Non-Minnesota NHL News XII

[tomgilbertfan]

Hey wild, good job getting 2 huge UFAs, and having some top tier young guys, but we're still going to pretend like you aren't in a huge hockey state.

 

[Northland Wild Man]

That's garbage. The league doesn't even care about the entire Western half of the US, and the only reason it's half and not Detroit and East is Chicago.

I'm that special kind of mad where I want to swear and cuss and flip out, but I know it's a literal waste of effort so I'm just bitter. If anyone wants to deny the league and the media's East coast bias, this is just another drop in the bucket...

Agree completely. I take it as a slap in the face by the NHL.

 

[Caior89]

That's really nice for Larsson! he has all the tools to be a great NHL'er!

 

[Victorious Secret]

Washington? Team hasn't been relevant for at least 3 years.

 

[Hall of Faber]

Clutterbuck out for 4-6 weeks...

 

[BigT2002]

Hey wild, good job getting 2 huge UFAs, and having some top tier young guys, but we're still going to pretend like you aren't in a huge hockey state.

The thing is, they won't give it to us based entirely on that we are a hockey state. While it makes sense to us to have the game here, it doesn't for NBC. There is no real thing to gain from it. Putting it in DC means getting more casual and fair weather fans to go and watch a hockey game. Here, they already know it would happen based entirely on the fact its basically "our" game south of Canada.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

The only thing worse than the NHL shafting the western teams is the Caps fans who think they deserve a game more than the west since they were the away team in one already.

 

[BigT2002]

The only thing worse than the NHL shafting the western teams is the Caps fans who think they deserve a game more than the west since they were the away team in one already.

That logic honestly dumbfounds me. And sad to admit it, but if they don't play Pitt I would be shocked. As others in the thread on the main board said, they are still trying to shove that rivalry down our throats as much as possible. Honestly, probably why they are having it in DC. While NBCSN is up and running, this sport still needs national exposure...which means it needs ESPN. If it doesn't involve Crosby or Ovy, they aren't talking about it.

 

[Haite]

That logic honestly dumbfounds me. And sad to admit it, but if they don't play Pitt I would be shocked. As others in the thread on the main board said, they are still trying to shove that rivalry down our throats as much as possible. Honestly, probably why they are having it in DC. While NBCSN is up and running, this sport still needs national exposure...which means it needs ESPN. If it doesn't involve Crosby or Ovy, they aren't talking about it.

I recall it being a thing that visiting teams in Winter Classics are promised a home game within a few years.

 

[Jarick]

My guess is Boston.

 

[nickschultzfan]

NHL's pushing of mid-atlantic teams is ridiculous. They don't realize that they are hurting the league as a whole.

It should be pushing the best players. Not just the best players in the east coast markets.

 

[Hall of Faber]

If it makes everyone feel better this has been planned for awhile now. I was watching the Flyers and Rangers WC this week and the announcers said Detroit was a lock for the next WC then most likely Washington next.

 

[Avder]

**** the east.

No, seriously. Every team in the eastern conference is so pampered and coddled I want to see every single one of them fail miserably and utterly suffer.

If you want to play good hockey, you play in the Western Conference.

If you want to be a media darling, you play in the Eastern Conference.

 

[Bookman]

The Winter "Classic" has become lame. I remember watching the first couple and thinking it was cool, snow and everything. Now outdoor games are passe, been done to death.

If the Wild were ever awarded such a game, I couldn't think of a better site/match-up than Wild-Jets on Lake of the Woods, dead of January. The true and only border battle for Minnesota, -40, winter classic indeed.

They could situate the rink so half was in Manitoba, half in Minnesota.

 

[tyratoku]

The Winter "Classic" has become lame. I remember watching the first couple and thinking it was cool, snow and everything. Now outdoor games are passe, been done to death.

If the Wild were ever awarded such a game, I couldn't think of a better site/match-up than Wild-Jets on Lake of the Woods, dead of January. The true and only border battle for Minnesota, -40, winter classic indeed.

