NHL Hockey thread

[HVC]

Le sigh.

[Valmy]

How lame. The NHL sucks again.

[Grey Fox]

Oh don't be like that. Your favorite team is also too south.

[Barrister]

No epic comeback for the Oilers.

McDavid wins the Conn Smythe - first time in like 20 years it goes to someone from the losing team.

At least I don't have to hear it from Oilers fans tomorrow. 

But my kids are sad.

[Valmy]

Oh don't be like that. Your favorite team is also too south.

Even if the Panthers and Lightning weren't located in a shitty place like Florida I would still hate them just because they are in our division. The fact that they are also soulless bullshit teams created by Bettman in the endless quest for US national relevance only makes them more contemptible.

Sort of like the Dallas Stars. The Mavs, the Rangers, and especially the Cowboys are north Texas' obsession. The day I hear somebody talk around there talk about the Stars season will be the first, well the first since a few people noticed they won the Stanley Cup back in 1999. If Buffalo had won that championship people up there would still be talking about it, it would have been the single greatest sports day in that city's entire cursed history.

But the Stars won so barely anybody noticed and now nobody remembers.

When the Oilers were winning cups everybody knew Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. When the Penguins won people know who Mario Lemieux and Sid Crosby were. Nobody in this country could name a player on the Lightning or the Panthers. Nobody gives a shit. And Bettman thinks this is good for the NHL? This is why the league is failing.

[Valmy]

At least I don't have to hear it from Oilers fans tomorrow. 

Once the spoiled Canadian fans start winning something they might start expecting a championship every 31 years and that kind of entitlement would be unbearable.

[Barrister]

Oh don't be like that. Your favorite team is also too south.

Even if the Panthers and Lightning weren't located in a shitty place like Florida I would still hate them just because they are in our division. The fact that they are also soulless bullshit teams created by Bettman in the endless quest for US national relevance only makes them more contemptible.

Sort of like the Dallas Stars. The Mavs, the Rangers, and especially the Cowboys are north Texas' obsession. The day I hear somebody talk around there talk about the Stars season will be the first, well the first since a few people noticed they won the Stanley Cup back in 1999. If Buffalo had won that championship people up there would still be talking about it, it would have been the single greatest sports day in that city's entire cursed history.

But the Stars won so barely anybody noticed and now nobody remembers.

When the Oilers were winning cups everybody knew Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. When the Penguins won people know who Mario Lemieux and Sid Crosby were. Nobody in this country could name a player on the Lightning or the Panthers. Nobody gives a shit. And Bettman thinks this is good for the NHL? This is why the league is failing.

So look - I'm sure there must be some passionate Panthers fans out there.  And that franchise in particular has been fairly cursed, so good on them for finally having some success.

But I mean - if you looked out at pictures of the crown in the building yesterday - it had to be 40-50% Oilers jerseys.  Which means not only were Oilers fans willing to spend ridiculous sums of money to buy tickets and get down to Miami on very short notice - but that Panthers season ticket holders were willing to sell their tickets and give up the chance of seeing their team win the Stanley Cup.

[Valmy]

LOL I said division. They were in our division back in the day but I meant conference.

[Grey Fox]

The Stars and The Avalanche are teams to hate. Bunch of crooks that stole team from good communities. Both Florida teams are good old fashion expansion teams that worked for their success.

Unlike what CC would have you believe the league is not failing. It's never been more profitable. By the 2026-27 season the cap will be 100 millions. That's great!

I live in a place where hockey is everything and we have other sports and levels of hockey that can find success without us knowing the life of every player.