NHL 2023-2024 Out of Town: Regular Season Part 1

[smithformeragent]

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[Forester65]

Dahlin signed an 8-year 88M contract with Buffalo today. I think he's very good, but I don't think he is worth that much.

Dahlin signs 8-year, $88 million contract with Sabres | NHL.com

Defenseman had NHL career-high 73 points last season; deal starts in 2024-25

www.nhl.com

 

[smithformeragent]

NHL season preview: Power Rankings, best- and worst-case scenarios for all 32 teams

Will Vegas win it all again? Which are the top teams in the East? Get all of the key intel you need on every club.

www.espn.com

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

I don't watch Buffalo enough to really give an accurate opinion.

But based on some basic stats, his age, and length of contract, the AAV seems on point.

 

[EvilDead]

There's been a lot of rumblings that Salt Lake City could get the Coyotes or an expansion franchise soon given the amount of interest publicly expressed by Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith. This coincides with Houston Rockets owner Tillman Fertitta, cousin of former UFC owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, also being in talks with Bettman and Daly that has fed into the rumors of expansion to 36 teams in the NHL as it claims to want to "further grow the game".

To which I have to ask the following to you guys: how is relocating a team that the NHL has made a poor effort into ingratiating itself into the local community to another place or handing out expansion teams for close to billions of dollars "growing the game" in North America? Like if part of the deal was a commitment to expand youth hockey so that a culture of playing hockey became present then yeah I would get it. This feels like another NHL cash grab to keep up with the NFL, NBA, MLB, and even possibly MLS at this point.

 

[Banded Peak]

Friedman touched on this on 32 Thoughts last week: it’s the simple fact that the NHL feels it has several promising US markets it hasn’t tapped into because unlike most of the other leagues, a not insignificant chunk of the NHL plays in Canada. Growing the game primarily means from a financial standpoint that benefits the NHL, so if it feels like a cash grab it’s probably because it is one. The market in Canada and the northern US is pretty much tapped for fans at this point. If the NHL wants to grow their audience by any meaningful amount they’ll have to expand to non traditional markets and given the success of the sunbelt teams the last number of years… can you blame Bettman and co from exploring it?

From a dollars and cents perspective anyway. 36 teams is ridiculous imo

 

[EvilDead]

Friedman touched on this on 32 Thoughts last week: it’s the simple fact that the NHL feels it has several promising US markets it hasn’t tapped into because unlike most of the other leagues, a not insignificant chunk of the NHL plays in Canada. Growing the game primarily means from a financial standpoint that benefits the NHL, so if it feels like a cash grab it’s probably because it is one. The market in Canada and the northern US is pretty much tapped for fans at this point. If the NHL wants to grow their audience by any meaningful amount they’ll have to expand to non traditional markets and given the success of the sunbelt teams the last number of years… can you blame Bettman and co from exploring it?

From a dollars and cents perspective anyway. 36 teams is ridiculous imo

I don't blame him for wanting to expand the number of fans of hockey or number people playing hockey in North America overall beyond the traditional borders of hockey. That's just a smart strategy that you do to grow your sport to survive. The issue I have is that the idea a professional team will do that when there's not much in terms of investment to bolster grass roots support and make it a long term investment so that when the novelty of a pro hockey team in your city wears off, people don't feel indifferent and treat it like some sort of fad. I don't get why they don't take the money they get from these owners and invest it into the growth of grass roots youth leagues or do things to make the sport more accessible to more people. Even in the traditional stomping grounds of the sport. One thing that I see a lot of when it comes to the sport of hockey is how people that are working class Canadians and Americans complain about the cost of the sport and how hard it is to get people to play it. That needs to start changing, in my opinion, because a lot of people are now starting to get priced out of playing hockey. The NHL needs to start giving back and making it a lot more accessible and appealing to kids to play or they risk getting overtaken in their backyard by soccer and basketball and other sports.

 

[Alicat]

I hope the Bruins defy the NHL. They have now banned the use of Pride tape. I hope the 7 players are proud of themselves for showing that hockey certainly is not for everyone. They need to walk this back immediately.

Their new policy reads:

“Players shall not be put in the position of having to demonstrate (or where they may be appearing to demonstrate) personal support for any Special Initiatives. A factor that may be considered in this regard includes, for example, whether a Player (or Players) is required to be in close proximity to any groups or individuals visibly or otherwise clearly associated with such Special Initiative(s).”

The NHL has banned Pride Tape, creating its own ‘Don’t Say Gay’ policy on the ice - Outsports

The NHL has banned Pride Tape and Pride jerseys, in addition to issuing a disaster memo about LGBTQ and other initiatives. Hockey is not for everyone.

www.outsports.com

 

[Over the volcano]

I hope the Bruins defy the NHL. They have now banned the use of Pride tape. I hope the 7 players are proud of themselves for showing that hockey certainly is not for everyone. They need to walk this back immediately.

