What’s your unpopular hockey opinion?

[Hooby Dooby Doo]

I'll go on by saying that yelling at the pictures of an empty area (I.E Florida) won't convince ownership to move to Quebec, Houston, Hamilton etc. If they deem it necessary to move, then they will. Otherwise it's a mute point and take it for what it's worth.

Also, don't complain or make fun of a low drawing market and then complain when they pack house during the playoffs. It just proves the theory that winning can solve those problems. Being a Florida fan for the past decade, I don't blame people for not showing in droves for a Tuesday against Ottawa, especially if they're not doing well. The only argument I'll make and I look forward to seeing how it plays out this season is that if the Panthers are consistently good throughout and said game still only draws 9K, then it's something that can't be defended from a fan standpoint. But again, it's all up to the owners and laughing or becoming upset at yet another picture on the Empty Seat Pics Twitter won't up and move them to Canada.

 

[Aladyyn]

Unless you include Kovalev, the diving in soccer is absolutely insane compared to hockey. I think it's a cultural thing... in North America, great pride is taken by playing though pain... having blood run down your face in the middle of a play, losing six teeth and coming back to score a couple of goals later in the game... scoring an overtime goal on a broken ankle. For whatever warped reason, the emasculating image of diving or (worse) faking injuries is not only acceptable but expected in soccer.

You can skate on a broken ankle. It will be painful and less effective, but you can. What you can't do on a broken ankle, however, is run around and kick a ball. Hockey equipment makes all of this supposed toughness a lot easier.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Trying to mimic soccer would be dumb, I agree.

But we shouldn't actively try to make it "less like soccer" by putting in ridiculous repercussions for diving. Let's worry about headshots and repeated lockouts before we worry about diving.

The rampant diving in soccer is an internet meme anyway. It's about the same level as what you see in hockey.

I wasn't talking about diving. I was talking about things more related to ties, valuing the Presidnent's Trophy more than the Stanley Cup, having tiered teams/leagues within the NHL, etc...

North Americans want winners and losers and we want championships. There seems to be a very weird European subsection of hockey fans here on HF Boards that want to see the NHL be more like soccer and it doesn't vibe well with me.

 

[Machinehead]

Unless you include Kovalev, the diving in soccer is absolutely insane compared to hockey. I think it's a cultural thing... in North America, great pride is taken by playing though pain... having blood run down your face in the middle of a play, losing six teeth and coming back to score a couple of goals later in the game... scoring an overtime goal on a broken ankle. For whatever warped reason, the emasculating image of diving or (worse) faking injuries is not only acceptable but expected in soccer.

Look, I also brought one-off, completely out of context anecdotal evidence

 

[DannyGallivan]

You can skate on a broken ankle. It will be painful and less effective, but you can. What you can't do on a broken ankle, however, is run around and kick a ball. Hockey equipment makes all of this supposed toughness a lot easier.

...or, you can pretend you lost your foot in soccer in order to get a call. The mere suggestion that hockey players' toughness is "supposed" is... much like a soccer injury.

 

[DannyGallivan]

Look, I also brought one-off, completely out of context anecdotal evidence

Seriously, do you think that I'm making up the fake injury thing in soccer?

 

[Machinehead]

I wasn't talking about diving. I was talking about things more related to ties, valuing the Presidnent's Trophy more than the Stanley Cup, having tiered teams/leagues within the NHL, etc...

North Americans want winners and losers and we want championships. There seems to be a very weird European subsection of hockey fans here on HF Boards that want to see the NHL be more like soccer and it doesn't vibe well with me.

Well, absolutely f*** ties. I don't like them in soccer either. And the NHL simply isn't built for relegation/promotion, case closed.

I do think we should care about the regular season more. People complain all the time that it's meaningless and we do that to ourselves. But I wouldn't say more than the Stanley Cup. The domestic titles in soccer don't mean more than the Champions League.

 

[Machinehead]

Seriously, do you think that I'm making up the fake injury thing in soccer?

