Is it time for a Canadian only professional hockey league?

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Anyways, you Canadian guys that freak out over Bettman and stuff would be a lot happier if you all just made the concentrated cultural effort to push Junior Hockey into the same sphere of relevance within your country as NCAA Football and College Basketball are in the USA.

Places like Tuscaloosa, Alabama.. Norman, Oklahoma... Lawrence, Kansas... Clemson, South Carolina... Lincoln, Nebraska... they aren't sitting around crying because they don't have NFL and NBA teams, they just treat the local college team as the biggest show in town and give it all the attention and fervor that come with pro sport franchises.

Have you seen any World juniors tournaments in Canada?

 

[dukeofjive]

That would kill the nhl, without montreal and toronto keeping the lights on for the smaller markets,

Could you imagine the level of talent on those 8 teams.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Imagine how much Uncle Gary was sweating in 2006 and 2011.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Have you seen any World juniors tournaments in Canada?

Yes but I’m saying take that energy and apply it to the junior leagues as a whole. Sure they sell some tickets in small barns for 30 CAD a game or whatever, but have it be the lead story of Sportscentre, have people whose job it is to say if Saskatoon or Red Deer have what it takes to go deep, debate which coaches need to get fired. All that stuff. Make junior hockey feel like pro sport-lite outside of just the world juniors and the memorial cup and you won’t feel so deprived.

 

[Frank Drebin]

You can cheer for the other teams all you want, I certainly don’t and won’t ever. That doesn’t mean we as fans of the other Canadian teams want them to win lol. I couldn’t care less about the Habs being the last team that happens to be in Canada winning it 30 years ago, with this whole PLD thing I actually hope they stay winless. Ditto for the other teams in Canada. You’d be naive to think that Edmonton fans would want Calgary to win a cup over them, or Toronto fans with Montreal or Ottawa fans. When I cheer for another Canadian team to win, I cheer for Team Canada (whenever they play that is). It’s not a thing to cheer for other Canadian teams like you think it is.

Holy wall of text.

I'm not cheering for your crappy team either but both Winnipeg and Edmonton have the same disadvantages.

You think pld would want to leave for Montreal if he was currently playing in Dallas or florida? You think varlamov would have nixed a trade to Carolina? The pressure is on to win with McDrai because who would want to stay in Edmonton when you could play anywhere.

You think young players want to stay for a discount in Montreal where they already pay the highest taxes in the league and have to deal with idiotic fans?

The deck is stacked against Canadian teams. Posters like to blame management but really it's an almost impossible task to build a winner up here.

 

[x Tame Impala]

30 years without a Canadian team winning, 7 Canadian teams.

It's going to be at least 210 years before every Canadian team will win a Stanley cup.

We just want something to cheer for

That’s sports dude. The Chicago Bears haven’t won since 1985, you don’t think Bears fans want something to cheer for? Vancouver got very close in 2011, Montreal lucked their way into a Finals appearance recently, and if Toronto/Edmonton had better management they’d be fighting for Cups perpetually this decade. It isn’t Bettman’s fault that the Leafs torched their rebuild with Tavares or that Chia/Holland can’t put talent around McDrai, or that Vancouver makes bad decision after bad decision for the last 12 seasons.

 

[KingsFan7824]

30 years without a Canadian team winning, 7 Canadian teams.

It's going to be at least 210 years before every Canadian team will win a Stanley cup.

We just want something to cheer for

There are 9 teams in the US, not including Veg or Sea, that haven't won the Cup since 1993.

2 Finals went 7 games with a Canadian team, once on home ice.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Yes but I’m saying take that energy and apply it to the junior leagues as a whole. Sure they sell some tickets in small barns for 30 CAD a game or whatever, but have it be the lead story of Sportscentre, have people whose job it is to say if Saskatoon or Red Deer have what it takes to go deep, debate which coaches need to get fired. All that stuff. Make junior hockey feel like pro sport-lite outside of just the world juniors and the memorial cup and you won’t feel so deprived.

The ramparts packed 20k into their arena regularly and here we have the Coyotes struggling to fill an arena with a quarter of the capacity. The 2010 gold medal game was watched by 2/3 of the country.

 

[Frank Drebin]

and if Toronto/Edmonton had better management

And there it is

Pretend that they're playing on the same field as George McPhee or brisebois.

You think pietrangelo ever considered signing with Edmonton or Toronto? Did McPhee just out gm them?

 

[WarriorofTime]

That would kill the nhl, without montreal and toronto keeping the lights on for the smaller markets,

Could you imagine the level of talent on those 8 teams.

No it wouldn’t kill the nhl but it would have a large depressing effect on the salary cap. So the players would certainly be bummed when they have to take a big pay cut because a couple hfboards posters want to take their ball and go home when their team gets eliminated in the playoffs.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

There are 9 teams in the US, not including Veg or Sea, that haven't won the Cup since 1993.

2 Finals went 7 games with a Canadian team, once on home ice.

3 actually.

Canadian teams won’t win the Cup again.

 

[WarriorofTime]

The ramparts packed 20k into their arena regularly and here we have the Coyotes struggling to fill an arena with a quarter of the capacity. The 2010 gold medal game was watched by 2/3 of the country.

Exactly so make it happen and you won’t get upset that tiny cities don’t get to be in the nhl.

 

[Empoleon8771]

And there it is

Pretend that they're playing on the same field as George McPhee or brisebois.

