Is it time for a Canadian only professional hockey league?

[Nasti]

This is 19 years ago. Back in 2004, the Calgary Flames were playing against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Game 6 went into double-overtime. The Flames were leading the series 3-2 and could have won the Stanley Cup if they won Game 6.

As many people will remember, there was a controversial goal called back. Martin Gelinas' scored what appeared to some fans as the Stanley Cup winning goal, only to have the call disallowed.

When this happened, there were a lot of Calgary Flames fans and Canadian hockey fans in general that blamed USA President George W Bush for interfering with the outcome of that specific game and the series as a whole.

It wasn’t called back. They never reviewed it because no one realized how close it was until after it was too late to review.

 

[XX]

It's time for Canada to let go of nationalism considering Vegas has the most Canadian players in the league.

 

[Nasti]

This is probably the most absurd theory I have ever seen about this.
No, George W Bush did not affect the outcome of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals.

This seriously needs to stop.

Bush had three things on his mind in 2004. Catching Osama Bin Laden, winning a second term, and making sure a Canadian team wouldn’t win the Stanley Cup.

 

[Frank Drebin]

Bush had three things on his mind in 2004. Catching Osama Bin Laden, winning a second term, and making sure a Canadian team wouldn’t win the Stanley Cup.

When bush sets his mind to something look out. 3 for 3

 

[Ibanezrokr]

As a very proud Canadian, F*CK NO! And what, have a hockey equivalent to the CFL where we get hand me down players, a handful of teams, and half the football fans watching the NFL instead?

I'd rather field a team that strives to compete among the best and fail than take a participation ribbon and I'm sure the players would say the same.

If you are so hell bent on splitting them up then the cup better be a mutli-league award. Long live the former stanley cup champs the Kenora Thistles.

 

[Nasti]

When bush sets his mind to something look out. 3 for 3

Mission Accomplished!

Ignoring that he didn’t catch Osama.

 

[jcs0218]

This is probably the most absurd theory I have ever seen about this.
No, George W Bush did not affect the outcome of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals.

This seriously needs to stop.

Of course it is absurd. But it was happening with many people online and with people that I knew in-person back in 2004.

 

[Mattb124]

Stop embarrassing us. Stop crying.

Signed all Canadians

Can we Americans sign onto your plea?

 

[tmlms13]

Soccer is a global game, hockey is a continental game that 5/7 continents don’t give a shit about.

Edit: correction, maybe Antarctica cares.

What you talking about?

 

[Shane Diesel]

Bush had three things on his mind in 2004. Catching Osama Bin Laden, winning a second term, and making sure a Canadian team wouldn’t win the Stanley Cup.

All while being unable to locate Canada on a map.

Mission Accomplished!

 

[Canuckle1970]

No.

 

[joestevens29]

Oh so it would be like the football league we have that is in major trouble?

 

[joestevens29]

It's time for Canada to let go of nationalism considering Vegas has the most Canadian players in the league.

I feel like this was the case when Calgary played Tampa in the final.

Personally I don't cheer based on where a team is located(outside of my City). I cheer based on players on a team and that doesn't matter what Country they are from either.

 

[LeafGrief]

Just watch Canadian juniors.

But at the same time, the NHL is bloated and boring as a result. Geographic expansion is a piss poor substitute for actual interest growth and sports market share. Balkanizing the NHL fan base to pick up a few thousand new fans per major metro centre isn’t “growing the game”. It grows expansion fees and gate revenus (which do matter), but it’s not any good at “growing hockey”. America is a great hockey market, but chasing new cities is a fool’s errand that the NHL is chasing because they gave up on trying to take market share from the other big sports leagues a generation ago.

Not to mention that the atrophying of the Canadian market is a serious problem that no amount of glib “hurr Canadians just jealous lul” will sweep under the rug.

 

[M88K]

Even if they did, they would all find a way to lose.

 

[Frank Drebin]

Mission Accomplished!

Ignoring that he didn’t catch Osama.

Minor detail

 

[strattonius]

It's such an embarrassing take if you're Canadian. The cringe is almost unbearable for me. Do people really cling their nationalistic pride on NHL hockey teams?

The Canucks haven't come close to a cup the last decade because of Jim Benning, not because of a league wide conspiracy that is rigged in favour of non traditional American markets.

