Do you believe in any NHL conspiracy theories?

[LuckyDay]

In 1980 when Sabres coach Scotty Bowman fell and hit his head for leaning out too far on the bench while yelling at his own players (this was the third game of the playoffs against the Canucks in Vancouver and Buffalo was two games up).
Nobody saw what happened, not even any official on the ice. Brian O'Neil, then league Vice President and league disciplinarian who was in the stands that game, claimed he saw Tiger Williams two hand Bowman across the head since there was no actual evidence.
Both the Canucks and Sabres players cheered and thanked Tiger, but Willaims denied it and was actually worried for poor Scotty due to the metal plate in his head.

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

The NHL is a covert Canadian government operation to colonize and annex the US and make it the 11th province.

 

[nbwingsfan]

It is the only one that didn’t have a bonding agent over sight.
There were so many complaints that the league used KPMG in subsequent years.

Yeah, just seems way too convenient they’d win when they about to be bankrupt, had serious attendance problems, and was a behind closed doors draft.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I have tons.

Mainly the NHL is rigged.

 

[Crow]

I have tons.

Mainly the NHL is rigged.

Let’s hear some of them. Or at least one of them you are most sure of. This stuff is very interesting to me.

 

[Hippasus]

 

[nogatco rd]

Yeah, just seems way too convenient they’d win when they about to be bankrupt, had serious attendance problems, and was a behind closed doors draft.

Idk, the worst team in the league winning the lottery doesn’t seem like it’s some huge red flag. And yeah bad teams tend to have attendance issues

 

[Moose Head]

My headcanon has always been that the Montreal Canadiens were bumped up one spot in the 2018 draft lottery as a favour from the NHL for acquiring John Scott and sending him to the AHL in an attempt to make him miss the All-Star game. They couldn't do it the same year because it'd be too obvious.

The NHL REALLY didn't want Scott in the ASG.

There was definitely something shady about that whole deal. I recall Bergivin saying something along the lines of, ‘ I didn’t want to trade for Scott, but I had to.’

Of course Marc Bergevin 'can't really tell' why he traded for John Scott | Sporting News

It's OK. We all know.

www.sportingnews.com

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

The NHL purposefully let Chicago keep their 1st round pick because they knew they were going to be in the Bedard sweepstakes.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Idk, the worst team in the league winning the lottery doesn’t seem like it’s some huge red flag. And yeah bad teams tend to have attendance issues

Not all bad teams are on the verge of bankruptcy.

As others posted, this one was done completely behind closed doors.

Carolina was also the worst team the season prior to the lockout

I don’t think it’s some guaranteed conspiracy, it’s just an awfully convenient thing to happen to the team that was about to no longer exist

 

[nogatco rd]

Carolina was also the worst team the season prior to the lockout

I don’t think it’s some guaranteed conspiracy, it’s just an awfully convenient thing to happen to the team that was about to no longer exist

Carolina had 76 points, Pittsburgh had 58. Pens were the worst team in the league, Caps were the 2nd worst.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Let’s hear some of them. Or at least one of them you are most sure of. This stuff is very interesting to me.

I can go on all day. Some I won't say. But one backs up why Bettman tried to save the Coyotes and is trying to bring hockey back to Atlanta.

The funniest one I noticed is the first goal at Climate Pledge Arena was ran down to 3.2 seconds left in the first. Simply because they not only retired 32, have a club 32, but also are the 32nd franchise. I think they did that on purpose.

Vegas expansion draft being catered for them. They made the finals in the first year to be sure hockey was a sure thing to work because of the issue with the Coyotes failing.

Since Bettman was commissioner a Canadian team has never won the cup. But you know it's rigged when Montreal and Philadelphia go far such as 2009-10, the 2020 bubble, also Montreal made finals the following year. Both teams not good on paper but they do this because both franchises are cash cows. Or if Vegas goes far as well. Washington never won the cup until 2017-18 but rigged it because Leonsis probably placed money under the table to be sure Ovechkin won because they owed him everything. But he wants American teams to win the cup because it'll grow the game of hockey. He has Canadian teams lose in the finals because it'll keep viewership up. I have a big long one that proves this to be true. But I think five Canadian teams should've won the cup by now. Calgary in 2003-04 because the Gelinas goal should've counted. Edmonton in 2023-24 because McDavid was their MVP. Winnipeg in 2017-18 because of the refs. Vancouver in 2010-11 because of the refs. Montreal in 2013-14 would've easily beat the Kings.

 

[HaNotsri]

There was once a 7th player on the ice called rover that somehow disappeared.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

There was once a 7th player on the ice called rover that somehow disappeared.

