NHL Hockey - The Great Canadian Pass Time - Laid to Rest

Ladskater · Feb 17, 2005

Well, it's over. They finally snuffed the candle out on the hockey season. I don't think anyone really cares anymore. These guys are millionaires and are certainly greedy. They could not come to an agreement.

Many people will be affected in businesses that rely on the game. Some will lose their jobs. It's not fair.

RealtorGal · Feb 17, 2005

What are you talking about? Is there a strike? Sorry to be ignorant; I don't follow hockey.

Kurt's Girl · Feb 17, 2005

Ladskater said:
Well, it's over. They finally snuffed the candle out on the hockey season. I don't think anyone really cares anymore. These guys are millionaires and are certainly greedy. They could not come to an agreement.

Many people will be affected in businesses that rely on the game. Some will lose their jobs. It's not fair.

I can't say that comes as much of a shock at this point; I gave up on the season a long time ago. And now there's talk that next season might be a wash too...

We so, so need an alternative to the NHL. Somewhere out there, there has to be some young, upstart league who can start to move into their spot, or at least scare some sense back into the NHL.

STL_Blues_fan · Feb 17, 2005

AHL, ECHL and UHL are still around

and so are the numerous junior leagues in Canada, like the OHL. There are also college hockey games.

While my family misses the action of NHL (yes, we gave up on the season long time ago!) we still get to see plenty of hockey.

Also the WHA league is planning to kick of next fall (that's the new league with a salary cap).

Yana

Kurt's Girl · Feb 17, 2005

Ah salary caps are great. They seemed to help out (American) football quite a bit.

Fortunetly hockey is a huge sport up at my college so I can root for my school team. Still not the same as rooting for my Oilers though.

Ladskater · Feb 19, 2005

Guess what? There is a last ditch effort afoot to save the game! They are negotiating this weekend. Even so, many Canadian hockey fans are disillusioned by what has taken place. The rinks for pro-hockey may be empty for sometime. So much for good old Hockey Night in Canada - from Coast to Coast

Blue Bead · Feb 19, 2005

This whole NHL hockey mess has me so angry. I think the players and the owners have forgotten one very important fact---without the fans they are nothing! The following is a quote taken from an e-mail sent to fans who subscribe to the "NHL Newletter":

Every professional sports league owes its very existence to its fans. Everyone associated with the National Hockey League owes our fans an apology for being unable to accomplish what is necessary for our game and our fans. We are truely sorry.

The e-mail was signed by Gary Bettman.

It's too bad Bettman and Goodenow didn't start thinking about the fans before sending out the mailing announcing their failure to resolve the issues at hand and cancelling the season. Not once do I recall either of these two highly placed officials saying---we also have to make certain we keep our fan base intact and get this settled so the fans get the games they have come to expect and can root for the teams they love.

But during the majority of the time before the 11th hour negotiations, all I read or heard was what the players wanted and what the owners wanted. As it became obvious that the season would be cancelled, a few brave players and one or two owners commented about how all of this was being viewed by the fan base.

I'm really disgusted about the way the two sides have handled the whole situation. I pray that this shut down doesn't last more than one season because the NHL will lose a large percentage of its fan base if it goes more than one season. People will find other sports in which to invest their leisure time, and it will be very difficult to get the fans to take another chance on NHL hockey.

Ladskater · Feb 21, 2005

Blue Bead said:
This whole NHL hockey mess has me so angry. I think the players and the owners have forgotten one very important fact---without the fans they are nothing! The following is a quote taken from an e-mail sent to fans who subscribe to the "NHL Newletter":

The e-mail was signed by Gary Bettman.

It's too bad Bettman and Goodenow didn't start thinking about the fans before sending out the mailing announcing their failure to resolve the issues at hand and cancelling the season. Not once do I recall either of these two highly placed officials saying---we also have to make certain we keep our fan base intact and get this settled so the fans get the games they have come to expect and can root for the teams they love.

But during the majority of the time before the 11th hour negotiations, all I read or heard was what the players wanted and what the owners wanted. As it became obvious that the season would be cancelled, a few brave players and one or two owners commented about how all of this was being viewed by the fan base.

I'm really disgusted about the way the two sides have handled the whole situation. I pray that this shut down doesn't last more than one season because the NHL will lose a large percentage of its fan base if it goes more than one season. People will find other sports in which to invest their leisure time, and it will be very difficult to get the fans to take another chance on NHL hockey.

I think the whole thing is disgusting. I am not a hockey fan, but being a Canadian it's part of our mosaic as it were. I grew up hearing the names of Hockey greats, Rocket Richard, Guy Lefluer, Jean Belleveau, Wayne Gretsky. I wonder would these Hockey hall Legends allowed such nonsense to go on? I doubt it. They loved the game and would have played for nothing.

I know money is the bottom line here, but maybe what they should do is bring the game back to Canada and start all over again. Forget about the States - who needs a hockey team in Florida anyway? Just a thought.

STL_Blues_fan · Feb 21, 2005

Ladskater said:
I think the whole thing is disgusting. I am not a hockey fan, but being a Canadian it's part of our mosaic as it were. I grew up hearing the names of Hockey greats, Rocket Richard, Guy Lefluer, Jean Belleveau, Wayne Gretsky. I wonder would these Hockey hall Legends allowed such nonsense to go on? I doubt it. They loved the game and would have played for nothing.

I know money is the bottom line here, but maybe what they should do is bring the game back to Canada and start all over again. Forget about the States - who needs a hockey team in Florida anyway? Just a thought.

Sorry, Gtretzky cares about $$ just as much as anybody in NHL these days. He was traded late in the 96 season from LA to STL. Entire city was looking forward to Brett Hull and Gretzky playing together forever and ever. Guess what Gretzky does after a few months? He signs with the Rangers in the off-season because they offered him more money. And it is the NYR who are to blame more than anybody for inflating salaries. Gretzky played only one playoff season with them before retiring in '99. Woeful NYR never made the playoffs again since 1997, despite having the highest payroll in NHL.

It is a shame about Canadian teams moving south (as well as some USA teams like MN and Hartford). Not everyone is Mario, who did everything he can to save the Pittsburgh franchise.

Yana

Ladskater · Feb 22, 2005

STL_Blues_fan said:
Sorry, Gtretzky cares about $$ just as much as anybody in NHL these days. He was traded late in the 96 season from LA to STL. Entire city was looking forward to Brett Hull and Gretzky playing together forever and ever. Guess what Gretzky does after a few months? He signs with the Rangers in the off-season because they offered him more money. And it is the NYR who are to blame more than anybody for inflating salaries. Gretzky played only one playoff season with them before retiring in '99. Woeful NYR never made the playoffs again since 1997, despite having the highest payroll in NHL.

It is a shame about Canadian teams moving south (as well as some USA teams like MN and Hartford). Not everyone is Mario, who did everything he can to save the Pittsburgh franchise.

Yana

Perhaps, I do remember a tearful goodbye from "the Great One" so it was not entirely Wayne's doing. The big shots of Hockey had their hand in that deal.

NHL Hockey - The Great Canadian Pass Time - Laid to Rest

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

RealtorGal

Kurt's Girl

STL_Blues_fan

Kurt's Girl

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

Blue Bead

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

STL_Blues_fan

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

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