NHL Hockey thread

[Ed Anger]

Chara is a slovak that broke the neck of an american. Zombie Davout is: disappointed. 

Zombie Davout wants more headshots.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

Daly thanked the Phoenix fans for everything. Seems like we're getting another team in Qc for september.

Which would be great news for Mtl, and might have been an underlying reason behind Gauthier and Gainey's firing and bringing big Serge in the fold again.

Expect a lot more drafting of quebecers by the Canadiens, and not 4th line pluggers anymore. I can see them dealing for Huberdeau down in Florida, bringing Lapierre back from Vancouver too.

Good luck with that, he and Higgins (another former Hab) are the Canucks' best players right now. Max is Van-tainted now. sorry. :p

[Barrister]

You're drafting for heart. In 93, half the team was pepper.

Something special happens to quebecers when they put on that jersey, especially in the playoffs. You can see it too in players born elsewhere, like with Kovalev in 2008 or Cammalleri in 2010, but the fact remains qcers have that extra gear in the playoffs for the habs.

The league and the CBA are just a little bit different since 1993.

I'm all for trying to bring in local boys whatever "local" means for your team.  There is something special about playing close to home, and for what might have been your favourite team as a boy.  But you can't go overboard in that direction.

[Grey Fox]

Daly thanked the Phoenix fans for everything. Seems like we're getting another team in Qc for september.

Which would be great news for Mtl, and might have been an underlying reason behind Gauthier and Gainey's firing and bringing big Serge in the fold again.

Expect a lot more drafting of quebecers by the Canadiens, and not 4th line pluggers anymore. I can see them dealing for Huberdeau down in Florida, bringing Lapierre back from Vancouver too.

"a lot more drafting of Quebecers" - I'd love to see it, becauseif you're drafting for geography/language you're not drafting for talent.

Tell that to the pre-expension Era managers of the 5 other teams.

[viper37]

Honestly the Jets would be better off continuin to play in the Southeast than to suddenly start playing in the Pacific.  The SEis only one hour earlier, while the pacific is 2 hours later (and none of the teams are all that close to one another).

True.  But in this case, it would mean Quebec playing in the Pacific, wich isn't practical

[Barrister]

Honestly the Jets would be better off continuin to play in the Southeast than to suddenly start playing in the Pacific.  The SEis only one hour earlier, while the pacific is 2 hours later (and none of the teams are all that close to one another).

True.  But in this case, it would mean Quebec playing in the Pacific, wich isn't practical

Suck it up.  If the Jets are going to be forced to play two seasons in the Southeast, you guys can handle one in the Pacific.  Because that's what is going to happen.

[viper37]

Daly thanked the Phoenix fans for everything. Seems like we're getting another team in Qc for september.

Which would be great news for Mtl, and might have been an underlying reason behind Gauthier and Gainey's firing and bringing big Serge in the fold again.

Expect a lot more drafting of quebecers by the Canadiens, and not 4th line pluggers anymore. I can see them dealing for Huberdeau down in Florida, bringing Lapierre back from Vancouver too.

What's the story about Daly?  I do agree that all signs are pointing to a returnof the Nords.

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/31/bill-daly-has-an-interesting-statement-on-the-coyotes/
Not much new, if you ask me.

"a lot more drafting of Quebecers" - I'd love to see it, becauseif you're drafting for geography/language you're not drafting for talent.    The Jets have shown an interest in trying to bring in Manitoba and surrounding area players, but aren't exactly 'paying any price' to do so.

Montrealers believe the Canadiens is still the 1950s team, with Maurice Richard, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Jean Béliveau, etc.  They believe that all French speaking players of North America, even those who don't speak the language but have a grandfather born in Quebec want to play for the Habs, even at a reduced paycheck, even if the team is crap and they keep losing.  Magically, these players would all come to play for Montreal, well below the wage cap, and let the Habs win the Stanley Cup 14 seasons in a row, with no one moving out of the city.

The truth is cruel, though.  Lots of French speaking players simply don't care about the Canadiens.  And if given the choice between 5 Million$ a year in Boston and 2 million$ in Montreal, 9 players out of 10 will pick Boston.  I didn't say 10/10, because we don't live in an absolute world.  But I'm pretty sure nearly all player will go where: a) the money is, b) where they can expect to win, c) where they ain't bothered by angry fans and harassing media when they lose.

See, the Nordiques had the same debate in the early 90s.  Their defeats were blamed on the presence of lots of foreign, non french speaking players who just didn't care about what the fans thought.  They couldn't read the paper, they couldn't hear the radio talk shows, so they were impervious to media pressure.  Once the season was out, they went back to their respective community, so they were also impervious to fan pressure, while French speaking players living in Quebec would endure the fan harrassment and negative commentaries and as such would have a good reason to elevate their game during the season.