Their new policy reads:

The NHL has banned Pride Tape, creating its own ‘Don’t Say Gay’ policy on the ice - Outsports

The NHL has banned Pride Tape and Pride jerseys, in addition to issuing a disaster memo about LGBTQ and other initiatives. Hockey is not for everyone.

www.outsports.com

What a shitty decision

 

[Alicat]

What a shitty decision

I hope teams defy the league.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I don't blame him for wanting to expand the number of fans of hockey or number people playing hockey in North America overall beyond the traditional borders of hockey. That's just a smart strategy that you do to grow your sport to survive. The issue I have is that the idea a professional team will do that when there's not much in terms of investment to bolster grass roots support and make it a long term investment so that when the novelty of a pro hockey team in your city wears off, people don't feel indifferent and treat it like some sort of fad. I don't get why they don't take the money they get from these owners and invest it into the growth of grass roots youth leagues or do things to make the sport more accessible to more people. Even in the traditional stomping grounds of the sport. One thing that I see a lot of when it comes to the sport of hockey is how people that are working class Canadians and Americans complain about the cost of the sport and how hard it is to get people to play it. That needs to start changing, in my opinion, because a lot of people are now starting to get priced out of playing hockey. The NHL needs to start giving back and making it a lot more accessible and appealing to kids to play or they risk getting overtaken in their backyard by soccer and basketball and other sports.

You may want to look at what is happening with the Kraken in Seattle and youth hockey - they’re doing a tremendous job. Youth hockey skyrocketed in Nashville and Dallas after teams went there. It’s happening in Vegas now. Putting a team in a new market absolutely jumps participation in youth hockey, though it’s limited due to the number of rinks. As much as we crap on the condition of many or the Orr-era rinks around Greater Boston, we’re very lucky to have so many. These other markets do not. They are forced to drive deck hockey and roller hockey but they’re trying.

 

[EvilDead]

You may want to look at what is happening with the Kraken in Seattle and youth hockey - they’re doing a tremendous job. Youth hockey skyrocketed in Nashville and Dallas after teams went there. It’s happening in Vegas now. Putting a team in a new market absolutely jumps participation in youth hockey, though it’s limited due to the number of rinks. As much as we crap on the condition of many or the Orr-era rinks around Greater Boston, we’re very lucky to have so many. These other markets do not. They are forced to drive deck hockey and roller hockey but they’re trying.

But that's my point. Growth needs to be accelerated beyond just plopping down a pro team. Sure it helps and can be the starting point, but it isn't the be all and end all. Especially if that pro team, like the case with the Coyotes or Thrashers, isn't really good. There needs to be an investment in infrastructure, lowering the financial cost to play, reaching across to many communities to get them interested in hockey, and supporting grass roots movements in an area to make sure there's a strong support base for hockey in a given region.

Which is what we're now seeing in Washington state and Nevada, as has been done in Tennessee and Texas.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

But that's my point. Growth needs to be accelerated beyond just plopping down a pro team. Sure it helps and can be the starting point, but it isn't the be all and end all. Especially if that pro team, like the case with the Coyotes or Thrashers, isn't really good. There needs to be an investment in infrastructure, lowering the financial cost to play, reaching across to many communities to get them interested in hockey, and supporting grass roots movements in an area to make sure there's a strong support base for hockey in a given region.

Which is what we're now seeing in Washington state and Nevada, as has been done in Tennessee and Texas.

Yeah I guess I don’t know what you’re looking for. This has happened in the last two markets they’ve expanded to in a big way. Arizona is just a disastrous market at all levels. What would you have the NHL do that they haven’t been doing recently? There are single digit hockey rinks in greater Houston - what should the NHL do there?

 

[Over the volcano]

I hope teams defy the league.

I hope so too but it must have been in coordination with the players union.

But apparantly HFBoards has a similar policy.

 

[Alicat]

I hope so too but it must have been in coordination with the players union.

But apparantly HFBoards has a similar policy.

There has been some backlash on social media so lets see if the league backtracks a bit more.

Just let individual players and teams make the decision. What bothers me the most is that they are prohibiting the tape in practice. Games are one thing but practice is another.

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

Yeah I guess I don’t know what you’re looking for. This has happened in the last two markets they’ve expanded to in a big way. Arizona is just a disastrous market at all levels. What would you have the NHL do that they haven’t been doing recently? There are single digit hockey rinks in greater Houston - what should the NHL do there?

