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

[Da McBomb]

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

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

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

Craig Conroy content on being mid forever...no superstars, franchise players or game breakers to be found, just a collection of 2nd and 3rd liners, #3 d-men and a goalie that's good enough to eek into the 2nd Wild Card

 

[oXo Cube]

Would you prefer the Avalanche?

Yes. I think we would crush Colorado. We're them except better everywhere.

I think in the end we win against the Wild too, but Minnesota is pretty much purpose built to beat Edmonton.

 

[McShogun99]

Craig Conroy content on being mid forever...no superstars, franchise players or game breakers to be found, just a collection of 2nd and 3rd liners, #3 d-men and a goalie that's good enough to eek into the 2nd Wild Card

That has been the Flames since 1990.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

That has been the Flames since 1990.

they had Iginla and Kipper for awhile....and Gaudreau and Tkachuk, borderline "superstars"
but their whole mantra is "we don't tank!" which hilarious cause their strategy has resulted in 5 whole series wins in 35 years, including their 2004 Cinderella run

practically every contender outside of Vegas has players drafted top 5 on their team, cause that's where the superstars are usually found

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Yes. I think we would crush Colorado. We're them except better everywhere.

I think in the end we win against the Wild too, but Minnesota is pretty much purpose built to beat Edmonton.

I'm not so sure. They're certainly not as strong as they were in 2022 but they still have more scary players than the Wild.

I think back to last year and how they utterly demolished the Jets. Had Nichuschkin not gone on a coke bender we might've faced them in the WCF and not Dallas.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

I'm not so sure. They're certainly not as strong as they were in 2022 but they still have more scary players than the Wild.

I think back to last year and how they utterly demolished the Jets. Had Nichuschkin not gone on a coke bender we might've faced them in the WCF and not Dallas.

they lost Rantanen and Necas isn't Rantanen caliber

 

[oXo Cube]

I'm not so sure. They're certainly not as strong as they were in 2022 but they still have more scary players than the Wild.

I think back to last year and how they utterly demolished the Jets. Had Nichuschkin not gone on a coke bender we might've faced them in the WCF and not Dallas.

Colorado wrecked Winnipeg because the Jets are mediocre with elite goaltending, and in that series their goaltending wasn't elite.

Dallas dismissed the Avalanche pretty unceremoniously.

 

[K1984]

I'm not so sure. They're certainly not as strong as they were in 2022 but they still have more scary players than the Wild.

I think back to last year and how they utterly demolished the Jets. Had Nichuschkin not gone on a coke bender we might've faced them in the WCF and not Dallas.

I don't know if the combo of Boldy - Kaprizov is much of a drop off if any from MacKinnon/Nichushkin.

The Wild actually know how to play structured defensive hockey, while the Avalanche pretty much just live and die on punting the puck up to McKinnon and hoping to burn teams off the rush. Avalanche also have a small/speedy defence, the Wild have actual effective shut down players there that we struggle more against.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

they lost Rantanen and Necas isn't Rantanen caliber

For sure. It's more that the Wild just don't scare me at all.

Colorado wrecked Winnipeg because the Jets are mediocre with elite goaltending, and in that series their goaltending wasn't elite.

Dallas dismissed the Avalanche pretty unceremoniously.

I mean, we're not exactly blessed with goaltending either...

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[Mr Kot]

The real reason why Bettman is retiring; he knows the house of cards is collapsing.

 

[North]

The real reason why Bettman is retiring; he knows the house of cards is collapsing.

When you provide a shit product controlled by the refs rather than the players, people tune out.

 

[Oilhawks]

Huh. I wonder if fixing the trash officiating and promoting their stars would help

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I'd be interested to learn what the WNBA's numbers are. No disrespect to that league of course but if they had better numbers than the NHL that would be embarrassing.

 

[Tarus]

By the looks of it, this is just TV viewership. All the major sports are declining on cable networks. NFL still has strong national numbers, but viewership is apparently collapsing at the local level. NBA has halved it's TV audience in a decade, and MLB has it's own issues.

The doom and gloom about people not watching isn't that the leagues are doing something wrong, it's that sports fans aren't being replenished by new generations. One of the major catalysts of this is the increasingly short attentions spans of the under 30 segment, a problem that is facilitated by an abundance of low effort, instant gratification content. Much easier to doom scroll TicTok than it is to sit and watch a 3 hour sports game riddled with obnoxious and repetitive commercials.

 

[K1984]

By the looks of it, this is just TV viewership. All the major sports are declining on cable networks. NFL still has strong national numbers, but viewership is apparently collapsing at the local level. NBA has halved it's TV audience in a decade, and MLB has it's own issues.

The doom and gloom about people not watching isn't that the leagues are doing something wrong, it's that sports fans aren't being replenished by new generations. One of the major catalysts of this is the increasingly short attentions spans of the under 30 segment, a problem that is facilitated by an abundance of low effort, instant gratification content. Much easier to doom scroll TicTok than it is to sit and watch a 3 hour sports game riddled with obnoxious and repetitive commercials.

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.

 

[Messrules11]

Colorado wrecked Winnipeg because the Jets are mediocre with elite goaltending, and in that series their goaltending wasn't elite.

Dallas dismissed the Avalanche pretty unceremoniously.

Don’t forget that apart from Lowry Winnipeg never threw a hit, it was comical watching the Avs skate like the wind. Hellebucyk was left in the cold every single game.

 

[Messrules11]

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

And for the players it’s a waste of 8 days

 

[fireantz]

Don’t forget that apart from Lowry Winnipeg never threw a hit, it was comical watching the Avs skate like the wind. Hellebucyk was left in the cold every single game.

 

[bellagiobob]

I'd be interested to learn what the WNBA's numbers are. No disrespect to that league of course but if they had better numbers than the NHL that would be embarrassing.

The 2024 WNBA season delivers record viewership across ESPN platforms

ESPN’s presentation of the 2024 WNBA season concludes with record-breaking viewership. This season’s broadcasts delivered some of the highest ratings in WNBA history, solidifying the league's continued momentum across ESPN platforms.

espnpressroom.com

Prepare to be embarrassed.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

The 2024 WNBA season delivers record viewership across ESPN platforms

ESPN’s presentation of the 2024 WNBA season concludes with record-breaking viewership. This season’s broadcasts delivered some of the highest ratings in WNBA history, solidifying the league's continued momentum across ESPN platforms.

espnpressroom.com

Prepare to be embarrassed.

I can't even say I'm surprised. Imagine actually having a generational talent come into your league and properly marketing her. What a wild and amazing concept.

Seriously though, good for that league. If the NHL didn't have such a diehard Canadian fanbase the league would've folded years ago.

 

[BlackDogg]

 

[Tobias Kahun]

That evidence would only be worthwhile if they had been riding their bikes all over the road but theres no evidence of that.