News & Notes XLII: Consolidation Season

[Svechhammer]

We should be mentioned in every goalie conversation. It’s that desperate over here. But I‘d hope that DW is smart enough to realize that the patchwork goalie plan is a bad one and we make a push at a legitimate starter at some point between now and next season.

The waiver claim was "insurance" from what I've been told. We very much are still looking for a more solid fix in net, even if that's a more reliable backup to Kooch

 

[chaz4hockey]

I think playing Merzlikins took Merzlikins out of out of play for other teams.

Haha true but goalies are voodoo & can be rehabilitated.

 

[hblueridgegal]

This cracked me up...quite good for a Monday laugh:

 

[hblueridgegal]

 

[Blueline Bomber]

I’ll be honest. The more games on Bally, the better. The team doesn’t do great on national TV.

And it has nothing to do with me not getting paid for non-Bally games…

 

[Chrispy]

Keeping the TNT game, avoiding Buccigross and ESPN+.

I can get behind that.

 

[AD Skinner]

the way both canes and devils seasons have gone I kinda get it from espns perspective… they were supposed to be fighting for 1st and that’s not what’s happening. What I don’t get is they don’t seem to be showing any game at all- like I would understand if they wanted to show a different game but not just deciding “ah forget it”

 

[MinJaBen]

the way both canes and devils seasons have gone I kinda get it from espns perspective… they were supposed to be fighting for 1st and that’s not what’s happening. What I don’t get is they don’t seem to be showing any game at all- like I would understand if they wanted to show a different game but not just deciding “ah forget it”

The NHL contract with ESPN as been a great disappointment. Yes, the streaming is nice to have available, but it has greatly reduced the broadcast games. I can't help but think the overall visibility of the sport is diminished compared to when NBC had the contract. The TNT broadcasts are great, but since they are half what NBC had, it just seems like a step back for hockey.

 

[Borsig]

The NHL contract with ESPN as been a great disappointment. Yes, the streaming is nice to have available, but it has greatly reduced the broadcast games. I can't help but think the overall visibility of the sport is diminished compared to when NBC had the contract. The TNT broadcasts are great, but since they are half what NBC had, it just seems like a step back for hockey.

The days of Versus Sports......

 

[Svechhammer]

The NHL contract with ESPN as been a great disappointment. Yes, the streaming is nice to have available, but it has greatly reduced the broadcast games. I can't help but think the overall visibility of the sport is diminished compared to when NBC had the contract. The TNT broadcasts are great, but since they are half what NBC had, it just seems like a step back for hockey.

It reminds me of ESPN getting the ACC contract only to bury it to further benefit the SEC. ESPN is doing the same with the NHL to help prop up the NBA. And what's crazy is that the network that already did the best with the NBA, TNT, is giving the same kind of energy to their NHL production to make that good as well.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

The NHL contract with ESPN as been a great disappointment. Yes, the streaming is nice to have available, but it has greatly reduced the broadcast games. I can't help but think the overall visibility of the sport is diminished compared to when NBC had the contract. The TNT broadcasts are great, but since they are half what NBC had, it just seems like a step back for hockey.

I have to wonder how much that really matters going forward? I read somewhere that the average age of the NHL audience is between 45-50 years old. The NHL needs to go after the younger generations.

I don't know the numbers, but I suspect a large % of the people under 40 don't even watch broadcast TV. Even Spectrum's recognizes that cable TV in its current form is unsustainable.

I know none of my kids (in their 20s) watch it broadcast TV nor have they ever even had cable TV or watch over the air channels and it's similar for their friends.. It's all streaming for them.

 

[MinJaBen]

It reminds me of ESPN getting the ACC contract only to bury it to further benefit the SEC. ESPN is doing the same with the NHL to help prop up the NBA. And what's crazy is that the network that already did the best with the NBA, TNT, is giving the same kind of energy to their NHL production to make that good as well.

The only thing saving the NHL from becoming the 5th tier sport in the US is the fact that Apple has exclusive rights to most of the MLS broadcasts. If NBC was smart, they would buy those rights ASAP and rebrand their sports packages toward all soccer all the time with their Premier League rights. They do a great job with the weekend morning PL content and if they extended that to MLS, they likely push the NHL to 5th tier status and make a run at baseball as well.

 

[Svechhammer]

The only thing saving the NHL from becoming the 5th tier sport in the US is the fact that Apple has exclusive rights to most of the MLS broadcasts. If NBC was smart, they would buy those rights ASAP and rebrand their sports packages toward all soccer all the time with their Premier League rights. They do a great job with the weekend morning PL content and if they extended that to MLS, they likely push the NHL to 5th tier status and make a run at baseball as well.