 

[Mr Positive]

No

There isn't rigging of the lottery. There isnt preferential reffing based on region or whatever. Its easy to see some evil plan when it really just is chaos

 

[Beninnola]

I don’t believe there is a draft lottery as they’ve described.

It’s closer to a private auction. It is only “rigged” if you don’t know the real rules. They aren’t leaving generational talents to ping pong balls.

And I don’t believe the coyotes were a true third party team. They were the league at some point and pretending not to be, perhaps taking wage suppression efforts during this time.

 

[Stive Morgan]

There was definitely something shady about that whole deal. I recall Bergivin saying something along the lines of, ‘ I didn’t want to trade for Scott, but I had to.’

Of course Marc Bergevin 'can't really tell' why he traded for John Scott | Sporting News

It's OK. We all know.

www.sportingnews.com

There was definitely some sort of favour or benefit agreed upon in a backroom deal.

 

[Ducati Boy]

Some people in this thread have the reasoning skills of a tent peg.

Handy Dandy Conspiracy Theory kit:
1. Observe an outcome.
2. Decide immediately that the outcome must have been manipulated by someone with a vested interest in it.
3. Note anyone with power or money who in any way was connected to the outcome.
4. Add your previously prepared coping strategy and stir.

Enjoy your conspiracy!

 

[nogatco rd]

the first goal at Climate Pledge Arena was ran down to 3.2 seconds left in the first. Simply because they not only retired 32, have a club 32, but also are the 32nd franchise. I think they did that on purpose.

I wonder how much time they spent practicing that to get their timing to within 0.1 second. Seems like a lot of work.

 

[HaNotsri]

View attachment 1256132

Obvious ai, they tried to make us think Rover was a team but it was a position.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I wonder how much time they spent practicing that to get their timing to within 0.1 second. Seems like a lot of work.

They literally let the clock run to 3.2 seconds... the clock would normally stop at the 4.5 mark. Some goals go a few milliseconds above, or they stop right on the dot.

 

[kaiser matias]

I can go on all day. Some I won't say. But one backs up why Bettman tried to save the Coyotes and is trying to bring hockey back to Atlanta.

The funniest one I noticed is the first goal at Climate Pledge Arena was ran down to 3.2 seconds left in the first. Simply because they not only retired 32, have a club 32, but also are the 32nd franchise. I think they did that on purpose.

Vegas expansion draft being catered for them. They made the finals in the first year to be sure hockey was a sure thing to work because of the issue with the Coyotes failing.

Since Bettman was commissioner a Canadian team has never won the cup. But you know it's rigged when Montreal and Philadelphia go far such as 2009-10, the 2020 bubble, also Montreal made finals the following year. Both teams not good on paper but they do this because both franchises are cash cows. Or if Vegas goes far as well. Washington never won the cup until 2017-18 but rigged it because Leonsis probably placed money under the table to be sure Ovechkin won because they owed him everything. But he wants American teams to win the cup because it'll grow the game of hockey. He has Canadian teams lose in the finals because it'll keep viewership up. I have a big long one that proves this to be true. But I think five Canadian teams should've won the cup by now. Calgary in 2003-04 because the Gelinas goal should've counted. Edmonton in 2023-24 because McDavid was their MVP. Winnipeg in 2017-18 because of the refs. Vancouver in 2010-11 because of the refs. Montreal in 2013-14 would've easily beat the Kings.

That's false:

 

[edog37]

I don’t think this is a conspiracy but the league refuses to let go of the Original 6 obsession because they don’t know how to market properly. This is the only one of the major 4 sports that shoves that stuff down our throats.

It is utterly absurd considering you have franchises after 1967 that are fast approaching 60 years in the league. A franchise is a franchise. Yes, some have more cache & history, but I know of no Pens fan that would trade the Pens for an O6 team. And to be honest, the Pens have just as much cache (if not more) as most of the O6 teams. 5 Cups, a line of some of the greatest players going back to Lemieux, etc.

 

[edog37]

The 2005 lottery was rigged, and you'll never convince me otherwise. The whole thing was such BS with the way they did the lottery balls, and how Pittsburgh didn't lose a ball because they traded for the 1OA pick to get Fleury, and even them losing the lottery in 2004 to "only" get Malkin.

MAF, Malkin, Crosby. in three straight drafts.

Absurd. Why would the league place Crosby in a mid market coming out of a lockout & not New York? Plus, those Pens teams were awful. That’s why they had high lottery picks.

Are you going to discuss Edmonton’s first overall three years straight?

 

[edog37]

i believe the league rigged the lottery to give Pittsburgh Crosby . it's just too suspicious.

Again absurd.