NHL Hockey thread

[Barrister]

BB, how would you rate the competitiveness of the Winnipeg Jets for next year?

The timing seems to be awfully short to recruit free agents and sign new recruits, they will probably have to live with the choices of the Thrashers, wich I hear, was dubious, at best...

The current GM, Rick Dudley, seems to have made some solid picks since he took over.  Winnipeg has a young team, with a lot of upside.  Lots of reviews saying we got a better team than Phoenix, for example.  Byfuglien, Burmistrov, Kane are all young talents with lots of upside.

Atlanta was also 29th in overall salary in the league.  Chipman has made it clear they will not spend to the salary cap, but instead will be a mid-level team for overall salary.  So there's some money in the budget to keep players, but they're not going to be a huge spash in the Free Agent market.

But of course I do believe that I have never, ever seen an Atlanta Thrashers game, so I can't offer a whole lot of opinion here.  Last year I made a point of watching Coyotes games to try and get to know that team.

And Atlanta was in a position to make it into the playoffs, only to fade and go into a losing streak in the final two months.  They don't have far to go.

So in other words, these will NOT be like the 1980 Jets, who after being stripped of all their best players once entering the NHL, set all-time records in futility and losing.

[Ed Anger]

I'd assume the franchise does a maximum effort and gets into the playoffs. And gets thrashed in the first round.

And despite my Beeb-baiting (the sport of Kings), I hope the jets get into the playoffs.

[Barrister]

I'd assume the franchise does a maximum effort and gets into the playoffs. And gets thrashed in the first round.

I dunno - if there was ever a time when a team could suck, and suck a lot, it would be the Jets (I'm going to call them the Jets until and unless a new name is announced) in their first year back since 1996.

And despite my Beeb-baiting (the sport of Kings), I hope the jets get into the playoffs.

If you're not being bated around here, they just don't like you.

A playoff appearance for the Jets their first year back would be EPIC.

Maybe the franchise would even win it's first ever playoff game. 

[PRC]

Awwww, the Vancouver green men are afraid to go to Boston. 

But they're going, they got sponsored.

[Barrister]

And to beat CC from posting it, Game 1 drew the highest CBC ratings for NHL hockey ever.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/stanleycup/story/2011/06/02/sp-us-cup-ratings.html

But not hugely surprising - a big market Canadian team plus Original Six was always going to do well.

[Neil]

Let's get this thread back on topic:

[viper37]

13 000 season tickets sold as of today.  Nice. 

I feel bad for BB though, being trapped in Edmonton and probably won't be able to see a game live because there won't be any tickets left the few times he goes back to Winnipeg.

[Barrister]

13 000 season tickets sold as of today.  Nice. 

I feel bad for BB though, being trapped in Edmonton and probably won't be able to see a game live because there won't be any tickets left the few times he goes back to Winnipeg.

No tickets from the box office...

[crazy canuck]

 

[Valmy]

Wow.  I didn't watch it but hell of a nice win Canucks.

[jimmy olsen]

Wow.  I didn't watch it but hell of a nice win Canucks.

[PRC]

Good game.  The Canucks didn't show up in the 2nd period, but were great otherwise.

[Barrister]

So the Jets have declined to keep Rick Dudley, and have apparently offered the GM position to Kevin Cheveldayoff, current Assistant GM of the Chicago Blackhawks, and long-time GM of the Chicago Wolves.

CCR, you have any info on this character?

Man, I love being able to discuss actual hockey news about the Jets...      

[Jacob]

It's a lot more interesting than the rumours discussion, that's for sure. Looking forward to seeing the Peg play.

Who are the early favourites to being the rival team(s)? I.e. Which teams will the fans hate and savour victories against the most?

I imagine the Canucks, as a reaction to their current success, but will that last? How about the other (and closer) Prairie teams?

[Barrister]

It's a lot more interesting than the rumours discussion, that's for sure. Looking forward to seeing the Peg play.

Who are the early favourites to being the rival team(s)? I.e. Which teams will the fans hate and savour victories against the most?

I imagine the Canucks, as a reaction to their current success, but will that last? How about the other (and closer) Prairie teams?

We'll see.  It's all messed up since for 2011-2012 we're playing a lot of games against Tampa, Florida, Carolina and Washington by being part of the southeastern conference.   

But all of our natural rivals are out west.  Historically some of our biggest rivals were the Oilers (in the 80s we had some damn good teams - but then we'd meet Gretzky and the Oilers in the 1st or 2nd round and get slaughtered), Minnesota, then perhaps Chicago and Detroit.  Detroit in particular defeated the Jets in their last few playoff appearances.  Minnesota is the closest NHL franchise to Winnipeg, so there is a natural rivalry there.

I don't think we have a rivalry like Calgary-Edmonton, or Toronto-Montreal, but we'll do okay.

I'm curious too see:

A: what happens when a popular original Six team or other Canadian team comes to Winnipeg?  Back in the day the Habs were practically the home team in Winnipeg, and now we've had a 15 year gap.  Will people stick with their old allegiances, or switch back to the Jets?

B: what happens when Winnipeg visits other Canadian cities?  Are other Canadians excited about us getting a team and will we be cheered loudly, or does it immediately become business as usual?