Which players for which techniques?
I’m bummed, because this is the first year since i moved to the US that i have cable, and i might actually have got to see some hockey games on TV this year.
Hockey is far and away the most entertaining of the major North American sports, and i say that as someone who enjoys both baseball and football. Basketball blows, especially the way it’s played in the NBA; it should be called travel-ball. And i say that as someone who grew up playing basketball and loving every minute of it.
One of the worst things about the strike is that every minute without the NHL is an extra minute that the Stanley Cup has to spend in fucking Tampa.
And NASCAR? Come on, folks, this thread is about sports, not the world championship in making left turns.
For so many years the owners had a huge advantage over the players. Player contracts were low and the owners were raking in the bucks. Things started changing course in the early 1990’s. Now, the players make salaries that count for 70%+ of revenue. Of course, the owners are to blame for escalating salaries and the NY Rangers have done much harm by signing players to outlandish contracts, but they aren’t alone.
Naturally, the players are happy with the status quo, they are making money and don’t care about owners ability to make money. In fact, reps for the union often talk about how this is the owners fault. However, the owners hands are tied with regards to methods that they can control the costs. If a player was making $2 million a season and putting up decent numbers under the last CBA he could expect a fairly hefty raise on a new contract. But if teams decide that the player isn’t worth $2.5 million and don’t sign him then the players union start crying collusion.
IIRC, in 1988 there were only 2 players in the NHL making $1 million or more - they were Gretzky and Lemieux. In (I want to say)1998 there were over 40 players making more than $3 million. As has been pointed out already, the TV contracts that the NHL gets suck donkeys. Salaries have spiraled out of control and league revenue has not kept pace. In order to pay the salaries, the NHL has pretty much the highest ticket prices in pro sports and that in turn is driving away some fans. There are a handful of teams that are in serious danger of folding. I think that prospect might move the players union to take action. The only other thing that will is going a year without a paycheck. I seriously doubt that there will be NHL hockey for the 04-05 season.
As a Canadian living in a non-NHL market, I have to say I don’t much care. If I want to watch hockey, I can go watch the Blades.
And dammit, that Molson Canadian ad cracks me up every single time, and they’ll stop airing it if the season resumes.
Moving this from IMHO to The BBQ Pit.
I love hockey, it’s my favourite sport. It isn’t even close. I thought I’d miss the NHL when the lockout began but you know what? I don’t care. Not one bit. I get all the hockey I need watching junior on TV. Frankly I enjoy the junior games almost as much as the NHL most of the time. When I get to watch the Rimouski Oceanic it’s about even.
If the NHL comes back, I’ll probably watch. Frankly I hope the strike lasts another couple seasons. That way it’ll kill about 10 or so of the teams, removing the players that shouldn’t even be in the league anyways.
What the NHL players need to realise is one thing. They get to play hockey for a living. If you require 10 million instead of 7 to play it? Don’t effing play, I won’t miss you.
With regards to the contract size, the players weakened that themselves when a fair amount took really low offers to play this year.
However, the main issue right now is the hard cap the owners want to impose. I don’t remember the number off the top of my head, but it was well lower than I thought was reasonable. It seemed to be based on the lowest amount spent by a team. I’m not betting on a return of hockey this year, though you’d think the massive lack of interest would be a hint that they can’t afford a year off.
As far as missing the season, yeah. I miss it. I love hockey. Best sport period. I’m getting by with NHL 2004 for ps2 though. The Wings are undefeated 
I’m a little puzzled that this was moved to the Pit.
I did hear this evening that the negotiators are supposed to actually meet and the players believe they’ve come up with an acceptable compromise. Doubt that’s true, but stranger things have happened.
Sorry, meant to put a cite with that:
I am very happy for all you Canadians, everyone with a minor league team with them, and everyone who gets minor league hockey on TV. I respect that you don’t particularly care when the lockout ends. You’re good to go; I get that. As an Alabamian hockey fan, however, I care a whole fucking lot. I need my hockey, and I just ain’t getting it. There’s a very minor league team in Birmingham, but that’s over an hour away.
Also, they suck.
My friends have noticed a definite change in me as the lockout progresses. Things I would have only gotten moderately excited about last year are suddenly obsessions. One of them describes it as ‘Displaced Hockeylove Syndrome.’
I’d rather watch curling.
At least there is some strategy in curling.
I played hockey for 10 years and watched every game I could.
I don’t miss it right now.
I put the problems on Bettman. He has persued expansion to the point that the game is boring. BORING. He seems to have no idea that to attract a TV audience, there has to be shots. There does not really have to be a lot of scoring, just shots. Let the goalies be stars. Instead, we are treated to games played almost entirely in the middle of the ice. The top players are not allowed to skate because they are hooked and grabbed and slashed constantly. How many games did Paul Kariya miss due to hand and wrist injuries?
The NHL ( and NBA ) just went through a period of teams getting new statdiums. It should have been priority to expand the ice. Bettman is worried about goalie pad sizes instead of the fact that the players can’t freaking skate.
Not only that, Bettman just looks like an ass when he gives out the Cup.
Well, in that case…
Fuck hockey…fuck it up its stupid ass…
Bah…and hockey is just disorganized figure skating. 
What if half the players wore pretty dresses? Would that make it OK?
The NHL is on strike???
And football is just a bunch of overweight men groping each other. 
I know that’s all in good fun, but football is the most strategy-intensive sport in existance. Baseball fans may legitimately debate that, but I can’t stay awake between pitches long enough to tell.
As a Rangers fan, I’m thrilled with the lockout. Tied for first place, baby!
I don’t see the connection. Shots are down because of the trapping defense popularized by the success of the New Jersey Devils over the past decade - nothing to do with expansion.
Which was adapted by teams with marginal talents since it’s easier to teach players to play defense than teach them to be Wayne Gretzky.
And what, you think the Devils invented the neutral zone trap?
Expansion has a lot to do with it. The talent pool has been watered down. If there were 5 or 6 fewer teams, than the quality of hockey would improve across the board.
One thing that most people fail to understand is that all the rule changes in the world (short of expanding the net) will not increase scoring. Gone are the days of the fat kid who can’t skate playing goal. Goalies are now highly trained, highly conditioned players.