NHL Hockey thread

[C.C.R.]

AND THE 'HAWKS MAKE HISTORY!!!!!!!

It's about hit the point where when somebody finally beats them it's going to be like them winning the Special Olympics -- yeah, you beat the Blackhawks for the first time this year, but you're still retarded...

[Josephus]

Of course the Habs' streak will come to an end today

[Grey Fox]

Which one ? The 1 game losing streak or the Points in 8 games streak?

Last meet, The Laffs detroyeds the Habs, they better show up big tonite.

[Barrister]

Anyone want to talk realignment?

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=416887

Seems a little odd, and their plan from last year a little bit cleaner.  What seems really bizarre to me is that they introduce wild card rules, but they only work within-conference.  That is, a team from the 16-team Eastern conference can not cross over to the 14-team western conference.

But hey, they fixed my #1 gripe - you play home and home with every team in the league.  Good.  And while it sucks for the Jets to be the only Canadian team in their conference, at least it sucks less than watching Florida, Tampa Bay and Carolina 6 times per year.

[Grey Fox]

Having east vs west conference is a compromise to both owners & NBC. No teams wants to travel cross country before the Final & NBC doesn't really want an all west final.

[Valmy]

The Divisions are idiotic.   I do not see any particular improvement.  And really?  Move Detroit East?   

[Barrister]

The Divisions are idiotic.   I do not see any particular improvement.  And really?  Move Detroit East?   

What's inherently wrong with Detroit in the east?

This whole thing is driven by time zones.  Detroit and Columbus are in the eastern time zone.  They didn't like having to play so many of their away games at 8, 9 or even 10 at night (for home tv viewers).

The division between Central and Atlantic seems bizarre.  I think it's driven by the fact that NYR/NYI/NJD/PHI/PIT all want to stay together, and that TOR/OTT/MTL/BOS want to remain together.

[Grey Fox]

I'm sure Buffalo doesn't want to let Toronto go either.

Central for the Habs division is a stupid name. Call it North damn it or the Orr.

Gretzky Division
Roy Division
Orr Division
Lemieux Division

[Valmy]

What's inherently wrong with Detroit in the east?

Because they are one of the traditional powerhouses of the West that's why.  Granted this 'tradition' only goes back to 1974 but there were no conferences before then.

I know the NHL loves to mock its own history and is governed by people with a pathological hatred of Hockey but is nothing sacred?

And there should be a division with all the Southern teams, having them split up with a bunch of northern teams is stupid and it works best to have the unpopular teams nobody likes all out the way so we can ignore them...except the Caps who are universally beloved.  But I guess it makes some sort of Bettman sense to put Florida in the the same division with Detroit and Montreal and the other Southern teams in there with New York.

[Valmy]

I'm sure Buffalo doesn't want to let Toronto go either.

Central for the Habs division is a stupid name. Call it North damn it or the Orr.

Gretzky Division
Roy Division
Orr Division
Lemieux Division

Names related to or refer to Hockey are hateful to the NHL.  The more generic and boring the more it makes Bettman smile...even if the geographical names are misleading and make no logical sense.

[Barrister]

I'm sure Buffalo doesn't want to let Toronto go either.

Central for the Habs division is a stupid name. Call it North damn it or the Orr.

Gretzky Division
Roy Division
Orr Division
Lemieux Division

Wrong, it's:

Smythe
Norris
Patrick
Adams

Naming divisions for people who are still alive, and some of whom are still involved in the NHL (or are rumoured to be) seems odd. 

And Howe>Roy.  Hell I can think of a dozen people to put before Roy.  He gets ranked #22 in a ranking of the best hockey players of all time.

Even the Midwest division seems odd.  Only three of the teams (chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis) are in what would normally be considered the mid-west.

[Ed Anger]

They might as well give the bluejackets to Quebec or something. What a mess.

[Barrister]

They might as well give the bluejackets to Quebec or something. What a mess.

When they traded Nash you knew this year wouldn't be a good one...

[Neil]

What is it with Ohio and bad sports teams?  Is there anything that they're good at there?

[Ed Anger]

What is it with Ohio and bad sports teams?  Is there anything that they're good at there?

Meth.