractor, and the owners would have to have individual agreements with each of them.

The players are probably thinking this will scare the owners into negotiating in good faith. In my mind, I wonder if this is what the owners want.

Facts are facts. We are still in a place where many owners would rather not play, than play, as it;s cheaper for them. Then you have another group that loathes their own players, and finally a group that want to play, as they draw 20,000+ per night, own their own buildings, and realize EVERYONE is losing here.

[Aerosmith87]

Federal mediators are now involved in the talks.

Not much happened last time, heh?

[alecjonsludge]

There is talk of the NHLPA decertifying, as a tactic.

If they do this, it would be nuclear war. Basically, there would be no union to negotiate with. Each player would be an independant contractor, and the owners would have to have individual agreements with each of them.

The players are probably thinking this will scare the owners into negotiating in good faith. In my mind, I wonder if this is what the owners want.

Facts are facts. We are still in a place where many owners would rather not play, than play, as it;s cheaper for them. Then you have another group that loathes their own players, and finally a group that want to play, as they draw 20,000+ per night, own their own buildings, and realize EVERYONE is losing here.

They're thinking of decerifying so they can file anti-trust suits against the owners.Most of what happens in pro sports(the draft,trades,etc) is not allowed under labor laws. The only way to file would be to decertify.If this were to happen you can pretty much forget hockey for the next 3 years at least,as the courts work on their own timeline,not that of the plantiffs/defendants.Obviously they (the players) really don't want this to happen-they're using it as a scare tactic to see if the owners will blink,much like the NBA owners did when the NBAPA decertified last year.They had a deal 11 days after doing so.

If they were actually to follow thru with this I'd expect to see about half the players eventually cross the line and sign with teams.Right now Fehr is fighting for about 10-15 players and their big contracts that were signed last season.This is the sticking point in negotiations.He's not fighting for the 4th line winger or the 6th defenceman making $600,000.While everyone is showing solidarity now,I'd expect players,especially the ones not making "huge" bucks,to eventually fold their positions and look out for themselves.

Conversely,Bettman's fighting for 5 cities that shouldn't even have teams.The whole thing is a mess that doesn't need to be happening.

[WOLF]

/\

Hamrlik is a good example. The guy MAYBE has a year left to play and wants his pay cheque. Some are pissed he spoke up, but I say good for him. Nobody is going to pay his mortgage, and this is his 3rd lockout. Owners are counting on the players fracturing, and it just may happen. Owners have other means of income, and for some of them it's cheaper not to play. Plus they can be owners forever. How much longer can Hamrlik play, or that 4th line winger of 6th D you refer to.

Regarding the poor choice of cities the league is in, big vote going down in Glendale (Phoenix) this week. I don't blame their new mayor for going apeshit. The league wants to sell the Coyotes to Greg Jamison for $170 million. They've brokered a deal, with previous city management, that would see him get payed $320 million, over the next 20 years, for "managing the arena". Where do I sign up for that? Betteman is trying to get Jamison as an owner, using the taxpayers' money to finance the deal. It's a joke. I pray this gets voted down and the league finally looks into offers in Quebec, Seattle, or anywhere that's a viable hockey market. Betteman is a collosal snake oil salesman!

[alecjonsludge]

/\
The NHLPA is really a union in name only.The superstar millionaires are still playing,still making money,playing overseas.Meanwhile those aforementioned 4th liners/6th-7th defencemen are without a paycheck but with the same big monthly bills.Not really the definition of solidarity in my book.

[alecjonsludge]

The WHL drops the hammer on the Portland Winterhawks for player benefit violations.

http://www.whl.ca/article/whl-sanctions ... interhawks

CALGARY, AB. - The Western Hockey League announced today the disciplinary action which has been taken against the Portland Winterhawks franchise for a series of violations of the WHL Regulations.

As a result of a series of player benefit violations which have occurred over the past four seasons, WHL Commissioner Ron Robison has suspended the Portland Winterhawks from participating in the first five rounds of the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft and the forfeiture of their first round selections in the 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 WHL Bantam Drafts. Should the first round selection in 2014 not be available due to a conditional trade, Portland will surrender their second and third round picks in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft. The WHL also announced the Portland Winterhawks have been fined $200,000 and Winterhawks General Manager and Head Coach Mike Johnston has been suspended for the balance of the 2012-13 season, including the 2013 WHL Playoffs.

“All WHL Clubs understand they are required to fully comply and respect our League Regulations or they will face significant consequences,” stated WHL Commissioner Ron Robison. “WHL Clubs are required to fully disclose all commitments they make to a player in the WHL Standard Player Agreement. Our independent investigation in this case revealed there were multiple violations over an extended period for player benefits that are not permitted under WHL Regulations and were not disclosed to the WHL. It should also be noted through the course of the investigation there was no evidence of any payments or enhanced education benefits provided to players that would be contrary to WHL Regulations as previous media reports indicated.”

