2004/2005 NHL Offseason

[Mikey D]

Not NHL, but there was a damn good hockey game on last night:  The finals of the Beanpot Classic - Boston University vs. Northeastern.  Really great game - BU went up 2-0 in the 1st and NU tied the game with 2 minutes left in regulation.  Both teams had a shot to win it in OT.  Chris Borque (son of Ray) scored the winning goal for BU about 6 minutes in.

Great seeing kids play for the love of the game and not money.

[Morgbug]

I agree entirely a cap at $30 million will do nothing, it's absurd.   It would need to be indexed and probably somewhere between $50-60 million at current salaries.  I do believe that owners will fill their cap space, providing they can afford to do it. 

Ooh, I'm generous.  Let's throw a number out there: 47 million, hard cap. 

[CorranHorn]

Apathy is beginning to settle with me. While I hate the idea of their being no Stanley Cup Playoffs, the most exciting 2 months in ALL of sports, the stupidity of the owners, players, and Bettman has made me not care that the season will be cancelled. In fact I've be waiting for the official word for almost two months now, they've all made complete asses of themselves and are ruining what's left of the popularity of the game in the US where it's financial support determines the productivity of the league. In fact I read an article the other day where Ken Dryden was mentioning that he wouldn't be surprised if Canadian fans started walking away from at least the NHL game. Finding that after all these years they were watching out of habit but now are finding other things to do or other leagues to watch. Is that true JD's Canadian peeps?

NHL & NHLPA Fear Reason!

[Morgbug]

Yeah, there was a poll not that long ago and about 60+% of respondents said they didn't care anymore   That's a huge number and even worse (on both sides of the border) the financial impacts have been pretty minimal, or so it is reported. 

Canadians found other hockey to watch.  Only the good folks in Toronto seem lost, but as much with the lack of a status symbol as anything else.  Sorry if that seems harsh.  The rest of us will be just fine.  Except I feel very bad for Edmonton and probably Calgary (and Vancouver?) since a cap around $48 mill will likely kill those franchises.  Not that anyone cares

[CHEWIE]

I love hockey... it was my favorite sport for 15 years, but now football might be.  Still though, I want to watch this guy get to 802 goals...



 

[Jeff]

Still though, I want to watch this guy get to 802 goals...
 

Hmmm... Age 41 at the start of next season, with 61 goals to go to 802.  Even if he gets a few goals in during a strike shortened season, that's still about another 2 seasons he'd have to last. 

[CHEWIE]

I think he can do it.  Love the Golden Brett.  Pure goal scorer with a chip on his shoulder.

 

[DSJ™]

Deadline passes, Season iced

Ona a different note, theres a team of amateurs attempting the longest record hockey game just outside the city.

Alberta amateurs attempting record hockey game

As of this morning, there still going strong raising money for pediatric cancer research. Best of luck to them. 

[Morgbug]

Hee hee.  I may be the only one, but I'm happy.  Surprised too, I thought they'd come to some kind of accord on the cap, around $45-48 mill.  I'm amazed they stuck to their guns though with that much last minute progress.  Although I must confess that I wonder if Bettman would have cancelled the season anyway, even with a deal?  Guess not. 

My joy comes from not having to endure a 28 game "season" followed by an equally long playoff run.  I can't see any way for the playoffs to have been meaningful.  While I see the full season being too long with prolonged periods of boredom and dogged effort, 28 is too short and it's not really fair to teams to incorporate last year's standings into determining this year's playoff teams. 

I sold my McFarlane stuff at the right time

[Jeff]

Deadline passes, Season iced

Yep... 

NHL ANNOUNCES CANCELLATION OF 2004-05 SEASON

Ah well, I'll always find something else to do...


3 days and counting...

Jeff

[JesseVader08]

Apathy is beginning to settle with me. While I hate the idea of their being no Stanley Cup Playoffs, the most exciting 2 months in ALL of sports, the stupidity of the owners, players, and Bettman has made me not care that the season will be cancelled.

...Finding that after all these years they were watching out of habit but now are finding other things to do or other leagues to watch. Is that true JD's Canadian peeps?

Well said.  Disappointment -> Disgust -> Apathy. 

I'm certainly not nearly a die-hard fan like a lot of guys, but if they want to piss away the season, I'm simply going to find other things to do.  I will still miss the playoffs though.

[Morgbug]

The NHL/NHLPA overestimates it's importance in the grand scheme of things. 

End of January - Superbowl
Mid-February - NBA Allstar Game
Mid-February - Spring training
Late March - March Madness NCAA basketball
April - June - NBA playoffs

At the same time, television is broadcasting PGA Golf and NASCAR. 

The void is there, but only for hockey fans.

[DSJ™]

I sold my McFarlane stuff at the right time

Indeed!  

I will still miss the playoffs though.

Ditto. 

[Jeff]

Did anyone else's franchise give them a mushy apology?



I'll miss the Cup Playoffs too...
 

[Rob]

I almost shat myself when I read this:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/hockey/nhl/02/16/nhl.lockout.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

The league and players' union traded a flurry of proposals and letters Tuesday night, but could never agree on a cap. The players proposed $49 million per team; the owners said $42.5 million.

These schmoes got to within 6.5 mil of each other and couldn't just split the f'n' difference?

What a bunch of jerks - the lot of them.