What’s your unpopular hockey opinion?

[Strakanator]

Your bottom six should all just be incredibly fast skaters. Bottom six players can makeup for having a little less skill with speed and hustle.

They also tend to draw a lot more penalties this way, which puts your skill guys out for a lot more power plays.

 

[Habsfunk]

Hockey isn't a fringe sport nor is the NHL a fringe league. Hockey is one of the highest grossing spectator sports in the world. As a fan of mountain biking and competitive freeskiing, I find it comical to see people refer to a multi-billion dollar sport as fringe.

 

[sandysan]

I would like a shorter season. Like 70 games. The season just takes so long.

Alternatively, shorten the playoffs. First-round series to best of 3 and the second round to best of 5.

But nobody really wants less playoff hockey so I'm guessing most would pick option A as a means of shortening the season if it was decided necessary.

a quick polling of the owners in a gate driven league says that both are nonstarters.

 

[sandysan]

Players who commit an assault on the ice (ie. Domi punching Ekblad, or Bertuzzi's attack on Moore) should be criminally charged

checking a player into the boards would constitute assault off the ice, so would intentionally shooting a frozen piece of rubber at someone ( well maybe that's negligence). you wanna send guys to the pokey for finishing a check ?

the last thing the NHL needs is to get the law involved.

I'm glad yours is an unpopular opinion

 

[Leafsrock95]

checking a player into the boards would constitute assault off the ice, so would intentionally shooting a frozen piece of rubber at someone ( well maybe that's negligence). you wanna send guys to the pokey for finishing a check ?

the last thing the NHL needs is to get the law involved.

I'm glad yours is an unpopular opinion

Remember when Montreal wanted to charge chara what a joke that would’ve been.

 

[sandysan]

Remember when Montreal wanted to charge chara what a joke that would’ve been.

some fans did ( I was not one) and I think the last guy to end up in the klink for an on ice incident was dino ciccarelli for a stick swinging incident. I know I've seen it but I'm old so I kinda forgot the particulars and I don't want to see it again.

As a side note, this VERY concept was a movie with micheal moriarty that I also saw and watched and subsequently forgot.

 

[NyQuil]

Your bottom six should all just be incredibly fast skaters. Bottom six players can makeup for having a little less skill with speed and hustle.

They also tend to draw a lot more penalties this way, which puts your skill guys out for a lot more power plays.

Is this really unpopular?

The entire league is going in this direction.

 

[TeddyBare]

Participating in the trade deadline as a buyer is one of the dumbest most short sighted moves a GM can do.

 

[Ryan Michaels]

checking a player into the boards would constitute assault off the ice, so would intentionally shooting a frozen piece of rubber at someone ( well maybe that's negligence). you wanna send guys to the pokey for finishing a check ?

the last thing the NHL needs is to get the law involved.

I'm glad yours is an unpopular opinion

You must know what the poster means, so why pretend not to?

 

[sandysan]

You must know what the poster means, so why pretend not to?

Because you don't have to throw hands to be charged with assault?

Or are we gonna re write the penal code to codify this new intrusion into the game?


Or perhaps it's a really bad idea that deserves to me mocked. Always with the mocking mocking mocking.

 

[Ryan Michaels]

Because you don't have to throw hands to be charged with assault?

Or are we gonna re write the penal code to codify this new intrusion into the game?


Or perhaps it's a really bad idea that deserves to me mocked. Always with the mocking mocking mocking.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but do we not already have a precedent for legal action when an act exists outside the reasonable expectations of what can occur in the rules of the game? ie/ McSorley. Of course that was stick swinging and not a sucker punch but its a discussion worth having, that at some point in the near future probably will be had. It's very clear what the poster meant and, agree or disagree its a far cry from an idea deserving of mocking.

 

[sandysan]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but do we not already have a precedent for legal action when an act exists outside the reasonable expectations of what can occur in the rules of the game? ie/ McSorley. Of course that was stick swinging and not a sucker punch but its a discussion worth having, that at some point in the near future probably will be had. It's very clear what the poster meant and, agree or disagree its a far cry from an idea deserving of mocking.

Reasonable expectation is dependent on who thinks it's reasonable.

You might think it reasonable to run a goalie and then think you can hide behind your reticence. Many people ( including most players) find this position unreasonable.

What domi did to ekblad could not have been clearer, domi wanted to go ekblad thought his lack of consent could protect him. Live and learn.

