What are some of the best/worst NHL traditions?

[ManofSteel55]

Best 1 - handshake line in the playoffs. This really differentiates hockey from other sports in terms of class and sportsmanship, and even despite a hard fought, tough series, players will shake hands with their opponents

Best 2 - commemoration of war vets

Worst 1 - anthem singers that get the fans to sing the bulk of the anthem

Worst 2 - inclusion of the "we are sitting on indigenous land" statements

I love the indigenous land reconciliation statements. To me, those are the most important part of the pre-game. To me, they are far more important than recognizing war veterans.

I agree on the anthem singers though. It was a novelty once upon a time - the Oilers singer did it in the 06 playoffs because the crowd was louder than he was anyway, but now every singer does it, and most crowds aren't nearly into it enough.

 

[Razamanaz]

Remember in Finland they throw beach balls (!) on the ice just to show the opponent they are on vacation:

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Best 1 - handshake line in the playoffs. This really differentiates hockey from other sports in terms of class and sportsmanship, and even despite a hard fought, tough series, players will shake hands with their opponents

Best 2 - commemoration of war vets

Worst 1 - anthem singers that get the fans to sing the bulk of the anthem

Worst 2 - inclusion of the "we are sitting on indigenous land" statements

What‘s the statement and what teams do that? Never heard of it

 

[PositiveCashFlow]

I think most Canadian teams (not just NHL) now do land acknowledgements before their anthems

 

[666]

I've always enjoyed trying to guess who the three stars will be.

 

[Axe Man]

One of my favorite traditions ended in 1994 when the Rangers won the cup. I always enjoyed the ”1940” chant.

 

[RANDOMH3RO]

they should just get rid of the anthem and instead make some sort of “let’s start the hockey game” song. Then just treat that like the anthem.

 

[Voight]

Best "Potvin Sucks" chant by Rangers fans every time they play Islanders. It's crazy to think they still say it and he's been retired since 1988 gotta love it !!

It's funny because the Isles have just as many cups as them and the Rangers had a 46 year head start.

 

[Voight]

It's also the worst because Potvin, in fact, did not suck. How many fans in MSG even know why that chant even started to begin with?

Best:
- Playoff beards
- Handshake lines
- Handing off the Cup
- Phil Pritchard
- Day with the Cup

Funny enough I've heard from people that hes a bit of a dick. Like he thinks hes just as important as the cup itself.

I agree that the national-anthems at pro-sports' events needs to end.

How did it even start? I know in the 1920s a lot of collegiate athletes thought playing sports professionally was beneath them and low-grade, so were national anthems added to games to sort-of politically authenticate professional sports? Or was it just a war-time thing added and then never stopped?

What exactly does a national anthem at a pro-hockey game mean, today? I would say nothing. The players are diverse and international, for one thing. (And in most of the 1930s to 1970s games, as well, it was the US national anthem-only at games with almost 100% Canadian players.) The audience is diverse and international. No NHL team represents a country or nation-state, obviously. So... why?

I'm okay with the recent addition of land acknowledgements at some Canadian (US?) hockey games, but honestly I always find it hilarious that the first-nations' (Indian) land-acknowledgement is done, immediately followed the colonizer national anthem! It just seems ridiculous.

It's nice to pause and 'set up' the action in some formalized way, and it's nice to sing a song sometimes... But, I dunno, it's not the war-years anymore and the national anthems should go.

I'm not, there is no need to have them say it before every game. We get it, this was once Native land, no need to bring it up all the time. It doesn't do anything for anyone.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

I'm not, there is no need to have them say it before every game. We get it, this was once Native land, no need to bring it up all the time. It doesn't do anything for anyone.

How do you feel about the anthems?

 

[Voight]

How do you feel about the anthems?

I don't understand why people have such an issue with them.

 

[brentashton]

Best - 18 year old draft and young men called to stage to acccept jersey and handshakes

Worst - Calgary Saddledome

 

[kingsholygrail]

Best:
The Stanley Cup ceremony and etching the names of players on the trophy.
The Day with the Cup
Goal horns
The cannon for the Blue Jackets
Throwing hats on the ice

Worst:
Goal sirens
Serenading goalies after they give up only 1 goal.
Booing Bettman
Inserting team crap into the National Anthem

 

[hirawl]

Best: handshake lines

Worst: the anthems

 

[FMichael]

Beggars can't be choosers, remember.

Anthems are for winners - not losers.

So, not for all.

Rememer that NHL.

Of course National anthems must be played around the World as a patriotic symbol before games. But only the winner get to hear it afterwards. Remember.
As a fine tradition. Otherwise the anthem will lost some of it importance.

Oh yeah.....I forgot that they like music up there in Canada...

 

[HockeyVirus]

“Refs…you suck” has become a popular crowd chant around the league in the past decade or so. Shit is so stupid. 90% of the time it’s not even a bad call that prompts it.