They could situate the rink so half was in Manitoba, half in Minnesota.

How thick does the ice have to be to support the game, the stands, the thousands and thousands of fans, and all the concessions shops and tv equipment?

I mean, LOTW gets thick, but does it get that thick?

It would be far too expensive to do. Renting an actual venue vs putting one up in the span of a few weeks is way different. As absolutely amazing as that would be, it really isn't feasible.

 

[llamapalooza]

One of the nastier side-effects of realignment is that it basically gives NBC one division that they actually want to cover.

I'm pissed and tired of the Mid-Atlantic circlejerk just as much as all of you guys, but I will say that things are looking somewhat optimistic after 2015.

- Bettman more or less directly said we'll get one eventually (at the 2011 draft)
- The fact that we didn't get one of this year's ludicrous number of games suggests that they're saving MIN for the main event and not a sideshow
- They know they're running the risk of making the event stale and holding it here would be a change of pace
- The Wild's national profile will only continue to grow in the meantime
- They're running out of viable Eastern host cities: DET, WAS, PHI, PIT, NYR, BOS, and BUF have already hosted. They've pretty much got NJD, CBJ, and NYI left as US East Coast teams that haven't been a home team yet and feasibly could. Jersey will probably eventually get one at the Meadowlands, but they and Columbus have to be lower on the totem pole than us by sheer fan interest alone. And, yeah, the Islanders playing the Rangers at Citi Field or something is pretty inevitable, but still. Probably not before us.

 

[Northland Wild Man]

How thick does the ice have to be to support the game, the stands, the thousands and thousands of fans, and all the concessions shops and tv equipment?

I mean, LOTW gets thick, but does it get that thick?

It would be far too expensive to do. Renting an actual venue vs putting one up in the span of a few weeks is way different. As absolutely amazing as that would be, it really isn't feasible.

It depends on the winter. Some years it gets 48 inches or more, some years only 12. If you have very cold weather and not much snow cover you can get ideal ice conditions. If there is a lot of snow it acts as insulation and the ice won't be as thick even with cold weather. I would think that 48 inches of ice would be enough for a game up there.

I don't know how many people you could have in attendance, but it would be epic. I also don't know about the financial side of things. It may be possible, but I don't know.

 

[Sportsfan1]

Go with Kuc and Sassone for Hawks. Kuc seems to be the best.

Dater sucks but it's the best Avs have. You get much, much better info from this forum.



Mike Heika. Defending Big D has good stuff too.

Awesome, thank you very much!

They've got Eberle at 6m a year until 2018/2019

And Taylor Hall at 6m a year until 2019/2020

And now RNH at 6m a year until 2020/2021

Looks like we know how much they're going to give Yakupov/Schultz/Nurse when they're eligible.

Oilers are ridiculously stupid and this will blow up in their face. Only Eberle out of that bunch is worth the money and a proven player. RNH is a major, and stupid gamble, but hey, will kill them cap wise so have fun with it!

ESPN popup just stated that Washington is getting the 2015 Winter Classic according to their NHL Sources.

This I am actually angry about. Now I will get to see The Avengers 2, all of Marvel's Phase 2 movies, the new Batman/Superman movie, Jurrassic Park again and the new Star Wars movies all before possibility of a game here in 2016.

THE FRICKIN EAST GETS IT EVERY D*** YEAR! I am very upset about this, stupid *** NHL.

 

[TaLoN]

This is the building the Islanders are going to move into...

The fans will not call this much of an upgrade...

 

[Sportsfan1]

Hideous, like Phx first stadium when they moved, wow would not go to a game there.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

I've always had a soft spot for the Isels, it's a shame their new home is such a POS for hockey.

 

[Avder]

Thats what those idiots get for moving into a building that was built purely for basketball.

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

Still a better scoreboard than ours. . . . too bad it's not centered though.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

Yeah but at least you can see the whole sheet of ice from any seat at the X.

 

[TaLoN]

Still a better scoreboard than ours. . . . too bad it's not centered though.

Scoreboard can be fixed... a building being too small for hockey can't.