The Western Hockey League will not make any further public comments on this matter.

[WOLF]

Interesting news:

http://www.hockeyinsideout.com/news/map ... -1-billion

The Toronto Maple Leafs have become the first NHL team to be worth $1 billion, according to Forbes. This despite the fact the franchise hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967 and has missed the playoffs the last seven seasons.

The New York Rangers ($750 million) and Canadiens ($575 million) came in second and third on Forbes’s annual list. Forbes added that the Big Three accounted for 83 percent of the NHL’s income. The Chicago Blackhawks ($350 million) and Boston Bruins ($348 million) rounded out the top five. The Los Angeles Kings, the defending Stanley Cup champions, rank 10th at $276 million

Forbes reports that the average value of the 30 NHL teams is $282 million, a 17.5-per-cent increase from last year.

Read more by clicking here.

Forbes Top 10 List

1. Toronto Maple Leafs ($1 billion)
2. New York Rangers ($750 million)
3. Montreal Canadiens ($575 million)
4. Chicago Blackhawks ($350 million)
5. Boston Bruins ($348 million)
6. Detroit Red Wings ($346 million)
7. Vancouver Canucks ($342 million)
8. Philadelphia Flyers ($336 million)
9. Pittsburgh Penguins ($288 million)
10. Los Angeles Kings ($276 million)

You can read why ESPN The Magazine ranked the Leafs as the worst pro sports franchise in North America by clicking here.

You can read about a Maple Leafs fan paying $5,300 for an old toilet from the team’s locker room at Maple Leaf Gardens by clicking here.

And you can read about Detroit Red Wings prospect Riley Sheahan, a first-round draft pick in 2010, being arrested for drunk driving while wearing a Teletubby costume by clicking here.

[NeverSurrender]

The Isles move to Brooklyn increased their value.

[pieceofme]

Interesting news:

http://www.hockeyinsideout.com/news/map ... -1-billion

The Toronto Maple Leafs have become the first NHL team to be worth $1 billion, according to Forbes. This despite the fact the franchise hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967 and has missed the playoffs the last seven seasons.

The New York Rangers ($750 million) and Canadiens ($575 million) came in second and third on Forbes’s annual list. Forbes added that the Big Three accounted for 83 percent of the NHL’s income. The Chicago Blackhawks ($350 million) and Boston Bruins ($348 million) rounded out the top five. The Los Angeles Kings, the defending Stanley Cup champions, rank 10th at $276 million

Forbes reports that the average value of the 30 NHL teams is $282 million, a 17.5-per-cent increase from last year.

Read more by clicking here.

Forbes Top 10 List

1. Toronto Maple Leafs ($1 billion)
2. New York Rangers ($750 million)
3. Montreal Canadiens ($575 million)
4. Chicago Blackhawks ($350 million)
5. Boston Bruins ($348 million)
6. Detroit Red Wings ($346 million)
7. Vancouver Canucks ($342 million)
8. Philadelphia Flyers ($336 million)
9. Pittsburgh Penguins ($288 million)
10. Los Angeles Kings ($276 million)

You can read why ESPN The Magazine ranked the Leafs as the worst pro sports franchise in North America by clicking here.

You can read about a Maple Leafs fan paying $5,300 for an old toilet from the team’s locker room at Maple Leaf Gardens by clicking here.

And you can read about Detroit Red Wings prospect Riley Sheahan, a first-round draft pick in 2010, being arrested for drunk driving while wearing a Teletubby costume by clicking here.

I would be interested to see where all 30 teams rank.

I was watching Sportsnet yesterdayand they quickly rattled off the bottom 5. The Panthers were not in that list.

[Garbageman]

RIP LA Kings' public address announcer David Courtney, who I can't remember the Kings without!

Our thoughts are with the Courtney family. A wonderful person.

"David was tremendously passionate about the Kings, our fans and the game of hockey. His time with the Kings dates back to the mid 1970s both in our PR office as our public relations director and also with work he did in our video department before he took over full-time Public Announcing duties at the Forum and STAPLES Center. In the arena he was an institution – he was the voice of the Kings – and his work added so much to the live, in-game experience for our fans as it did for the Clippers and Angels as well. Next season would have been David’ 35th year with our franchise, and on behalf of the entire Kings organization and AEG we are incredibly saddened by this news and we send our deepest condolences to his wife Janet and the rest of the Courtney family."

-- Kings President, Business Operations Luc Robitaille

[jizzyjizim]

Interesting news:

http://www.hockeyinsideout.com/news/map ... -1-billion

The Toronto Maple Leafs have become the first NHL team to be worth $1 billion, according to Forbes. This despite the fact the franchise hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967 and has missed the playoffs the last seven seasons.

