# NHL: Training camps, preseason, and predictions. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 7, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467 "2011-09-07T03:31:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/1 "2011-09-07T03:31:41Z")
The start of the NHL season is only a month away. Here’s a thread that will keep us going from September until the season begins in October. Feel free to make your preseason predictions here. Break down your favorite team and what you’re looking forward to this season. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/2 "2011-09-07T04:29:10Z")
Continued from [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=612824&page=3)… > [@Generic NHL Offseason Thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-nhl-offseason-thread/585825/131): > > If it were going to be good news, I can’t help but think they’d just let it wait until training camp and show him on the ice. Also seems kind of odd to hold a press conference for Crosby to say “I’m fine.” > > That said, how bad was this concussion? I know everybody is different, but it seems odd that (iirc) his first concussion would keep him out this long. I thought there’s reason to believe that Crosby suffered a concussion sometime in juniors, and that he more than likely suffered two in 2 (or 3?) days (Steckel and Hedman). It seems it isn’t his first concussion, in addition to it being severe. I hope he comes back, and I’ll go so far as to say I hope he regains his form (though no more Cups for the Pens! hehe). He’s way too talented to _not_ be playing hockey. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/3 "2011-09-07T10:09:24Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > Continued from [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=612824&page=3)… > > I thought there’s reason to believe that Crosby suffered a concussion sometime in juniors, and that he more than likely suffered two in 2 (or 3?) days (Steckel and Hedman). It seems it isn’t his first concussion, in addition to it being severe. > > I hope he comes back, and I’ll go so far as to say I hope he regains his form (though no more Cups for the Pens! hehe). He’s way too talented to _not_ be playing hockey. Agreed, but if he’s still having symptoms he may want to put himself on a long term hiatus. The league can’t afford to give Crosby a no-touchy rule or afford to lose the face of the NHL to post concussion problems. Maybe they should start putting somebody else in the commercials. Just in case. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/4 "2011-09-07T13:46:11Z")
Considerable recent study has shown a player can suffer repeated brain injuries without even being aware they had a concusion at all. Crosby may be in that group. It would be an awful, awful shame to lose a player of his calibre, but if his frickin’ brain is at risk, he should take a year off or just retire. I love Sidney Crosby’s game but it’s not worth his becoming a vegetable, or shooting himself when he’s 37 because the brain injuries drive him into depression. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/5 "2011-09-07T15:57:43Z")
[Russian Yak-42 crashes](http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110907/bc_former_canuck_plane_crash_110907/20110907/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome)after takeoff, killing all but 2, including members of the KHL’s Lokomotiv hockey team. The team has several former NHL players on it’s roster, though it’s unclear at this point who was on board. Another sad, sad day for hockey. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/6 "2011-09-07T17:12:19Z")
Watching the Crosby news conference. Some random comments/observations: - He’s not ready to return, but feels it’s likely he’ll play this season. Still dealing with headaches, but they do make it sound like he’s healing - Dr Collins (IIRC?) said he first saw Crosby Jan 2nd and he was showing classic symptoms of vestibular concussion - no one has asked why the fuck he was allowed to play on the 6th - Most of the reporters asking questions are from Canadian news sources. It’s somewhat amusing, though perhaps unsurprising given how popular hockey and Crosby are up here, but it’s a little odd that so few US journalists - even from Pittsburgh media - are asking anything ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/7 "2011-09-07T18:15:35Z")
Hope Crosby recovers before the Penguins first trip to DC in December. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/8 "2011-09-07T19:40:43Z")
RIP Sarge. What a shitty summer… ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/9 "2011-09-07T21:19:16Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > [Russian Yak-42 crashes](http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110907/bc_former_canuck_plane_crash_110907/20110907/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome)after takeoff, killing all but 2, including members of the KHL’s Lokomotiv hockey team. The team has several former NHL players on it’s roster, though it’s unclear at this point who was on board. Another sad, sad day for hockey. ☹ Awful. Players’ tweets are on the NHL site. It’s depressing. Is that 40 pros who died this summer? Yeeesh. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/10 "2011-09-07T22:44:28Z")
McCrimmon and Salei from the Red Wings family from what I’ve seen so far. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/11 "2011-09-07T23:18:33Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > McCrimmon and Salei from the Red Wings family from what I’ve seen so far. And former goalie prospect Stephan Liv. I think that makes it official. God hates the NHL. Take the cup away from Boston and see if he stops killing people. Maybe there really isn’t supposed to be a team in Winnipeg. ---