It seems logical, when you put it that way.
However, you just ignore the Québécois who went there and dragged their feet.  Like Steve Duchesne, for one.  and that's forgetting the the Nordiques all time top players were Sakic (Vancouver) and Sundin (Sweden).  Sundin had its low moments, granted.  But he was still a damn good player.  And I can't see anyone pointing a finger at Sakic for not pulling his weight in the team.  The only thing I didn't like about Sakic at the time, is that with all the rumors of moving the team (it came every year) his answer was always dispassionate: "playing here or elsewhere, so long as I play".  that hurt the fans, me included.

But aside this minor nitpick, I have nothing against Sakic.  And though I regret him never learning French, as captain of the team, I can understand.  Why bother with a language when you never know if you'll be here next year?  Back in the 50s, english player in Montreal could learn the language, seeing it would be of use to them, staying there for many years.  Nowadays, players are recruited in march and traded/abandonned in june.  Even captains can be traded within a few years.  Learning a language that will be of use for 3 months in your life?  I wouldn't bother myself.

What I do expect though, is a bilingual GM, coach and President.  They can have unilingual english speaking advisors, I don't care.  But people speaking to the public, to the medias must master the language of the land.

Now, onto french speaking players... it's a good thing marketing-wise, to have local players.  It's easier for kids to identify to local players speaking their language, having grown up in villages like theirs, playing hockey on frozen lakes, etc than it is to have a Finnish role model.
But it shouldn't come at the price of sacrificing the gameplay.  If you have a crap product on ice, Québécois or not, the team will fail to attract the necessary fanbase to fill the arena.

[viper37]

Honestly the Jets would be better off continuin to play in the Southeast than to suddenly start playing in the Pacific.  The SEis only one hour earlier, while the pacific is 2 hours later (and none of the teams are all that close to one another).

True.  But in this case, it would mean Quebec playing in the Pacific, wich isn't practical

Suck it up.  If the Jets are going to be forced to play two seasons in the Southeast, you guys can handle one in the Pacific.  Because that's what is going to happen.

it doesn't change much in terms of travelling, I suppose, for Winnipeg to play in Toronto and Montreal or in Vancouver and L.A.  For Quebec, however, it's much more practical to play against Boston and Montreal than Anaheim and San Jose.

[Valmy]

Yeah I am not sure who the Canadiens think they are.  They are supposed to be the New York Yankees of Hockey and they need to start acting like it.

The tradition is victory and glorious victory at that.  Only once they are doing that part of the tradition is there any reason to worry about language and culture and whatever.  I mean besides the language of victory and a culture of asskicking.

[katmai]

Since it will be the Seattle Coyotes being in pacific will be just fine.

[Neil]

But people speaking to the public, to the medias must master the language of the land.

In North America, that language is English.  We won that war.  You lost.

[viper37]

In North America, that language is English.  We won that war.  You lost.

You were so afraid of being Americans that you gave us back our language, our culture and our religion.  Suck it up, we're French speaking now, the Royal Proclamation has been Superceded by the Quebec Act, the Confederation and the Official Language Act.  and I forgot the 1791 act.

So, Quebec = French.  Thanks to your fear of America, Canada = bilingual, French&English.
When Canadians have the guts to vote for a party proposing a return to unilinguism in Canada, we will talk. Until then, as BB said: suck it up.

[viper37]

In other news, the Coyotes were finalizing a deal to stay in Pheonix this morning.  By the time the morning was over, there was no deal
Same as usual.

Some local radios have made a betting pool on the date the Nordiques will be brought back to us, on a silver plate, with Betman present himself before the fans, put his head between his legs, and kiss his own arse. 

Ahem, I may be getting ahead of myself. 

So, anyway, when it's a done deal, I'll rejoice
'til then, I keep my head straight.  But the day they come back, I'll be drunk

[Neil]

In North America, that language is English.  We won that war.  You lost.

You were so afraid of being Americans that you gave us back our language, our culture and our religion.  Suck it up, we're French speaking now, the Royal Proclamation has been Superceded by the Quebec Act, the Confederation and the Official Language Act.  and I forgot the 1791 act.

So, Quebec = French.  Thanks to your fear of America, Canada = bilingual, French&English.
When Canadians have the guts to vote for a party proposing a return to unilinguism in Canada, we will talk. Until then, as BB said: suck it up.

At least my language isn't faggoty.

[Jacob]

Since it will be the Seattle Coyotes being in pacific will be just fine.

That'd be funny.

Not as funny as if Seattle had gotten a team instead of Winnipeg, but still funny.

I do like the Nordiques, so I hope Quebec gets a team.