Friedman- Players hate going to cold weather cities for ASG, NHL possibly reducing the eligible host cities

[rojac]

Good grief! This is a misleading headline with an accurate description of what Friedman actually sad. I went into more detail earlier but here’s a summary:

* Friedman DID NOT report that players only want to play ASGs in warm weather locales. He did say the NHL talked to the current crop of All-Stars and ONE of the responses was “we like it here this time of year.”

* Friedman DID NOT report that the NHL was taking this response to heart and was looking at a limited list of locales for future ASGs. He did say that he thinks we’ll see something like that. He does not make it clear if that’s based on insider info or he’s just speculating.

* The limited list of future ASG locales that Friedman talked about as a possibility did not include only warm weather locales. It also included Toronto, Montreal, New York, and Chicago.

The Jeff Marek Show

Sportsnet insider Jeff Marek goes around the league in Sportsnet 590 The FAN’s national NHL show, airing live across the country daily from 12pm-2pm ET. Opinion, news and analysis featuring daily segments from insider Elliotte Friedman.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[Ugene Magic]

Easy solution, send the family to warm weather places and meet up with them after all-star weekend.

 

[Bowski]

its a weekend for crying out loud. fans in northern markets fund the sport. their spending lets these players live the life they are living. they should be able to watch the best of the best live on occasion.

Fans in northern markets are fools who can't get way from the cold due to their life circumstances, and instead throw insane amounts of mostly borrowed money at their billionaire teams which they consider as "funding the sport".

They are entitled to nothing, let alone being "able to watch the best of the best live on occasion."
You will be patted on the head when another southern team wins the Cup this year.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

The “warm” climates can have it

That was embarrassing tonight…tomorrow may be worse somehow

 

[Seanaconda]

There are still some who keep it real.
View attachment 645535

Def a personal taste thing , but new gloves the leather is stiff so heating them gives your a feel closer to marchants gloves which I also always had because I would rather have my hand breaking out than stiff gloves

 

[Crease]

It’s an 8 month season with very little down time. I don’t blame the players for wanting a week of beach somewhere in the middle.

 

[Homesick]

I wish they would cancel it(it's so cringe) and go back to the 84 game schedule

 

[innitfam]

Where are the cold nhl cities that players play for ?

All 7 Canadian teams
Buffalo , New York teams Detroit, Philly, Pittsburgh, yea guys suck it up.

Add Minnesota, Seattle, Boston

 

[surixon]

It’s an 8 month season with very little down time. I don’t blame the players for wanting a week of beach somewhere in the middle.

Cut training camp down a week. Have the Allstars weekend and then give all the players a week off after. Not all that difficult to solve these issues.

Or go back to giving teams bye weeks

 

[Bank Shot]

Pretty disappointed in this news. I feel like every city should get the all-star game on a rotation.

As a season ticket holder(aka some who pays the players salaries) it would be nice to have a chance to see the all-star game in my home city.

Gives a chance for kids from every location to witness it as well. Those kids are the future salary payers and the players should be more willing to accommodate them.

 

[CapSpace]

What a bunch of spoiled f***s.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

If you want an all star weekend done right, have it in a Canadian city. But here we have it in Vegas, Florida, are you kidding me?

 

[LGBlues]

Well at least baseball players always act like they want to be there. Maybe they should put it in a NHL bonus structure.

 

[lawrence]

The thing is it’s just 1 or maybe 2 players per team in some cases mostly 1 heading to the all star game. This is a dumb topic and the players should just suck it up although I do agree the all star game is kinda useless. That said I don’t agree with whoever said it should always be in a warmer city. That means the colder cities will never get to host an all star game.

Well at least baseball players always act like they want to be there. Maybe they should put it in a NHL bonus structure.

My proposal is winner of the all star game the top 2 teams gets to call shots on the 1st game of their playoffs.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Well it’s -40 here this weekend…

 

[Canadian Finn]

when did nhlers get so soft.

when the fanbase became more concerned with what they wear entering the arena than how they actually play.

 

[scfronty]

Let's just cancel it altogether. Let the players have a break for a week or two.

At very least get rid of the skills competition. The only people who looked more unengaged than the fans were the players.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Fans in northern markets are fools who can't get way from the cold due to their life circumstances, and instead throw insane amounts of mostly borrowed money at their billionaire teams which they consider as "funding the sport".

They are entitled to nothing, let alone being "able to watch the best of the best live on occasion."
You will be patted on the head when another southern team wins the Cup this year.

Sad truth...

 

[KrugAvoy]

I vote we have an outdoor winter classic all star game in the Arctic

 

[Gurilla]

Makes sense, imagine you have to come to Winnipeg when all your team mates get a week off in the sun

 

[Seanaconda]

The thing is it’s just 1 or maybe 2 players per team in some cases mostly 1 heading to the all star game. This is a dumb topic and the players should just suck it up although I do agree the all star game is kinda useless. That said I don’t agree with whoever said it should always be in a warmer city. That means the colder cities will never get to host an all star game.



My proposal is winner of the all star game the top 2 teams gets to call shots on the 1st game of their playoffs.

The same 1 or 2 players from those teams tend to get picked every year so yeah I can see them wanting to go somewhere nice while the rest of the team has a vacation

 

[Jetsfan79]

This will not be a popular opinion, but to me what solves everything is to hold the game AFTER the playoffs in July. Ala the Probowl

1. I always thought it was silly your deemed an allstar for HALF a season played well. And you need to make sure your better half is the first half. This way you can vote for a whole season. More legit IMO

2. Players being rusty and lackadaisical not an issue as this an Allstars game afterall. .

3. Even Winnipeg will be blazing hot in July. Sorta apeases players wishes

4. Allstar games are really for the fans in arena and host city .Kids are out of school. They have their fun and others whò hate the game can ignore it and enjoy their summer.

Also wouldn't hurt to tie in allot of plyers charities to the event. Maybe award a top cash prize to be paid to the winning team and the NHL will duplicate the winnings awarded to players charities. Double incentive. Some extra $ for the players AND to their charity. .The NHL would almost be shaming players who decline. They would basically be saying no to charity and no to extra salary - something they often fight for in contract negotiations

 

[innitfam]

This will not be a popular opinion, but to ne what solves everything is to hold the game AFTER the playoffs in July. Ala the Probowl

1. I always thought it was silly your deemed an allstar for HALF a season played well. And you need to make sure your better half is the first half. This way you can vote for a whole season. More legit IMO

2. Players being rusty and lackadaisical not an issue as this an Allstars game afterall. .

3. Even Winnipeg will be blazing hot in July. Sorta apeases players wishes

4. Allstar games are really for the fans in arena and city .Kids are out of school. They have their fun and others whò hate the game can ignore it and enjoy their summer.

This is a really good idea and negates most of the issues with the ASG being mid-season.

 

[Cancuks]

They need to suck it up. They get paid millions of dollars to work a few hours a day, 8 months a year, for 10-15 years and then can retire to the warm climate. They have no idea what real life is.

 

[Gilmour1996]

Ten million a year for many of these guys and they can't afford a warm coat, some warm boots and some mittens? Probably most of this controversy comes directly from Gary's office in order to increase revenue for warm-market teams. As far as the players go, it just confirms that we now have a 2-tiered league with "haves and have-nots", the "haves" being rich, spoiled and entitled and the "have-nots" on a level far below.