I'm no longer in Vancouver, so I can't speak to what the media is saying other than Donnie and Dahli, Halford and Brough, but is this really the case? I've seen the opposite, which I'm used to - Vancouver media sensationalism. Granted this is not unique to Vancouver, but my impression was that they have been stoking this fire, not trying to put it out.
I'll accept that Tocchet could be better in terms of player/people management, but I still think this is being overblown.
You are right in terms of the US / other sports comparison. We should hold them to account for the most part (aka figure your shit out, men). But I am still not sold that this is as big of an issue as it's perceived to be.
The media here got that rep when they ran Gillis and Torts out of town and put the owners through the wringer.
Since then and starting under Benning the media has been neutered. The monopoly controlled by the team, the NHL and Rogers have eliminated ALL other radio stations and essentially control ALL access to the team there has been a media person that had his credentials revoked due to saying what they didn't approve of and even Donni and Dhali have said on the air, "we don't want go to get in trouble again", they used to have agents as guest commonly, Rutherford some other team officials now they don't. I don't think ever do with few exceptions. They may be the last independent media show and at that they still have to be "careful" and IMO they still do follow some vague instructions. The problem is NO show in Canada will criticize unless they have independent sponsors or ownership. Look at what happened at TSN.
The media in Vancouver is now mentioned more as the social media rather than the old media because the old media is owned by the league, team and the NHL hockey rights owner, Rogers.
Control the message and control the fans.
ALL, EVERY media person on air furing games are employed, contracted or work for one of these entities. NO independant news, even radio used to be CKNW an independant operating station back when team's were crucified for banning reporters but now I have evenheard on sattlite an open mike with Murphy telling Drance the script.
A cancer in the MUST be removed and then the cancer in the room isn't worth thinking about.
Ignore some really dubious events the team has done like the infamous OEL buyout and accept the weak reasoning for it, the multiple trade demands of Boeser and Garland and what having players that don't want to be here means in the room, that Pettersson didn't want to re-sign when he did, that money was always going to be there so he could have waited, both sides could have he was still an RFA so urgency was a myth, unprecedented absences that even the NHL penalized for players not showing up for the All-star game, other players with contracts nullified when they went somewhere else to play (KHL).
Some posters are fanatics, the team is never wrong, the standings don't matter, personal relations only matter for some players but not them all, hell they almost had a fist fight at practice that's acceptable for two 4th line guys fighting to a roster spot but not your two star forwards, these are serious issues that needed to be considered. But like the team there is a lock down on anything that might be not good news until a US news station or podcast makes it public THEN Canadian media is allowed to talk about it but still while wearing rose colored glasses.
I don't listen to Toronto stations but I am sure there is more than one broadcaster and the NHL will be less restrictive with"Canada's team" as Bettman named them but then they have many more sponsors. Has the heat turned down in Toronto radio/media? I think they get a lot more "concern" talked about than this gelded local shows on the wrong coast. We even get spoonfed TO media that has asked for donations for eastern or Toronto charities/teams. out here it has becme like a desert. There is only one reporter following the team now and Tocchet's interviews on the road are down to 90 seconds after a loss.
Iis it any doubt that when mainstream media fails to report issues that social media picks up the slack. The NHL is really missing the ball on this beause pod casts are beeoming the goto for information and those need to be look at too because some still have NHL or peope reliant on the NHL for income but there is no doubt social media is having massive influence now that this sport is so controlled by one entity and it's "partners". Roger areana, Rogers Place, the places where the media is strangled the most.
The only sensationalizing of the Vancouver media is from the NHL and rights holder Rogers. They are attacking social media as being a lot of crack pots I guees to try to shame people from leaning that way. Sure there is wildly unaccurate information but some is viable but one way to bury this is to "astro surf", overload misinformation by marketers to push people back to the controlled messages. It's mainstream calling social media the wild west but they still only talk about what is already been talked about elsewhere and cruciify ALL social media and people that read or comment.
