Winter Classic - Sabres vs. Penguins

[Ran]

I'm happy with the current NHL All-Star system. It seems to be the one thing Bettman hasn't fucked up (yet). I think it needs to find an identity, though. Is it East vs. West? N. America vs. the World? Shirts vs. Skins? Make up your mind, folks.

East vs. West, like it should be since they scrapped they Campbell vs. Prince of Wales system. They skipped it 2 years ago because of the Olympics.

I heard Red Wings vs. Blackhawks at Soldier field is a possiblilty next year. Someone suggested Columbus hosting a game at Ohio State's field to get 100,000 people at a hockey game.

[Antropov]

I heard Red Wings vs. Blackhawks at Soldier field is a possiblilty next year. Someone suggested Columbus hosting a game at Ohio State's field to get 100,000 people at a hockey game.

Red Wings vs. Blackhawks: Traditional matchup played in an "old school" fashion.

BJs at OSU: Money-grab.

[Sleazer]

What Turd Ferguson said about the severe retardation of having this game on Jan 1

I'm not a big hockey fan (have gone to a few local semi-pro games which I loved and I like the movies Slapshot, Mystery Alaska, and Happy Gilmore) but the few highlights I got this morning looked really cool, kinda interesting.

Too bad they scheduled it for New Year's Day so it wouldn't have less competition.

[Slicker]

I was watching Pardon the Interruption on ESPN and they were actually all about this game and suggested that they play an outdoor game every Sunday. They also made the great suggestion of keeping these games in the north where we can actually have ice occur naturally unlike those sorry ass southern hockey teams...

[Antropov]

I think doing it every Sunday would greatly cheapen it. Plus, it would be a downright logistical nightmare.

I like the idea of keeping it in the north, though. I remember the Kings playing outdoors in Vegas and it just seemed odd.

[jjreason]

I think that over the next 3 seasons every team should have to host an outdoor game. Those teams incapable of creating a naturally occurring outdoor rink lose their right to have a team in the NHL (kidding, but you get my drift - if the fans are coming to the games in Nascar hats.... ).

When I was a kid, the only team playing in a warm weather city was LA, and the league looked like this:

Campbell Conference - Norris Div = Detroit, Toronto, Chicago, Minnesota (now Dallas) & St. Louis
- Smythe Div = Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Los Angeles & Winnipeg (now Phoenix)

Wales Conference - Patrick Div = Rangers, Islanders, Pittsburgh, New Jersey (formerly Colorado), Washington, & Philly
- Adams Div = Montreal, Quebec City (now Colorado), Boston, Hartford (now Carolina) & Buffalo

Now these divisions weren't always aligned that way - there was a significant mix-up when New Jersey moved from Colorado - but this is the way I remember it, with only 21 teams vying for the cup.

I think the league would work best as a 26 team entity - 13 per conference under the old banners would be sweet:

JJ's Campbell Norris = Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Columbus, Minnesota & Winnipeg.
Smythe = Edmonton, Vancouver, Colorado, San Jose, Dallas, Los Angeles & Calgary.

JJ's Wales Adams = Boston, Buffalo, Ottawa, Quebec, Southern Ontario, Montreal & Toronto
Patrick = Rangers, Islanders, New Jersey, Philly, Washington & Pittsburgh

In this system, 6 existing teams would cease to exist as they are today - Atlanta, Nashville, Tampa, Florida, Carolina & Phoenix. These would merge into the new Winnipeg, Southern Ontario (Hamilton or Waterloo, as per the wishes of the guy who owns RIM/Blackberry) and Quebec teams via mergers. I guess 50 or so players would be out of work... too bad, so sad.

No more instigator penalties. No more regular season OT (keep it playoffs only to heighten the excitement - OT used to be SACRED when I was a kid) and NO MORE SHOOTOUTS. EVER - unless it's an All-Star game that ends in a tie. 2 points for win and 1 for a tie comes back into play - there's NO WAY a team should be able to finish a season with 84 points and 0 wins. No way!

14 teams make the playoffs, the tops in each conference win first-round bys (making the regular season MUCH more important, no coasting over the last couple of weeks to rest up). First round is best of 5 to up the chances of an upset, then it's best of 7 from there on in.

I realize it's all about money so there's NO WAY this could ever happen.... but I think the quality of the hockey would be improved ENORMOUSLY. And that's all I'll say about that.

[Ran]

The NHL doesn't want to contract, but....Just off the top of my head, that would eliminate 9 teams (LA, ANA, SJ, DAL, FLA, TB, CAR, ATL, & PHX). Washington would then be the southern-most team-depending on El Nino. There are outdoor rinks in the DC area. I've played at a few of them.

Funny thing about the Caps' attendance, it sucks when they play the south east teams, but do well when they play the northeast teams. One of my friends from Philly said they used to be able to take a bus down to DC and see the Flyers play cheaper than they could in Philly.

I like the idea of keeping it in the north, though. I remember the Kings playing outdoors in Vegas and it just seemed odd.