The New York Rangers ($750 million) and Canadiens ($575 million) came in second and third on Forbes’s annual list. Forbes added that the Big Three accounted for 83 percent of the NHL’s income. The Chicago Blackhawks ($350 million) and Boston Bruins ($348 million) rounded out the top five. The Los Angeles Kings, the defending Stanley Cup champions, rank 10th at $276 million

Forbes reports that the average value of the 30 NHL teams is $282 million, a 17.5-per-cent increase from last year.

Read more by clicking here.

Forbes Top 10 List

1. Toronto Maple Leafs ($1 billion)
2. New York Rangers ($750 million)
3. Montreal Canadiens ($575 million)
4. Chicago Blackhawks ($350 million)
5. Boston Bruins ($348 million)
6. Detroit Red Wings ($346 million)
7. Vancouver Canucks ($342 million)
8. Philadelphia Flyers ($336 million)
9. Pittsburgh Penguins ($288 million)
10. Los Angeles Kings ($276 million)

You can read why ESPN The Magazine ranked the Leafs as the worst pro sports franchise in North America by clicking here.

You can read about a Maple Leafs fan paying $5,300 for an old toilet from the team’s locker room at Maple Leaf Gardens by clicking here.

And you can read about Detroit Red Wings prospect Riley Sheahan, a first-round draft pick in 2010, being arrested for drunk driving while wearing a Teletubby costume by clicking here.

I would be interested to see where all 30 teams rank.

I was watching Sportsnet yesterdayand they quickly rattled off the bottom 5. The Panthers were not in that list.

here ya go:

http://www.forbes.com/nhl-valuations/#p ... asc_search:

[chungasrevenge]

@wbzsports: WBZ's Steve Burton reports deal to save #nhl season could be announced tmrw or Wednesday

Take this one with a grain of salt. Burton is a Boston sportscaster. He said there was progress made during a set of secret meetings. Maybe he heard something from the Bruins front office. If not he's going to look like an ass as this keeps getting re-tweeted.

[Aerosmith87]

I heard that - here's to hoping

[chungasrevenge]

I heard that - here's to hoping

I just saw the report and he also interviewed Milan Lucic who said he was happy for the fans. Strange. I'm wondering if word was passed by Jacobs that it was going to end this week. Which would mean that the owners had a drop dead date at the start of the lockout as expected and had no intention of cancelling the season. If true then camp would more than likely open on Friday for a 12/15 start.

[Aerosmith87]

I heard that - here's to hoping

I just saw the report and he also interviewed Milan Lucic who said he was happy for the fans. Strange. I'm wondering if word was passed by Jacobs that it was going to end this week. Which would mean that the owners had a drop dead date at the start of the lockout as expected and had no intention of cancelling the season. If true then camp would more than likely open on Friday for a 12/15 start.

Maybe Jacobs silently passed, and progress was made

[chungasrevenge]

[Facedown]

Bruins insider Joe Haggerty:
Proposed deal is "interesting, but not true".

[chungasrevenge]

Bruins insider Joe Haggerty:
Proposed deal is "interesting, but not true".

Burton's source was supposedly Charlie Jacobs. I don't think he would go out on a limb with that kind of statement without something behind it. I'd bet he has better sources than Haggs.

BOG meeting is tomorrow. The timing would be perfect. This might be it. See what Jacobs does at the meeting with the players in about an hour.

[Aerosmith87]

I haven't really heard anything..you?

[chungasrevenge]

Believe in Burton! Looks good. And Bettman has a press conference scheduled for tomorrow at 1. They met for 6 hrs today and will continue tonight. Fehr and Bettman have also been negotiating on the side and supposedly positive all around.

So games on 12/15? B's would open at home against Florida.

[Aerosmith87]

Tomorrow at 1, Bettman is going to say that they're still "far apart"!!! I dunno - I want to believe but I've been built up and torn down so many times already Here's to hoping.

[Gibsonite]

At this point I don't even care.I'll content myself with watching the AHL for the rest of this season and for all I care those greedy cunts in the NHL - both sides - can go fuck themselves.Half a season = a complete joke and a farce.

[chungasrevenge]

At this point I don't even care.I'll content myself with watching the AHL for the rest of this season and for all I care those greedy cunts in the NHL - both sides - can go fuck themselves.Half a season = a complete joke and a farce.

I'm trying to get the tickets for the game against the Kings on 12/17. The greedy cunts will always get my money.

[Aerosmith87]

I'd gladly go to AHL games, but I can't be driving up to Albany all that often. I wish they'd play at the Devils' normal arena during the lock out.

[chungasrevenge]

At this point I don't even care.I'll content myself with watching the AHL for the rest of this season and for all I care those greedy cunts in the NHL - both sides - can go fuck themselves.Half a season = a complete joke and a farce.

I'd say the majority of people will forget about the lock out by the middle of January. The NBA picked up where they left off. Any fans that might stay away in protest will be back in two weeks. Especially if their team is doing well.