**Author:** ![Foldup\_Rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Foldup\_Rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foldup_Rabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/12 "2011-09-08T01:52:49Z")
Pavol Demitra’s death means that the Canucks first two regular season games could be memorial tribute games. ☹ This is possibly the worst day in what has already been a terrible summer for professional hockey. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/13 "2011-09-08T02:57:44Z")
Jesus Christ. The entire team, and what, two members from the minor? Did they say exactly what happened, other than pilot error? Fuck. **Foldup Rabbit** , that’s an understatement. > [@mnemosyne](#): > > - Most of the reporters asking questions are from Canadian news sources. It’s somewhat amusing, though perhaps unsurprising given how popular hockey and Crosby are up here, but it’s a little odd that so few US journalists - even from Pittsburgh media - are asking anything Actually there were a number from Pittsburgh – hell, I recognized Stan Savran just from his voice! 😉 And after the press conference, the local press talked to [Phil Bourque](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Bourque), who pointed out that when the Pens won the Cup in 1991, Mario was out until January of that year. (I love Phil Bourque – he does color commentary now with Mike Lange.) I’m glad he cleared up the whole “he’s going to retire!” crap that people have been saying. Sidney Crosby is arguably the second-best player in Penguin history. (Perhaps when he does come back one of the others could act as his bodyguard, as Semenko did for Gretzky?) ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/14 "2011-09-09T17:21:40Z")
[Chilling article: Todd Fedoruk](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/nhl-enforcer-todd-fedoruk-opens-up-about-drug-abuse/article2159372/page1/) discusses his drug addiction and hockey career. By the sounds of it, most of his face is held together by titanium plates thanks to the blows he’s taken in fights…and the Canucks expect him to fill the same role this year. I sometimes torture myself by reading the Comments sections on newspapers. In the past couple of months - since the hit on Pacioretty, I’d say - I’ve noticed a shift from predominantly “can’t take fighting out of hockey, it’ll kill the game!” to “this is kind of out of hand…staged fights have no place in the game!” It’s been kind of interesting to see this wake-up-call happen. It’s also becoming rather clear that the NHL has a drug problem. Painkillers, illegal drugs… can this continue? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/15 "2011-09-12T03:10:32Z")
Can’t find the article at the moment, but some asshole wrote a piece that basically said that Sidney Crosby’s a pussy because he’s in favor of banning headshots. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/16 "2011-09-12T17:59:31Z")
FuriousGeorge: So do you think my Islanders have a shot at the playoffs? Barry Melrose: Not a very good one, no. FuriousGeorge: Like 1 in a hundred? Barry Melrose: More like 1 in a million. FuriousGeorge: So you’re telling me there’s a chance… YESSSS! ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/17 "2011-09-13T00:02:36Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Can’t find the article at the moment, but some asshole wrote a piece that basically said that Sidney Crosby’s a pussy because he’s in favor of banning headshots. :rolleyes: Of all the reasons to call Sid a pussy, that’s why? Because he’s against headshots? Punching a guy in the crotch? That’s fine. Starting a fight against an unsuspecting player in the faceoff circle (iirc)? Kosher. Against headshots that serve to do nothing more than injure players? Get Sid some cream for his vagina!!:smack: Not to start a thing, but yeah I’m kind of sick of Crosby and I think he can be a douche sometimes. Even I think that hating him for being against headshots is messed up. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/18 "2011-09-13T01:00:09Z")
[/insert rant about calling hockey players “pussy” and other feminine terms as if being a woman is a bad thing] Catching all kinds of rookie games this week - Calgary vs Vancouver is on right now; tie game to start the 3rd. So excited that hockey is back, even if it’s just prospects! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/19 "2011-09-13T01:52:40Z")
[Yep](http://bleacherreport.com/articles/843776-sidney-crosbys-look-on-head-shots-why-the-nhl-cannot-listen) **mnemosyne** – don’t even get me started. I’ve heard enough “Cindy Crosby” comments to last a lifetime." (Including from some idiot in the comments section of THE ADVOCATE, of all places, in article about Sean Avery’s support for gay marriage. Gee, hypocrisy much?) ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467/20 "2011-09-13T02:02:27Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > [Yep](http://bleacherreport.com/articles/843776-sidney-crosbys-look-on-head-shots-why-the-nhl-cannot-listen) > > **mnemosyne** – don’t even get me started. I’ve heard enough “Cindy Crosby” comments to last a lifetime." > > (Including from some idiot in the comments section of THE ADVOCATE, of all places, in article about Sean Avery’s support for gay marriage. Gee, hypocrisy much?) From the article: > [@](#): > > I say vicious, but I don’t mean that in a negative way. There’s a positive way to mean vicious? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-training-camps-preseason-and-predictions/595467.md?page=2)