Hockey Night in DSP-Season 2011-12

[10spro]

The Russian team is very, very good. Sweden has good players returning and while team Canada maybe loaded with talent, the best puck stopper in the tourney will be wearing team USA colors.

At this point even though he's eligible I am not sure if RNH is fit to play due to an old shoulder injury.

Should be a lot of fun.

[10spro]

D. Penner is a bit pissed with the current lockout.

[10spro]

Gary Bettman just had a 10 seconds press conference where he stated that he was pleased with the latest BoG meeting and left the podium with no further questions allowed. Take it for what it is, at least the same players and owners will continue to meet and try to bridge their gap.

[XXXIV]

Everything I understand points to it as being a small gap to bridge and the big problem has been very small people like betmann.

[pk500]

Nice to see Penner is just as fat in L.A. as he was in Edmonton. Also funny to see Penner showing aggression in the video even though he might be the most passive big man in the NHL behind Joe Thornton.

Pens does have a wicked sense of humor, though. Some of his between-period and post-game interviews with Rogers Sportsnet and the CBC were epic when he played for the Oil. Drier than a popcorn fart and funny as hell.

[vader29]

Good read on the strike and Gary Bettman from a Pittsburgh sports writer simply titled "Time to go, Mr. Commissioner"

http://triblive.com/sports/dejankovacev ... z2EHvZt9UA

[10spro]

In case anyone still cares, talks are ongoing with a mediator as there has been some improvements over key issues the last few hours. If a marathon meeting takes place tonight, for the first time I will be mildly optimistic about the current process where the salary cap in the second year seems to be the sticking issue for now set stubbornly at 60 million by the league while the PA wants to push it to another 5 million.

Along the length of the contracts and term of the agreement, these are the major hurdles that will make or break the current talks.

While any possible agreement would be welcomed, I am still pissed at the whole conflict and how both sides have been dealing with it, and even if there's a season, it will be one with a big asterisk and while the playoffs will have the usual best of 7 series, I am just not that immersed anymore.

And I live in Hockey country territory.

[XXXIV]

Hockey?

bettman is FILTH on earth.

He has stolen OUR NHL and now all he is doing is stealing OUR oxygen.

[Gangrel]

Tentative agreement has been reached.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=412844


I tentatively care......

[Rodster]

I agree with 34. Bettman is a piece of crap. He basically said our way or the highway. I side with the players because it was the owners just like in any other sport that are the ones who lack fiscal restraint and payout large salaries and contracts to win a title. And hockey looks to be right up there with the NFL where players are blowing up their bodies for the love of the game.

[Diablo25]

I am glad it's over because I love the sport (and my Flyers) BUT part of me wants to boycott watching/going to any games. I'm sure attendance won't be great for a bit but, as d$ckjaw Bettman said early on, the 'greatest fans in the world' will come back.

The people I am happy for are arena workers and local businesses that benefit from the sport. They have been the ones hurt the most.

It would be a great new year if Bettman was removed once things settle in.

[MizzouRah]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... --nhl.html

I'm excited, I love hockey and can't wait to see my Blues hit the ice!

[XXXIV]

Im glad there will be Stanley Cup playoff hockey.

Too long and pointless this was. I had very little respect for the NHL owners going in. That is all gone now. Even getting rid of that little disgusting rat will not bring that back.

[10spro]

I won't be going to any games this year and that's for damn sure. Although every Canadian arena will probably be packed again with excitement, it'll be a different case south of the border. Fans can show their disgust by boycotting the sales of jerseys and other marketing tools and of course by simply watching the game from their own tube or the odd bar as I will be doing.

But attending a live game for me this season is a wash especially an abbreviated one where teams will play mostly games within their division a minimum of 7 times? How exciting to see the Flames, Wild and Avs playing back to back to back games. Yippidi yoodie, kayaye.

Looking at the tentative agreement I just can't help but realize that all this could have been solved during the off season last summer right after the Kings were crowned and what a total embarrassment to the educated fan. But everyone just dragged on their a$$es and put on a eerily, disturbing stoppage similar to the NBA a couple of years ago.

The key issues from the get go were revenue split, length of contracts and make whole provision although pensions seemed to be also quite important for the PA.