You're not making it up, but you're exaggerating it like everyone does. It happens in every sport.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Unless you include Kovalev, the diving in soccer is absolutely insane compared to hockey. I think it's a cultural thing... in North America, great pride is taken by playing though pain... having blood run down your face in the middle of a play, losing six teeth and coming back to score a couple of goals later in the game... scoring an overtime goal on a broken ankle. For whatever warped reason, the emasculating image of diving or (worse) faking injuries is not only acceptable but expected in soccer.

North American soccer players also dive consistently.

I spoke with a semi-pro guy and that is simply the culture. In a big field you want to make sure a potential foul is called by the official.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Well, absolutely **** ties. I don't like them in soccer either. And the NHL simply isn't built for relegation/promotion, case closed.

I do think we should care about the regular season more. People complain all the time that it's meaningless and we do that to ourselves.

I'd be ok with a 60 ish game regular season. I think it'd go a long way in making regular season games more important. There'd obviously have to be a stop to every team playing every team twice in a season but I think it would work. It'll never happen for clear reasons

 

[Machinehead]

I'd be ok with a 60 ish game regular season. I think it'd go a long way in making regular season games more important. There'd obviously have to be a stop to every team playing every team twice in a season but I think it would work. It'll never happen for clear reasons

It would also make the regular season more important if we actually seeded teams by their record instead of doing this division garbage and making teams play their hardest opponents in the first two rounds.

 

[CupInSIX]

The Norris should be determined solely by votes from every coach & player in the league (40 games played minimum from skaters).

 

[CasusBelli]

Wins should be 3 points
3v3 for 10m instead of 5m and shootout
No OTL point; OTW gets 2 points
2m power plays don’t end on a PPG
Penalty calls can be challenged
Goals not being disallowed due to kicking motion
No hand pass

 

[Aladyyn]

The Norris should be determined solely by votes from every coach & player in the league (40 games played minimum from skaters).

That would completely devalue the award

 

[Machinehead]

That would completely devalue the award

The players and coaches have worse takes than the media lol

 

[CupInSIX]

That would completely devalue the award

Steve Simmons devalues it.

50% of the writers just go with what their friends are saying

 

[Aladyyn]

Steve Simmons devalues it.

50% of the writers just go with what their friends are saying

Still better than the players. Claude Giroux once said Dan Girardi was the toughest defenseman to play against. That's a Simmons-level take coming from one of the best players, rather than one of the worst journalists.

 

[Aladyyn]

The players and coaches have worse takes than the media lol

I think coaches' vote can work in a smaller league. WNBA has it for All-Defense teams and it's better than the media (very low bar, but still!).

But NHL coaches barely even know who's good on their own team, let alone the league. And we have mountains of proof to see that players largely value the wrong things so...

 

[JoeThorntonsRooster]

Still better than the players. Claude Giroux once said Dan Girardi was the toughest defenseman to play against. That's a Simmons-level take coming from one of the best players, rather than one of the worst journalists.

 

[CupInSIX]

Still better than the players. Claude Giroux once said Dan Girardi was the toughest defenseman to play against. That's a Simmons-level take coming from one of the best players, rather than one of the worst journalists.

So one first place vote out of what, 600? The results would still be similar and I'd welcome a top 3 with a surprise finalist.

 

[Machinehead]

Still better than the players. Claude Giroux once said Dan Girardi was the toughest defenseman to play against. That's a Simmons-level take coming from one of the best players, rather than one of the worst journalists.

I never really looked at the numbers against Giroux but Crosby had about 4.30 p/60 with he and Girardi both on the ice. Malkin had ~3.90.

Shutting down the other team's top line!

 

[Aladyyn]

I never really looked at the numbers against Giroux but Crosby had about 4.30 p/60 with he and Girardi both on the ice. Malkin had ~3.90.

Shutting down the other team's top line!

Yeah but the metrics don't capture how much pain they had to go through to get these points!

 

[sandysan]

if you are taking hockey advice from Damien cox, that right there might be your problem.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

*disclaimer - not an actual opinion, here for laughs*

Fights should be Blades of Steel style - you only get the 5 minute penalty if you lose the fight. I want Jon Jones on skates dammit.

 

[JoeThorntonsRooster]

So one first place vote out of what, 600? The results would still be similar and I'd welcome a top 3 with a surprise finalist.

You’d be getting the kind of surprise that your dog leaves you after you leave them home alone for 2 days.