In a game played at speed in a confined space by large men with clubs in their hands, knives on their feet and malice in their hearts, using the legal system as a framework for that, is mockable.

 

[Neutrinos]

Lemieux was better than Gretzky

Prime Gretzky wouldn't be a 50 goal scorer if he played in today's NHL with average wingers

 

[Ryan Michaels]

Reasonable expectation is dependent on who thinks it's reasonable.

You might think it reasonable to run a goalie and then think you can hide behind your reticence. Many people ( including most players) find this position unreasonable.

What domi did to ekblad could not have been clearer, domi wanted to go ekblad thought his lack of consent could protect him. Live and learn.

In a game played at speed in a confined space by large men with clubs in their hands, knives on their feet and malice in their hearts, using the legal system as a framework for that, is mockable.

I'm just saying it's definitely arguable, and doesn't deserve to be uniquely criticised, specifically in an unpopular opinions thread.

And man, that Domi play was so scummy, I don't want to get into the whole legal debate one way or another, just feel like reiterating that while we're on the topic.

 

[Dale Gribble]

I wouldn't mind seeing max term on a contract 5 years. Also a top player shouldn't be able to exceed 10% of the cap. And lastly, I'd like to see the players HRR share drop to a maximum of 43% (minimum of 5% going into players retirement fund, and potential medical aid).

I'm hoping the League crushes the players during the next CBA negotiation. League minimum is now $700,000, and average salary is now around $3 million, way too high IMO. NBA and MLB are even worse - some of the most ridiculous salaries I've ever seen, and it continues to get worse every other year it seems.

 

[thedustman]

Most of them?

What’s fun about perpetuating popular opinions on here anyway?

 

[SillyRabbit]

Lemieux was better than Gretzky

Prime Gretzky wouldn't be a 50 goal scorer if he played in today's NHL with average wingers

I don’t necessarily agree with all of this but I do strongly believe that Gretzky would not be nearly as untouchable as the GOAT if he played in today’s era.

Part of what makes him so untouchable is all his ridiculous stats and records, which wouldn’t be as ridiculous if he played in today’s era.

I still think he’d be the GOAT, but not as much as he is now.

 

[aufheben]

The movies are worse. You need a 401k for a popcorn and a small soda.

It's not a popcorn though, it's the popcorn. Once I pit-stopped in a movie theater just to buy some.

 

[Aladyyn]

I don’t necessarily agree with all of this but I do strongly believe that Gretzky would not be nearly as untouchable as the GOAT if he played in today’s era.

Part of what makes him so untouchable is all his ridiculous stats and records, which wouldn’t be as ridiculous if he played in today’s era.

I still think he’d be the GOAT, but not as much as he is now.

Saying that a large part of his untouchability comes from BIG NUMBERS is fair. But if Gretzky was born in say 1995 he'd be putting up 150+ these days and would still end up being the greatest.

 

[Machinehead]

It's not a popcorn though, it's the popcorn. Once I pit-stopped in a movie theater just to buy some.

Valid

 

[HenrikW]

Vasilevski, Gibson (and previously Rinne) are overrated.

 

[SillyRabbit]

Saying that a large part of his untouchability comes from BIG NUMBERS is fair. But if Gretzky was born in say 1995 he'd be putting up 150+ these days and would still end up being the greatest.

Yeah and that’s a lot closer to Kucherov’s 128, to the point where Gretzky could still be the GOAT (20+ point margin in the Art Ross is nothing to turn your nose at) but not so untouchable in the way he currently is.

My argument is that the big numbers and records are what elevate him to “god” status which I don’t think he’d have if he played in today’s generation.

He’d be on the level of GOAT’s such as Michael Jordan, who are the clear GOAT but it isn’t blasphemy to compare them to other greats such as Kareem or LeBron.

 

[Jorma Heart]

Mikko Koivu is the best defensive forward of this decade and still is.

 

[obZen]

There should not be a point system at all, only wins and losses. If teams are tied after regulation, they go to a 4v4 5 minute sudden death overtime. If they're still tied after that, they go to a 3v3 5 minute sudden death overtime. If they're somehow still tied after that, they go to a shootout.

If a team loses in regulation, first overtime, second overtime, or shootout they get a loss. You don't get rewarded for almost winning.

 

[qqaz]

Detroit will be dead last in the league next season.

Nashville's cup window is still open.