Embarrassing take - apologies from a Canadian to Americans that have to listen to that nonsense. Please understand it's a vocal minority over-stirring a stale pot of soup.

 

[Number 57]

The current 8 canadian teams with Quebec City + another Toronto area team to make it a sharp 10 would be a wonderful league. They'd have more than enough money to easily out-rival the KHL and thus be the 2nd best league in the world.

The NHL would then have to rely on a few teams (NYR, CHI, DET) to provide revenues for all the failed southern markets. The NHL would probably fold within 2 seasons of this happening.

Then the canadian league can let the Rangers beg for entry into their league. Maybe make them wait a season or two... make them pay a one billion expansion fee or something

 

[Bombshell11]

i say this because i feel with bettman calling the shots, i don't see canadian nhl teams have a chance to win..

i believe its time for canadians to create their own professional hockey league just like the CFL...

in this professional league, the salaries will be lower and the ticket prices will be affordable for families...

i say to canadians let the NHL go with its pro american business mindset...and embrace a new league that will cater to hockey crazed canadians..

100%, We have the best players regardless so it wont matter.

There's many cities here in Canada that can host and support big hockey clubs.

Hamilton, Quebec, Kitchener, London, Victoria, Halifax, Oshawa, Windsor, Saskatoon, Gatineau, Regina, St. John's, Kelowna, Sherbrooke. Laval

Any city with a population of 100k could host a Pro CHL team, they don't need to all have 20k arenas. 8-15k will do.

It wont be like the CFL, Hockey is our main sport, the vast majority of the population will be watching it, tickets don't need to be 200$ each, 50-150$ will be enough, salaries wont be as high either. 1-3mil for the best players for example.

A league of 32 teams can easely exist in Canada, as long as we don't overkill it with the budgets

 

[Scomerica]

100%, We have the best players regardless so it wont matter.

There's many cities here in Canada that can host and support big hockey clubs.

Hamilton, Quebec, Kitchener, London, Victoria, Halifax, Oshawa, Windsor, Saskatoon, Gatineau, Regina, St. John's, Kelowna, Sherbrooke. Laval

Any city with a population of 100k could host a Pro CHL team, they don't need to all have 20k arenas. 8-15k will do.

It wont be like the CFL, Hockey is our main sport, the vast majority of the population will be watching it, tickets don't need to be 200$ each, 50-150$ will be enough, salaries wont be as high either. 1-3mil for the best players for example.

A league of 32 teams can easely exist in Canada, as long as we don't overkill it with the budgets

Money always talks though and the best players will follow the money which the US teams generally have. The only way to stop that would be if Canada banned players from playing in the US.

 

[robertocarlos]

The Toronto Ptarmigans of the CHL could ice a team with a cap hit of $200 million and still turn a profit. Don't tell me they couldn't beat the SC champion Las Vegas Golden Knigits.

 

[Bombshell11]

Money always talks though and the best players will follow the money which the US teams generally have. The only way to stop that would be if Canada banned players from playing in the US.

Players could leave, there's a huge number of good players in the CHL already that simply have to abandon playing hockey because there's not enough opportunities. Those players could play here

 

[GindyDraws]

Stop embarrassing us. Stop crying.

Signed all Canadians

No, no. Let's see what he's cooking.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

100%, We have the best players regardless so it wont matter.

There's many cities here in Canada that can host and support big hockey clubs.

Hamilton, Quebec, Kitchener, London, Victoria, Halifax, Oshawa, Windsor, Saskatoon, Gatineau, Regina, St. John's, Kelowna, Sherbrooke. Laval

Any city with a population of 100k could host a Pro CHL team, they don't need to all have 20k arenas. 8-15k will do.

It wont be like the CFL, Hockey is our main sport, the vast majority of the population will be watching it, tickets don't need to be 200$ each, 50-150$ will be enough, salaries wont be as high either. 1-3mil for the best players for example.

A league of 32 teams can easely exist in Canada, as long as we don't overkill it with the budgets

Yeah, good luck with that you're not gonna get anywhere close to the best players for 1-3 mil.

 

[Bombshell11]

Yeah, good luck with that you're not gonna get anywhere close to the best players for 1-3 mil.

I think you would be surprised