GDT: Around The League 24/25. Parity, blessed parity.

[CanadasTeam99]

Calgary owners must be salivating about the potential additional 2 playoff gates

Their owner does not want to rebuild. SO the mandate comes from him.

 

[bellagiobob]

Well that’s embarrassing. Wonder how the PA member who was attacked feels about that.

 

[Paralyzer]

Well that’s embarrassing. Wonder how the PA member who was attacked feels about that.

He's appealing so he can have more games suspended. Not less.

 

[K1984]

Well that’s embarrassing. Wonder how the PA member who was attacked feels about that.

If the PA were actually interested in helping their union members they would be appealing every single suspension that doesn’t have a basis in precedent.

They won’t though, because they truly don’t actually care about most of their union members.

Find myself cheering against select teams in the East to increase the odds that they sell. Hope the Bruins don’t win another game before the deadline. Go Rangers.

 

[Messrules11]

If the PA were actually interested in helping their union members they would be appealing every single suspension that doesn’t have a basis in precedent.

They won’t though, because they truly don’t actually care about most of their union members.

Find myself cheering against select teams in the East to increase the odds that they sell. Hope the Bruins don’t win another game before the deadline. Go Rangers.

It’s a fake union though, unions typically have equal pay for their members. That’s not the case in pro sport.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

First I’ve heard they were right hammered too. Depending on state law, bikes might be considered a vehicle, but definitely not a motor vehicle for impaired driving charges for the obvious reasons.

That’s one helluva defence and still no remorse he killed two people with the “they were drunker than me” route he’s trying, but let’s see how this works out.

 

[K1984]

It’s a fake union though, unions typically have equal pay for their members. That’s not the case in pro sport.

Every labor dispute is an exercise in protecting the giant salaries of the ~5-10% of their union members. They could not give less of a shit about their middle or lower salary classes.

 

[CanadasTeam99]

Honestly I would.

They're a one line team that likes to play river hockey, pretty much a dream matchup stylistically. They really aren't that great of a team and just downgraded. They also don't have a half dozen players on their team that play dirty.

We run into trouble when our passing lanes are blocked out in the neutral zone, the opposition defends the blue line well, and they have big D that do a good job boxing guys out of the slot. The Avalanche have none of that.

Toews played like 32 min last night

 

[K1984]

Toews played like 32 min last night

That’s not a good thing for them.

 

[Messrules11]

Big win for the Rangers, keep on trucking

 

[Tarus]

At the risk of sounding like an old curmudgeon, I have been seeing this a lot at games recently. Dad/family member/whoever takes teenager to the game and there doesn't seem to be a lot of life there. Not overly interested in the games, don't seem to know a lot, don't seem to care, don't seem like they want to even be there. My heart broke for one dad (I think it was dad) that sat next to me with his ~15 year old son a few games ago. You could tell the dad was into it and was trying to get his son there, but the kid didn't give the slightest shit and had all of zero energy.

I feel like there is currently a mushy middle in terms of young fans that I see at games.

0-12/13 years - very enthusiastic. love the Oilers and its a massive deal for them to be there. Likely to be fans for life.

12/13-18 years - see above. Bordering on zombies.

18+ years - very enthusiastic, love the team, etc.

My theory of the middle group is they are the heart of the COVID/ipad kid era. Experienced the deadly combo of no school, no social life, no activities, and a TON of phone/ipad/video game/whatever time during their critical social developmental years.

I wouldn't read too much into zombified teenagers. It's the time of their life when they become obsessed with social interaction, and most of the younger generations live their social lives out on social media now. A lot of them will come out of it when they stop overdosing on puberty hormones.

Should be noted that you are talking about people going to the games and viewing hockey in it's optimal form - sitting in the arena with thousands of other people. It's very easy to become invested in such an environment regardless of age or fandom level.

The TV ratings by comparison reflect people committing to sit down and watch 3 hours of hockey in a much watered down format, where you'll have to watch a Roger's "Wrapped in Red" christmas commercial 40+ times, interspersed with old and out of touch announcers and presenters giving tepid takes while literally describing what's going on screen like they think they're still working in radio. There are just so many competing distractions out there that don't come with the same level of tedium your average sports broadcast is saddled with.

Also, with all the cord cutting going on out there, cable is on the way out as a whole and streaming is taking over which isn't reflected in those numbers. Rogers supposedly lost money on the last national broadcast rights in canada for hockey and is rumored to be uninterested in reupping for another round, nor are any of the other cable networks in canada, not to mention that the entire regional sports model completely collapsed down in the states a few years ago with the bankruptcy of Bally's sports. The rumblings are that the Amazon hockey night is a precursor to the end of hockey being nationally broadcast on cable networks when the contracts are up in the coming years. Hell, the whole reason NHL is back on ESPN(despite the fact that everyone who works at ESPN hates hockey) is because their cable ratings collapsed and they desperately needed content for their streaming services.