When did that happen? The only time I've heard of the Kings playing in Vegas is the annual preseason game against the Avs and that's played at the MGM.

[Antropov]

The NHL doesn't want to contract, but....Just off the top of my head, that would eliminate 9 teams (LA, ANA, SJ, DAL, FLA, TB, CAR, ATL, & PHX). Washington would then be the southern-most team-depending on El Nino. There are outdoor rinks in the DC area. I've played at a few of them.

I'm all for contraction and agree with most of your proposed teams. I believe LA and DAL are successful enough in their current locales and should be allowed to stay put. And rather then contracting PHX and CAR altogether, I'd relocate them back to WPG and HFD.

When did that happen? The only time I've heard of the Kings playing in Vegas is the annual preseason game against the Avs and that's played at the MGM.

According to the NY Times (the first source I could find a direct quote from): "In September 1991, a night exhibition game between the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings was played before 13,000 fans in 85-degree heat in Las Vegas, on a rink set up outside Caesar’s Palace."

[Ran]

I just realized I left off Nashville from my original list. That would make it 20. 22 since LA and DAL are still around.

I'm all for contraction and agree with most of your proposed teams. I believe LA and DAL are successful enough in their current locales and should be allowed to stay put. And rather then contracting PHX and CAR altogether, I'd relocate them back to WPG and HFD.

Winnipeg needs a better stadium. They don't have enough Luxury Box seats, but I heard the politicians there are willing to work that out. Not sure about Hartford, but we'll give them the benefit of the doubt. 24 teams

KC has been screaming for a team as well and they have a nice new arena. I'd also move one back to Quebec. That Basillie guy wants a team in Hamilton, but it is awfully close to Toronto and Buffalo. We need another western team to make it even...San Jose has been succesful. Would a 26 team league work? I think there were 26 teams in the league prior to the CBJ, ATL, MIN, NAS expansion that started around '98.

When did that happen? The only time I've heard of the Kings playing in Vegas is the annual preseason game against the Avs and that's played at the MGM.According to the NY Times (the first source I could find a direct quote from): "In September 1991, a night exhibition game between the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings was played before 13,000 fans in 85-degree heat in Las Vegas, on a rink set up outside Caesar’s Palace."

That ice must have been real shitty.

[jjreason]

I did a huge edit and you bastards didn't have the courtesy to wait for me before you posted.

Go see my ideas to fix the league in my last post and let me know what you think - Mabs and I were actually discussing this topic on the phone last weekend.

[Diabolical]

Detroit, Chicago, New York, Boston, Montreal, and Toronto.
That is all my NHL needs, but they insist on having more, then they should have the Original Six play each other at least 4 times each every season.

[jjreason]

When I was in university our Sega hockey league was Original Six only. It was a 50 game regular season followed by semis and then Cup Finals (which I, as the Rangers, lost in). I haven't been the same since.

[Antropov]

No more instigator penalties.

Unless the motherfucker is wearing a visor. Then he should get a match penalty as well.

[Ran]

There has been a proposal to make visors mandatory. (see Bryan Berard and Saku Koivu). But there has also been a proposal to make shoulder pads and elbow pads smaller. The Ducks' GM is trying to get the instigator rule changed.

I did a huge edit and you bastards didn't have the courtesy to wait for me before you posted.

Go see my ideas to fix the league in my last post and let me know what you think - Mabs and I were actually discussing this topic on the phone last weekend.

That works for me, even though you forgot to mention that Atlanta had the team prior to Calgary, the short-lived Cleveland Barons merged with the North Stars, the Colorado Rockies started off as the Kansas City Scouts, and the Oakland/California Seals and their hideous yellow and teal uniforms folded.

I'm not sure if I like top teams getting a bye in the playoffs, but the best of 5 in the first round is ok. I'll let the 14 playoff teams slide if we make it a 28 team league. Add Kansas City to the Smythe and Hartford to the Patrick. Basically, we're going back to the mid to late 70s and the early 80s plus Dallas.

We also have to get rid of Bettman and find someone who will take care of the real hockey fans and traditions rather than trying to turn it into the NBA. The salary cap should stay as well.

[jjreason]

I was pretty small for those changes - the 21 teams I put in there were how it stood during my "heyday" of hockey fandom (from about 1980 to 1990). I remember being more upset than happy when I found out the league was adding San Jose, and then after that rolling my eyes every time I heard about another expansion or another WHA team leaving the north for the south... to me, those changes were all a blur and took place in a period where I stopped paying attention so closely.

It's kinda like Star Wars and 80's Marvel - you long for what you loved as a kid - and I LOVED the high flying Oilers FINALLY dethroning the unbelievably awesome Islanders, Leafs vs. Blackhawks or Habs on a Saturday night (we ALWAYS got the Leafs games and the Wings were TERRIBLE until Stevie Y showed up in 1986) and team Canada beating Russia on Mario Lemieux's goal in Hamilton back in 1987. I'm not sure if hockey was ever better - in ANY era - than it was when I was growing up.