NHL Hockey thread

[Barrister]

Nope - in the 70s the WHA included the best team in professional hockey - and the first club team to defeat the Soviet national team.   

Of course they were the first club teams to ever PLAY the Soviet National Team...

...because the NHL had its head so far up its own ass in the 70s.

[Neil]

But my point still stands - how can you imagine that fans booing was the story of the draft, given what happened with the Jets?

Why would people in Montreal care about the Jets, or what happens with them?

[Barrister]

But my point still stands - how can you imagine that fans booing was the story of the draft, given what happened with the Jets?

Why would people in Montreal care about the Jets, or what happens with them?

Well they'll care when we whup their asses in our home opener.

[Neil]

  The NFL has geographically-based conferences.

All I know is that having the Jets in the Southeastern conference sucks.  Put teams in divisions where they play other enarby teams please. 

No they don't.  Each conference has a North, South, East and West division, but the NFC and AFC are both national entities.

[Valmy]

I totally missed that BB called the Southeast Division the 'Southeastern Conference'.

No wonder he is so confused.

[Barrister]

I totally missed that BB called the Southeast Division the 'Southeastern Conference'.

No wonder he is so confused.

Hey - actually having a team and having to know stuff is a strange and new experience for me.   

[Neil]

But my point still stands - how can you imagine that fans booing was the story of the draft, given what happened with the Jets?

Why would people in Montreal care about the Jets, or what happens with them?

Well they'll care when we whup their asses in our home opener.

Unlikely.  Remember, these are the Thrashers we're talking about here.

[Barrister]

But my point still stands - how can you imagine that fans booing was the story of the draft, given what happened with the Jets?

Why would people in Montreal care about the Jets, or what happens with them?

Well they'll care when we whup their asses in our home opener.

Unlikely.  Remember, these are the Thrashers we're talking about here.

Jets.

Nah - that place will be hopping on opening night.  I don't have great expectations for the entire season, but I'll bet you they win the home opener.

[Ed Anger]

I'm liking the Bluejackets moves this offseason.

About fucking time.

[Barrister]

But my point still stands - how can you imagine that fans booing was the story of the draft, given what happened with the Jets?

He's not imagining anything. In Quebec that was the story of the draft. They care more about language issues and insults to their team than they do about some prairie team.

How can you imagine that the Jets being named the Jets is the story of the draft anywhere where they have their own team involved?

Hey man - I understand where you're coming from.  After all I live in "Oil Country" , not Winnipeg.

Oilers fans were discussing the #1 pick first and foremost.  But they realized that was a purely local story.  I'm sure if you asked an Oilers fan whan the biggest story from the weekend for the entire league, it'd be Jets.   

And here's proof about what the biggest story of the draft was:

Other ratings bizness: The NHL draft, which is kind of like watching a convocation without knowing the students, captured an average of 1.6 million for its four hours Friday night on TSN. The peak of 2.1 million came as the Winnipeg Jets revealed their new/old nickname and their first draft pick since returning to Manitoba.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/bruce-dowbiggin/hbo-cameras-to-focus-on-tortorella-bryzgalov/article2080142/page2/

[Neil]

To be fair, it's the NHL draft.  No story is truly 'big'.  The draft just isn't important.

[Barrister]

To be fair, it's the NHL draft.  No story is truly 'big'.  The draft just isn't important.

I dunno - 2.1 million people is a pretty good number.

And the draft certainly matters in the NHL.  But because you're drafting 18 year olds most of these guys won't show up in the league for several years, so it doesn't have the immediacy that the NFL draft has.

[Neil]

To be fair, it's the NHL draft.  No story is truly 'big'.  The draft just isn't important.

I dunno - 2.1 million people is a pretty good number.

And the draft certainly matters in the NHL.  But because you're drafting 18 year olds most of these guys won't show up in the league for several years, so it doesn't have the immediacy that the NFL draft has.

The only people who really care are the hardcore fans.  And since the guys getting drafted are all no-names, it's even less of an event.  At least in the NFL, the guys who go in the first round are already famous.  Amongst the NHL's fan base, most people haven't heard of who's hot in the WHL or the QMJL or the OHL or whatever.

[Ed Anger]

Also, I'd like to say goodbye to Nikita Filatov, who I predict will disappoint Sens fans.

Goodbye, you useless fuck.

[Barrister]

Also, I'd like to say goodbye to Nikita Filatov, who I predict will disappoint Sens fans.

Goodbye, you useless fuck.

Is it just me, or is Columbus going "all in" on this next season, betting that improved performance will lead to a profitable team, but taking almost everything out of the cupboard to do it?