All-purpose hockey thread...

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

Agreed. Hopefully, the under-the-radar signing that does work is bringing David Tanabe back. With any luck, he no longer has the buildup of being a first-round pick dogging him.

Carolina's offense will probably be all right for a while, and Cory Stillman will be back at some point (losing Matt Cullen was of some concern. Additionallu, will Tanabe help make up for the loss of Aaron Ward?

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

If you think that only "the very best of the world" matters in North America I would bet significant money that you're either not Canadian or you're from Toronto.

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

Hey, no bashing the Centre of the Canadian Universe.
I gotta dust off my Michael Vernace jersey for Monday.

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

Fixed.

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

My MP and the next Prime Minister of Canada.

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

Fixed.

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

Fair enough. So I'm not from a part of the world where euro or junior hockey leagues are the only game in town.

But if the NHL went out of business for good, what would all those CHL players be playing for? Those leagues would have to shut down. Would Canadian kids move away from home at 14 just for the chance to play in the Russian Super League?

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

Mr Choice,

Actually, the growth of the NHL has hurt grass-roots hockey in Canada in many ways. Back in the day of a six- and even 12-team NHL, senior hockey (ye olde Allan Cup) was thriving in Canada. And the fact is, there was so little chance of a player making the NHL with so few teams and so little return to playing minor pro (the Toronto police force had a team made up of former junior A guys who made more walking the beat than they would have working for Eddie Shore). The death of the NHL wouldn't kill junior hockey--hey, US college hockey was supposed to do that. (As if!)

YHS, etc

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

So your point is when the NHL goes out of business for good, most guys find real jobs but damn, those minor canadian leagues sure are great. Hockey then becomes a fringe sport (as if it isnt already) played only north of the border and in US Colleges. Sure I guess the sport still exists but if you're a fan anywhere besides one of those canadian towns with a team or a d-1 college town forget it. You won't be able to follow the sport.

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

We'd have a Canadian pro hockey league for the best players, just like we have a Canadian pro football league. If there's enough of a grass-roots movement in certain American cities and regions, odds are you'd still have competitive hockey leagues there as well.

After all, we used to have several Canadian pro hockey leagues, run by Canadians, for Canadians. One of them was called the NHL. What, you thought "National Hockey League" referred to the American nation? ;D

Don't worry, though. We'll still consider top American players for our hall of fame, even if they never actually play in our new league.

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

I see a Mike Keenan thread was started somewhere else. Still, he's a joke.

 

Re: All-purpose hockey (NHL and Olympics) thread...

They wouldn't be getting payed anything compared to NHL salaries. Forget europeans coming over, the Russian League would take over as the best league in the world, drawing the best talent and paying the highest salaries. The best Canadian players might even wind up playing there.

I dont wanna see hockey become curling