Re: The NHL Thread
 

This is where not getting some free agents might pay off At 73, Wings would have 16mil in cap space with the only big raise coming to Nyquist. Smith, Andersson and Jurco are RFA's as well. Would still leave some room to add if needed/wanted.

Actually curious to see what Wings do at the deadline. I would have thought stand pat but if they keep this up, maybe they make a splash to try and go for it.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

While I don't think hockey, or any pro-sports for that matter will work in Vegas, there was a good point made on Toronto sports radio this morning;

You might as well be the first pro-league to go in and get the arena, favorable lease agreements etc. etc. rather than trying to play 'catch-up' at a later date.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Here is my idea:

The NHL had 30 teams. Don't put a new team there, but rather have all of the teams play there! Each team plays there once every year as a home team or away team. If your team is the home team that year, your fan base gets first shot at tickets through Vegas get away holiday deals. Every team only loses a home game once every other year. The idea allows for it to be a travel thing rather than the NHL trying to support a home fan base. The hockey fans in Vagas probably already root for a team in the NHL and they would get to see them once a year now. As for the rest of the league, you try to promote fans to vacation to Vegas the weekend/week your team is playing there. You could still sell GA season tickets for the die hard fans.


I know I may be thinking outside of the box....

Re: The NHL Thread
 

no one will be playing catch-up though because Vegas is just not a pro-sports town

maybe NBA could work there for a while, but it seems like a risk not worth taking to me

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Pretty much agree. The research has to go beyond a ticket drive, and I'm sure it will/is. There might be interest at first, but what happens 5-10 years from now? Especially if the team struggles after a few years. You know they will out of the gate, being an expansion team. So if it takes 7 or 8 years to get to being good, will the people who show interest now still have interest then? I just see it as a novelty if people show interest. Even more than it was in places like FLA.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

I know this might be a silly point, but Vegas seems like an owners nightmare. You're paying these 20 year old pro athletes millions of dollars and they're calling Vegas home? Seems like a recipe for disaster. Could you imagine if someone like Patrick Kane was drafted into the Vegas team? He'd be snorting heroin out of girls asses in the locker room.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

yea but what would he be doing in vegas?

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Or imagine any NFL team there lol...

Johnny Football calling Vegas home would be fun to watch.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Another great hockey moment last night when Kevin Klein had to have his ear partially reattached, then went on to score the GWG. Awesome.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Ouch. Damn.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

IMO the only sport that would work in Vegas is the NFL.

people will watch/go to any NFL game, the % of people who care about a hockey game that doesn't have the team they root for playing in it is very small.

not saying it should or shouldn't be that way, but that's the way it is.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

The Rangers tried so hard to give that game away last night against he Pens. This team needs to seriously step up their defense if they want to make it back to the playoffs.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

So crazy. He's having a very good year so far.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

i dont think people would go to any NFL game.
I'm not going to a Dolphins game in Miami unless they're playing SF

Re: The NHL Thread
 

In Vegas if you could put a bet on the game and then walk over and watch it live, I think that has the best chance of working.

Hockey is a horrible sport to bet on.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

i don't know, i think that was just a good, hard fought, division game

bunch of momentum swings, possession about 50/50

nice little december game

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Definitely hard fought, but there was the long sequence in the Rangers defensive zone right before the two goals that seemed to last an eternity. Pittsburgh very good again despite the injuries.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Was a good game. Pens totally dominated the 3rd though. NY did score, but for the most part were completely out shot and played in the third.

OT winner was a nice finish for NY.


Side note....Love the Pens jerseys. Was like watching a game from 1994!!

Re: The NHL Thread
 

that's a different conversation though.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

yep. if the pens could ever be healthy for a long stretch they might actually have something special

yea, getting an Olli Maata throwback for X-mas, can't wait

they're so sexy

also, why were the Rangers wearing white at home? seemed random

Re: The NHL Thread
 

so you could wear those fly black's.
we do it time to time with the alternate liberty jersey too

Re: The NHL Thread
 

I am strongly considering getting one of those Pens sweaters. SO sexy. If so, I would definitely get Maatta.

Or Jim Paek. I'd take either.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

:lol

Rick Tochett would be my next choice since he's back on the staff

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Screw that guy. Top 5 of guys I hate the most all time.

Even though #66 is my favorite non-Islander of all time, I'm still down on him from 2 years ago so I would say Francis. Wasn't he #10. I forget. But he was all class. One of the best #2 centers you'll ever find.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

I'm so far off the bandwagon that i only just learned that the Oilers didn't lose their game couple of days ago.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

yea he was #10

why are you down on Lemieux?

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Hey Sal, been meaning to ask, how you doing post-surgery? I know you were pretty bed-ridden for a while there, right? You up and about now?

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Ducks sign Bryz. This is fantastic. I love having him in the NHL.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

He made such a big deal about that brawl with islanders 2 years ago and how it's bad for hockey and it doesn't belong in the sport yet he was employing Cooke and this year brought in Downie. Those guys are not exactly choir boys and play dirty on the wrong side of the rules "code" often. Downie can be effective player like last night when under control but he was cheap a couple of times versus islanders and he has a history as did Cooke.

It just comes across rather hypocritical to me. That's all.

Re: The NHL Thread
 

Thanks for asking. I'm healing good. I waz bed ridden for about 3 weeks. Last X-Ray showed the screws were good and the fusion was progressing nicely. I also had a bunch new bone growth from the bone graft.

My next check up is in a week and I should be back to work by xmas so days as a post whore will be ending.

I'm sore a lot especially with increased activity but I am rarely in pain. Overall, it's been a success. I am hoping for a mild winter since I am under strict orders of no shoveling.