Houston has had a very successful hockey team for 20 years there. Back when it was an expansion team with the IHL the Houston Aeros were bragged about being constantly sold out. They were moved to Iowa due to an issue with trying to play with the Houston Rockets that the then-owner vehemently opposed. The area has only exploaded over time and they have an interested, well-funded, solid owner applicant. Salt Lake also has the Utah Grizzlies from the IHL so they have a historical hockey fanbase(The origins of the famous Tommy Salo who wont them several IHL championships).
So, there are roots there already, I have no doubt they will be getting teams soon. Vegas has been amazingly successful with the same format as they had the IHL Las Vegas Thunder. The only thing that kept that team from still being viable is a bad place to play and squeamish investors on pouring money in ice hockey in the desert. Look how that has turned out. The Knights are huge in Vegas and that was before the championship.

The other expansion name I've heard is Georgia. Not necessarily Atlanta, but north of it on the outskirts in the affluent suburbs there.(think Sunrise and Florida Panthers, not Miami Panthers) That will be tricky given they have failed twice there already and the inner city does not even know they ever had an ice hockey team or cared. However, like Toronto, the surrounding areas have been incorporated into the larger city limit now and there is a massive TV and suburbanite population to tap into. Risky, but if they do it right could strike oil there.

 

[KrugAvoy]

I hope the Bruins defy the NHL. They have now banned the use of Pride tape. I hope the 7 players are proud of themselves for showing that hockey certainly is not for everyone. They need to walk this back immediately.

Their new policy reads:

The NHL has banned Pride Tape, creating its own ‘Don’t Say Gay’ policy on the ice - Outsports

The NHL has banned Pride Tape and Pride jerseys, in addition to issuing a disaster memo about LGBTQ and other initiatives. Hockey is not for everyone.

www.outsports.com

I hope the league stars especially defy the NHL on it. What are they gonna do. Suspend McDavid, Bedard, Pasta, Matthews,etc?

 

[Alicat]

I hope the league stars especially defy the NHL on it. What are they gonna do. Suspend McDavid, Bedard, Pasta, Matthews,etc?

I am 100% with you. I am curious to see if it is brought up on broadcasts tonight and I am curious to see how it plays out online over the course of the day.

I won't hold my breath on a policy change but maybe the league will surprise us all.

 

[Over the volcano]

I am 100% with you. I am curious to see if it is brought up on broadcasts tonight and I am curious to see how it plays out online over the course of the day.

I won't hold my breath on a policy change but maybe the league will surprise us all.

If only Boston had a captain that wasn't afraid of speaking up . . . .

I hope the league stars especially defy the NHL on it. What are they gonna do. Suspend McDavid, Bedard, Pasta, Matthews,etc?

If they don't, then their silence is tacit support for it.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

There has been some backlash on social media so lets see if the league backtracks a bit more.

Just let individual players and teams make the decision. What bothers me the most is that they are prohibiting the tape in practice. Games are one thing but practice is another.

Staal, Reimer, Prodorov made personal decisions and received death threats from the social media mobs. Leave the virtue signaling PR campaigns to the Twitter account managers.

 

[TCB]

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

I hope the Bruins defy the NHL. They have now banned the use of Pride tape. I hope the 7 players are proud of themselves for showing that hockey certainly is not for everyone. They need to walk this back immediately.

Their new policy reads:

The NHL has banned Pride Tape, creating its own ‘Don’t Say Gay’ policy on the ice - Outsports

The NHL has banned Pride Tape and Pride jerseys, in addition to issuing a disaster memo about LGBTQ and other initiatives. Hockey is not for everyone.

www.outsports.com

f***ing what the f***?

What a bunch of assholes.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

Staal, Reimer, Prodorov made personal decisions and received death threats from the social media mobs. Leave the virtue signaling PR campaigns to the Twitter account managers.

Why are you against letting players make their own choices? Seems like you’re ok with Staal/Provorov/Reimer making their own choices but you don’t like the consequences of those choices.

The league doesn’t have to mandate special nights but if players of their own accord want to use a specific stick tape during practice they should be allowed to.

 

[the negotiator]

And of course the NHL record of mis-management continues

the NHL announces something controversial ( and in my opinion both dumb and wrong ) the day before the season opens .....so now the press is focused on off ice topics.

whether you agree with the decision or not - the timing could not be worse

and these are the guys who think they have the management breadth to expand to 36 teams

 

[Alicat]

Why are you against letting players make their own choices? Seems like you’re ok with Staal/Provorov/Reimer making their own choices but you don’t like the consequences of those choices.

The league doesn’t have to mandate special nights but if players of their own accord want to use a specific stick tape during practice they should be allowed to.

I agree with you. Why should those guys ruin it for the players who want to wear the tape?

Like you said, don't have mandatory nights (let teams decide) and let the players use the tape when they want to even if it is only at practice.