In the end today's sports is a cold hard business and when the puck finally drops in a couple weeks, the fans are the ones that got shoved away as it's always the case. And the only payback would be to see those seats empty mirrored by the sound of crickets chirping from the stands.

Bettman and Fehr deserve gross game misconducts.

[pk500]

I'm glad the NHL lockout is over, but I'm still having trouble mustering desire for the season by a league that cares so little for its fans. My love for the sport will be shown through my son's Mite B games and AHL and college games.

The NHL should require all rinks to paint "We're Sorry, Fans. We're F*cking Idiots" on the ice during the first few weeks of this season. And it also should offer Center Ice for the season for $49.99.

I'm serious about both points.

[Jimmydeicide]

Do the Kings still have the cup for opening night geez its going to have rust spots if they still get to bring it out for the raising of the banner.
LA won the last cup in case you forgot.

[LAking]

I'm glad the NHL lockout is over, but I'm still having trouble mustering desire for the season by a league that cares so little for its fans. My love for the sport will be shown through my son's Mite B games and AHL and college games.

The NHL should require all rinks to paint "We're Sorry, Fans. We're F*cking Idiots" on the ice during the first few weeks of this season. And it also should offer Center Ice for the season for $49.99.

I'm serious about both points.

They should be offering NHL Gamecenter Live for free.

[MizzouRah]

They should be offering NHL Gamecenter Live for free.

Agreed

[XXXIV]

They should be offering NHL Gamecenter Live for free.

Agreed

Signed!

[tjung0831]

There won't be any free center ice tv packages because oddly enough the NHL doesn't own that, it's owned by a company called "In Demand". There might be a discount but it won't be free...might not even be much of a discount.
There is a chance that Gamecenter could be free but I don't see the NHL doing that. They just stole 3 months of NHL hockey from you, they want every dollar they can get out of you going forward.

[Jimmydeicide]

There needs to be an apology though dont you think? So let the NHL pay for the coverage. It would be very naive to just start dinging the fans like nothing happened again. It would be a good way to get those newer fans who after this debacle have long forgotten about how great last years playoffs where. If its free at least some may stumble across hockey again while channel surfing looking for Martha Stuart nude cooking show.

[tjung0831]

There needs to be an apology though dont you think? So let the NHL pay for the coverage. It would be very naive to just start dinging the fans like nothing happened again. It would be a good way to get those newer fans who after this debacle have long forgotten about how great last years playoffs where. If its free at least some may stumble across hockey again while channel surfing looking for Martha Stuart nude cooking show.

Yep...our apology will be just in front of both blue lines in every rink..."Thank You Fans"

[Jimmydeicide]

your probably right.

[pk500]

There won't be any free center ice tv packages because oddly enough the NHL doesn't own that, it's owned by a company called "In Demand". There might be a discount but it won't be free...might not even be much of a discount.
There is a chance that Gamecenter could be free but I don't see the NHL doing that. They just stole 3 months of NHL hockey from you, they want every dollar they can get out of you going forward.

Fine. They won't get mine.

It would be PR and consumer relations INSANITY for the NHL to start its season with little more than, "We're sorry." That's not enough.

The league changed the rules and opened the game after the last lockout. That was an appealing chit to lure fans.

No rules changes are on the horizon this time. So a league that shut down despite RECORD REVENUES must inhale some financial humble pie to benefit fans and try to lure back more than just the hardest of the hardcore, which also includes all of Canada.

[tjung0831]

There won't be any free center ice tv packages because oddly enough the NHL doesn't own that, it's owned by a company called "In Demand". There might be a discount but it won't be free...might not even be much of a discount.
There is a chance that Gamecenter could be free but I don't see the NHL doing that. They just stole 3 months of NHL hockey from you, they want every dollar they can get out of you going forward.

Fine. They won't get mine.

It would be PR and consumer relations INSANITY for the NHL to start its season with little more than, "We're sorry." That's not enough.

The league changed the rules and opened the game after the last lockout. That was an appealing chit to lure fans.

No rules changes are on the horizon this time. So a league that shut down despite RECORD REVENUES must inhale some financial humble pie to benefit fans and try to lure back more than just the hardest of the hardcore, which also includes all of Canada.

When Justin Schultz is putting up all those points you will want your Oilers fix!