You think pietrangelo ever considered signing with Edmonton or Toronto? Did McPhee just out gm them?

Did the Leafs not sign Tavares or something?

God, this is just pathetic excuse making.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Matthews, an American is to blame!

 

[dukeofjive]

No it wouldn’t kill the nhl but it would have a large depressing effect on the salary cap. So the players would certainly be bummed when they have to take a big pay cut because a couple hfboards posters want to take their ball and go home when their team gets eliminated in the playoffs.

Small market teams would not exist without the stupid sportnets contract, add the montreal and toronto money and the nhl is dead.

it would make for a weird league thats for sure.

 

[Frank Drebin]

Did the Leafs not sign Tavares or something?

God, this is just pathetic excuse making.

Are you honestly playing dumb about Edmonton?

I'll give you Tavares though. One major fa in the cap era

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

No it wouldn’t kill the nhl but it would have a large depressing effect on the salary cap. So the players would certainly be bummed when they have to take a big pay cut because a couple hfboards posters want to take their ball and go home when their team gets eliminated in the playoffs.

I mean they have to take a pay cut to play with Canadian teams unless those franchises pony up more money.

Nobody wants to play in the Canadian markets unless they’re overpaid.

 

[oldunclehue]

Only idea in my mind would be to close some of the tax loopholes to the desirable places which puts everyone on the same playing field salary/take home wise.

I mean would you rather sea-doo to practice in shorts and then go for a quick round of golf with the boys all while no one really knows who you are in Tampa....and take home WAY more. Or fight through Winnipeg traffic, potholes, cold weather and being hounded by every fan annnnnd take home less money?

 

[KingsFan7824]

Holy wall of text.

I'm not cheering for your crappy team either but both Winnipeg and Edmonton have the same disadvantages.

You think pld would want to leave for Montreal if he was currently playing in Dallas or florida? You think varlamov would have nixed a trade to Carolina? The pressure is on to win with McDrai because who would want to stay in Edmonton when you could play anywhere.

You think young players want to stay for a discount in Montreal where they already pay the highest taxes in the league and have to deal with idiotic fans?

The deck is stacked against Canadian teams. Posters like to blame management but really it's an almost impossible task to build a winner up here.

Which will not change, regardless of who runs the league. Unless someone comes in, clamps down on player choice, bringing it back to what it was before at least the mid 90"s.

 

[Frank Drebin]

Only idea in my mind would be to close some of the tax loopholes to the desirable places which puts everyone on the same playing field salary/take home wise.

I mean would you rather sea-doo to practice in shorts and then go for a quick round of golf with the boys all while no one really knows who you are in Tampa....and take home WAY more. Or fight through Winnipeg traffic, potholes, cold weather and being hounded by every fan annnnnd take home less money?

It's not a level playing field

Which will not change, regardless of who runs the league. Unless someone comes in, clamps down on player choice, bringing it back to what it was before at least the mid 90"s.

Yeah I know. This is basically me venting and calling out anyone who says each city has a fair shot

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Only idea in my mind would be to close some of the tax loopholes to the desirable places which puts everyone on the same playing field salary/take home wise.

I mean would you rather sea-doo to practice in shorts and then go for a quick round of golf with the boys all while no one really knows who you are in Tampa....and take home WAY more. Or fight through Winnipeg traffic, potholes, cold weather and being hounded by every fan annnnnd take home less money?

I mean this is the crux of it. Nobody wants to play in Canada unless they overpay.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Two weeks ago.

“We’re gonna win the whole thing, no stopping us, it’s our year!”

Now.

“Maybe we should just leave the league entirely because it’s literally impossible for us to win.”

That’s sports for you.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Are you honestly playing dumb about Edmonton?

I'll give you Tavares though. One major fa in the cap era

Oh no, the Oilers were only gifted the best player the league has seen since Lemieux. How unfair, it's impossible for Canadian teams to win!!!!!!!

The Oilers had 6 draft picks in the top-4 from 2009-2016. If you can't build a legitimate contending core from that kind of draft capital, it just means you suck at managing a team. Was it Edmonton being in Canada's fault when Chiarreli traded Hall for Larsson?

 

[Frank Drebin]

Oh no, the Oilers were only gifted the best player the league has seen since Lemieux. How unfair, it's impossible for Canadian teams to win!!!!!!!

The Oilers had 6 draft picks in the top-4 from 2009-2016. If you can't build a legitimate contending core from that kind of draft capital, it just means you suck at managing a team. Was it Edmonton being in Canada's fault when Chiarreli traded Hall for Larsson?

Cool, you're missing the point. Did iginla nix a trade to Pittsburgh like varlamov did?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Two weeks ago.

“We’re gonna win the whole thing, no stopping us, it’s our year!”

Now.

“Maybe we should just leave the league entirely because it’s literally impossible for us to win.”

That’s sports for you.

Literally only the media was saying that.

Oh no, the Oilers were only gifted the best player the league has seen since Lemieux. How unfair, it's impossible for Canadian teams to win!!!!!!!

The Oilers had 6 draft picks in the top-4 from 2009-2016. If you can't build a legitimate contending core from that kind of draft capital, it just means you suck at managing a team. Was it Edmonton being in Canada's fault when Chiarreli traded Hall for Larsson?

Think McDavid sticks around if they don't put 12.5 million in front of him?