I'm just waiting for Amazon to get involved and completely change the game in the US. They are very quietly a major threat to completely upending the entire industry. They second they decide to go all in with a league, they have the backing to make it big.

 

[CanesUltimate11]

I'm just waiting for Amazon to get involved and completely change the game in the US. They are very quietly a major threat to completely upending the entire industry. They second they decide to go all in with a league, they have the backing to make it big.

Gotta figure if their deal with Bally's takes off that it will lead to them jumping in on either NHL or MLB the next time a contract is up.

 

[Chrispy]

I'm just waiting for Amazon to get involved and completely change the game in the US. They are very quietly a major threat to completely upending the entire industry. They second they decide to go all in with a league, they have the backing to make it big.

I can see them jumping in big with both MLB and NHL. MLB gets into Japan, NHL gets into Europe and significantly increases Canadian presence.

You'll see lots of Canadians using VPNs if Amazon gets into the NHL.

 

[hblueridgegal]

I’m going to the National Figure Skating championships this weekend in Columbus at Nationwide. I guess I somehow procured my tix through CBJ instead of Ticketmaster. So I am now being wooed as a season ticket buyer for them. I don’t even open the invites from the Canes now because I have had too much work travel to attend anything. Is this standard offer for Open Houses? Gotta Love the free parking.

the event:

• All attendees will given a voucher good for two complimentary tickets to a Blue Jackets home game in the 2023-24 season (select games, based on availability)
• Complimentary parking will be available in the Arena Garage
• The Blue Jackets locker room will be open for viewing
• Anyone who becomes a new STH at the event can take home an autographed puck from a CBJ player of your choice (subject to availability )

 

[HisIceness]

I’m going to the National Figure Skating championships this weekend in Columbus at Nationwide. I guess I somehow procured my tix through CBJ instead of Ticketmaster. So I am now being wooed as a season ticket buyer for them. I don’t even open the invites from the Canes now because I have had too much work travel to attend anything. Is this standard offer for Open Houses? Gotta Love the free parking.

I don't know anything about this but Nationwide Arena is supposed to be really nice so you'll have that going for you

 

[hblueridgegal]

I don't know anything about this but Nationwide Arena is supposed to be really nice so you'll have that going for you

I’m looking forward to the skating event. I haven’t been to Columbus in a while but my co-workers have set me up well. It’s on my sporting event bucket list.

 

[DaveG]

I’m going to the National Figure Skating championships this weekend in Columbus at Nationwide. I guess I somehow procured my tix through CBJ instead of Ticketmaster. So I am now being wooed as a season ticket buyer for them. I don’t even open the invites from the Canes now because I have had too much work travel to attend anything. Is this standard offer for Open Houses? Gotta Love the free parking.

have never had to pay for parking at a Canes event at the arena outside of a game so that seems to be pretty standard.

 

[LakeLivin]

I’m going to the National Figure Skating championships this weekend in Columbus at Nationwide. I guess I somehow procured my tix through CBJ instead of Ticketmaster. So I am now being wooed as a season ticket buyer for them. I don’t even open the invites from the Canes now because I have had too much work travel to attend anything. Is this standard offer for Open Houses? Gotta Love the free parking.

I suspect the offers are inversely proportional to how bad the team is. I believe that the offer at San Jose's open house is a choice between the coach personally de-dog-dooing your yard or the Shark of your choice scrubbing your back in the shower.

 

[Svechhammer]

have never had to pay for parking at a Canes event at the arena outside of a game so that seems to be pretty standard.

Yeah I think that changed this year. I had to pay $40 to park for Disney on Ice in December

 

[hblueridgegal]

I guess Pete's recovered from his brutal week.

 

[MinJaBen]

I’m going to the National Figure Skating championships this weekend in Columbus at Nationwide. I guess I somehow procured my tix through CBJ instead of Ticketmaster. So I am now being wooed as a season ticket buyer for them. I don’t even open the invites from the Canes now because I have had too much work travel to attend anything. Is this standard offer for Open Houses? Gotta Love the free parking.

Hopefully they won't fire the cannon every time someone lands a triple Lutz.

 

[DaveG]

Yeah I think that changed this year. I had to pay $40 to park for Disney on Ice in December

yeah that doesn't surprise me, I think it was $20 when I saw Muse there and... holy f*** was that a long time ago now.

I meant more stuff like the draft party and the STH autograph sessions, never seen anyone charged to park for those.

 

[Chrispy]

Hopefully they won't fire the cannon every time someone lands a triple Lutz.

I want to hear (and see) the reaction of Terry Gannon, Jonny Weir, and Tara Lapinski to the cannon.