NHL Hockey thread

[Barrister]

Sorry Beeb, but it seems my prediction that people in the Peg would get over their excitement of having the team back after a couple losing seasons is becoming reality.  There is an article on the Globe and Mail about the honeymoon coming to an end which notes that there are now seats available at the games.  It will be interesting to see how many people shell out to renew their three year commitments for season tickets after yet another dismal year.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/winnipegs-honeymoon-with-the-jets-draws-to-a-close/article16100898/

I will grant you that the "honeymoon is over".

But all honeymoons end.  Winnipeg and the team are now settling into a long marriage.

But the :roll eyes: is for "seats are now available".  Yes, if you want to buy single tickets the day of the game you can almost certainly get into the MTS Centre.  But that's certainly true for Edmonton and Calgary as well (don't know other markets).  But I don't see you saying Edmonton and Calgary are going anywhere, despite multiple losing seasons.

It's just that Winnipeg fans are no longer "just happy to be in the league" anymore.

[Savonarola]

The Leafs-Wings game on New Year's Eve is being played at Comerica Park.  The city of Detroit is playing this up and has a little winter carnival going on in the city.  The opening games of the Great Lakes Invitational College Hockey tournament was played there yesterday.  The first game (Michigan Tech - Michigan State) was played on mostly slush.  In the second game (Western Michigan - University of Michigan) the game clock stopped in the third period; putting Michigan on a never-ending power play.  Despite that both were good games; Tech (my alma mater) won in a shoot out and Western (my parents' alma mater) won in overtime.   

It's supposed to turn bitterly cold next week, so the ice should be in better shape for the Winter Classic; no guarantees about the clock, though.

[crazy canuck]

But the :roll eyes: is for "seats are now available".  Yes, if you want to buy single tickets the day of the game you can almost certainly get into the MTS Centre.  But that's certainly true for Edmonton and Calgary as well (don't know other markets).  But I don't see you saying Edmonton and Calgary are going anywhere, despite multiple losing seasons.

I dont mention Calgary and Edmonton because those two cities because, unlike the Peg, they didnt already lose an NHL franchise.  No matter how poorly Calgary plays there is enough corporate money buying tickets just in case some client might want to see a game that they will always be viable.  There has been talk off and on about Edmonton losing their team for a number of years.  But similar to Calgary, so long as the oil patch is thriving Edmonton will have a team. 

The Peg is different in that they have to rely on a regular fan base.

[Neil]

Winnipeg has various levels of government and a few old transport companies from back before NAFTA.

[Barrister]

Winnipeg Jets fire coach Claude Noel, hire Paul Maurice as replacement.

Interesting.

[HVC]

How the hell does Maurice keep getting a job?

[Grey Fox]

Claude Noel sucks, no doubt there.

but Paul Maurice is the worse coach in the expension era of the NHL, ffs.

[Barrister]

What's so terrible about Maurice?

Don't really know the man, so I was looking him up.  Record is decidedly mediocre - is about .500 for winning percentage.  Has made it to the cup finals, has missed the playoffs lots of times too.

I don't know that I'm thrilled, but it's not terrible either.

[Barrister]

Leafs @ Jets an the National HNIC game.   

CBC is still so pro-Leafs it's painful.  Good thing it's 2-0 Jets then.

[Josephus]

Game of two halves, as they say...

Leafs took a point. 

[Barrister]

 What an age we live in.

I'm stuck on a bus coming back to Edmonton after having to make an appearance in Calgary court.  There's a Jets game on, which you'd think I miss.

Except this bus has wi-fi, and as a result I'm able to sit back and listen to the game.  Hell I could probably watch the game, but I don't want to push my luck on the bandwidth.

[Grey Fox]

And the Jets even won.

[Barrister]

And the Jets even won.

Jets are 9-2 since Maurice took over, and are now just two points back of Vancouver for the final spot in the playoffs.

[PRC]

And the Jets even won.

Jets are 9-2 since Maurice took over, and are now just two points back of Vancouver for the final spot in the playoffs.

They will probably take it.  Vancouver is a team moving in the wrong direction, that team's window has closed and we're likely to see some major changes before the trade deadline there.

[Josephus]

So quick poll.

Should the NHL suspend play during the Olympics? Should NHLers particpate?