Is the NHL fucking retarded?

[AZGrizFan]

They've already got an entire league teetering on complete irrelevance...now they cancel the remainder of the preseason due to their second protracted lockout in 5 years....can't they just go away? If a professional sports league folds, and no one is around to witness it, did it really exist?

The NHL canceled the rest of the preseason Thursday, just a day before negotiations were set to resume in an effort to end the lockout.

The league announced its second cancellation of preseason games in a two-sentence statement. NHL owners locked out players Sept. 16 when the collective bargaining agreement expired.

The NHL already had called off all the preseason games scheduled in September. The regular season is supposed to begin Oct. 11.

The two sides have scheduled talks on Friday in New York, although they are on secondary economic issues as opposed to the core of the dispute -- how to split more than $3 billion in annual revenue.

[SuperHornet]

Ask the USFL, the XFL, and the WUSA....

[BlueHen86]

Yes, the NHL is retarded.

[clenz]

Ask the USFL, the XFL, and the WUSA....

Who?

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[SuperHornet]

Exactly my point, clenz. Nobody remembers them because people at the top screwed the pooch. Gary Bettman, David Stern, and Roger Goodell seem to be taking their respective leagues down the same primrose path.

[89Hen]

can't they just go away? If a professional sports league folds, and no one is around to witness it, did it really exist?

Just because you live in the desert doesn't mean people elsewhere don't follow hockey.

NHL attendance = NBA attendance

[SDHornet]

As long as they get their shit together before the playoffs it doesn’t matter.

NHL regular season = NBA regular season = meaningless

/thread

[89Hen]

As long as they get their shit together before the playoffs it doesn’t matter.

NHL regular season = NBA regular season = meaningless

/thread

They may be "meaningless" because everyone has a decent shot once the playoffs start, but 16 of the 30 teams last year averaged 100% capacity attendance and 21 of 30 were above 96%. For me I'd MUCH rather go to a hockey game than NFL, MLB or NBA and it's not even close.

[GrizFanStuckInUtah]

As long as they get their shit together before the playoffs it doesn’t matter.

NHL regular season = NBA regular season = meaningless

/thread

They may be "meaningless" because everyone has a decent shot once the playoffs start, but 16 of the 30 teams last year averaged 100% capacity attendance and 21 of 30 were above 96%. For me I'd MUCH rather go to a hockey game than NFL, MLB or NBA and it's not even close.

Hockey is one of those sports that I can't stand to watch on TV unless it is the playoffs or olympics. In person, I like hockey. I feel the same way about baseball, can't watch it on TV but like it live. I've been to the D-league games here in Salt Lake and Boise and enjoyed them.

[89Hen]

Hockey is one of those sports that I can't stand to watch on TV unless it is the playoffs or olympics. In person, I like hockey. I feel the same way about baseball, can't watch it on TV but like it live. I've been to the D-league games here in Salt Lake and Boise and enjoyed them.

I can see that. To be honest, I don't find myself watching San Jose vs Phoenix games during the regular season either.

I was at the Caps/Rangers triple OT game last year and was hoping for 6 OT's. Couldn't get enough.

[andy7171]

can't they just go away? If a professional sports league folds, and no one is around to witness it, did it really exist?

Just because you live in the desert doesn't mean people elsewhere don't follow hockey.

NHL attendance = NBA attendance

Yeah, but the NBA has a TV following as well. NHL fans go to the game, everyone not in the arena, couldn't give two fucks about hockey.

[Grizalltheway]

Just because you live in the desert doesn't mean people elsewhere don't follow hockey.

NHL attendance = NBA attendance

Yeah, but the NBA has a TV following as well. NHL fans go to the game, everyone not in the arena, couldn't give two fucks about hockey.

Just because it's not on ESPN doesn't mean it's not on TV. NBC sports network shows damn near every playoff game, NBC proper has a game of the week on Sundays, and you can get NHL Center Ice, similar to Sunday ticket.

[Gil Dobie]

The Wild, Gophers(men & women) and several HS(boys and girls) games are on Fox Sports North every winter.

[Gil Dobie]

Gary Bettman took the fun out of the NHL.

[JayJ79]

Ask the USFL, the XFL, and the WUSA....

the major difference is that the USFL/XFL were secondary leagues for the sport, trying to compete with the juggernaut that is the NFL. And the WUSA suffered from the fact that the vast majority of general sports fans are sexist bastards (and it was soccer).

While the NHL likely will continue to remain far behind other sports leagues (NFL, MLB), I doubt it will fold.
And while the regular season may not be ENTIRELY meaningless, the preseason is.

[SuperHornet]

While many fans across the country would scream if the NHL contracted, they could probably still maintain their third- or fourth-level major league status even if they shrunk to the Original Six. Those teams have the history and tradition to stay afloat even when the newer teams struggle. But Jay is right: while there may be days in which the NHL passes the NBA, it will NEVER pass MLB or the NFL.

[BlueHen86]

Exactly my point, clenz. Nobody remembers them because people at the top screwed the pooch. Gary Bettman, David Stern, and Roger Goodell seem to be taking their respective leagues down the same primrose path.

Nobody remembers the XFL ans WUSA because they never reached the level of a major sport. The USFL was close, but was undone, inpart, by conflicting goals of the various owners. The USFL was a good product, I remember it fondly.

The NHL is an established, major sport. If it continues to have work stoppages every few years it won't be.

[Grizalltheway]

Exactly my point, clenz. Nobody remembers them because people at the top screwed the pooch. Gary Bettman, David Stern, and Roger Goodell seem to be taking their respective leagues down the same primrose path.

Wait, now the NFL is in danger of folding because of Goodell? It's the most profitable league in the history of American sports, genius.

[SuperHornet]

Not necessarily to the point of folding, GATW. Just in the direction of a SERIOUS drop in attendance, viewership, and goodie sales, i.e. PROFITS. At THAT point, if he doesn't wisen up and resign, he'll get canned, because there's nothing an owner hates worse than sagging profits....

[Grizalltheway]

Not necessarily to the point of folding, GATW. Just in the direction of a SERIOUS drop in attendance, viewership, and goodie sales, i.e. PROFITS. At THAT point, if he doesn't wisen up and resign, he'll get canned, because there's nothing an owner hates worse than sagging profits....

Do you have any evidence to support your claim that its profits are declining, or will be any time soon?

[SuperHornet]

Too many more incidents like scab-gate, and fans will leave in droves. We even heard such complaints here. Heck, they've already priced the average fan out of the market, anyway.

[clenz]

Too many more incidents like scab-gate, and fans will leave in droves.

If you believe this, you are even dumber than I thought.

[bluehenbillk]

While many fans across the country would scream if the NHL contracted, they could probably still maintain their third- or fourth-level major league status even if they shrunk to the Original Six.

Actually contraction may be the best thing for the sport. Let's be honest - pro hockey does very well in a bunch of places. However, there are 30 teams in the NHL & the reason they're not going to be playing this month is they're being held hostage by the 10-12 teams on the low end of the revenue scale. Do the Flyers make boatloads of money? Sure. So do the Rangers & the Maple Leafs, etc. But not everyone does. Hockey could do itself a lot of good by chopping at least half-a-dozen teams. But the chances of that happening today or anytime in the immediate future........

[andy7171]

Too many more incidents like scab-gate, and fans will leave in droves.

If you believe this, you are even dumber than I thought.

Scab-gate!?!


It was Almost 30 years ago!

[Big McLargehuge]

The odds of the NHL expanding (Quebec City and Toronto 2) are much higher than of contraction.

Step one is just killing the damn Coyotes and finally putting a NHL team in the American Northwest.