At least learn the refs name. “Refs you suck” just sounds so f***ing amateur and “I don’t know what’s going on but I’m going to whine about officiating”.

Haha IDK about that. In 2018 during the AHL finals I was at the Marlies game. A scramble happened and they awarded a goal to Texas Stars and after it replayed for us on the screen it clearly never went in. This goal.



After that, most electric atmosphere ever. Alternating "Let's go marlies" and "refs you suck" and man was the crowd pissed off. One of my best hockey memories ever

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

I couldn't believe the Rangers had a tribute video for Niko Mikkola this past season.

Well it wasn’t a tribute video, it was just “Welcome back” on the big board with the camera on him. Still stupid so I agree there, just saying it wasn’t a tribute video. I don’t even think there’d be anything to show other than him getting torched as a Ranger.

 

[AvroArrow]

Worst: Political nights, everyone likes to get away from their daily life stresses and what not to enjoy a game. It's supposed to bring everyone from an area together rooting for the same cause, it just always ends up causing a divide and friction.

Best: Fans all singing the same song in the stadium, it's always awesome. My wife had never been to a hockey game, when we first started dating I took her it was a complete culture shock (in a good way) for her. Crowd singing Sweet Caroline together and having a good time.

IMO sporting events are great at bringing people together, been who come from different background, might not look the same, might not speak the same, different religions, but everyone comes together for one thing. To root for their hometown team, it's a great experience.

 

[Derailed75]

Nah Bettman is a legit piece of shit that panders to the boys club and has no f***ing spine. He's a pathetic weasel that refuses to let the job go and sticks around like some skin tag you want to remove but keep forgetting and then realize oh crap it's still there. He deserves to get booed and I hope they start throwing expired veggies and used diapers at him.

You do realize that the owners run the league not the league run the owners right? There for Bettmans bosses are the owners so he is not going to go against their wishes.

On a job performance level the league is more popular than it has ever been, generates more revenue than it ever has, that's the top two requirements of the commissioners job. I would say he's done pretty damn good (besides the whole weird Coyotes thing

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Oh yeah.....I forgot that they like music up there in Canada...

They like Ayn Rand

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

I'll admit that a part of why the anthems are annoying is because Oh Canada and the Star Spangled Banner are two of the most awfully boring national anthems I've ever heard in my life. UK's is also atrocious, so maybe the English speaking world just doesn't have it. I'd have much less problems with it if they sang, say, the French and Italian anthems.

This is unfair because Italy and France have the 2 best anthems in the world. Most national anthems are incredible boring and barely distinguishable from one another. Canada and USA’s are at least unique but I hate hearing them , especially the USA one it’s so trash.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

You do realize that the owners run the league not the league run the owners right? There for Bettmans bosses are the owners so he is not going to go against their wishes.

On a job performance level the league is more popular than it has ever been, generates more revenue than it ever has, that's the top two requirements of the commissioners job. I would say he's done pretty damn good (besides the whole weird Coyotes thing

I don't think you realize much at all in this case. Bettman is there because of the owners, sure, but in the end he has a duty to the rest of the league to keep things fair and impartial and he's been unable to do that for decades. From protecting certain franchises over others that were seemingly allowed to move rather quickly and forced others to remain and be protected is some major bias. Also handing out punishment for say, a workout being more harsh than literal cover up of sexual assault and then further damage of that cover up resulting in assault of a minor being a slap on the wrist, then the countless issues with the Department of player safety which all fall under his leadership has been an epic shit show for decades where even at one point it was shown it was corrupt when Campbell was showing his idiotic bias and he wasn't punished for it.

Allowing the same folks that hid the sexual assault to now come back into the league, allowing racists, rapists, players that have committed sexual assault, etc to enter the league is beyond pathetic and also the handling of the CTE/Concussion connection which is literally proven in science and even the NFL had to accept that as fact yet the NHL acts like it isn't a thing - All under Bettman's leadership. So f*** Gary Bettman, he's a piece of shit.

 

[Derailed75]

I don't think you realize much at all in this case. Bettman is there because of the owners, sure, but in the end he has a duty to the rest of the league to keep things fair and impartial and he's been unable to do that for decades. From protecting certain franchises over others that were seemingly allowed to move rather quickly and forced others to remain and be protected is some major bias. Also handing out punishment for say, a workout being more harsh than literal cover up of sexual assault and then further damage of that cover up resulting in assault of a minor being a slap on the wrist, then the countless issues with the Department of player safety which all fall under his leadership has been an epic shit show for decades where even at one point it was shown it was corrupt when Campbell was showing his idiotic bias and he wasn't punished for it.

Allowing the same folks that hid the sexual assault to now come back into the league, allowing racists, rapists, players that have committed sexual assault, etc to enter the league is beyond pathetic and also the handling of the CTE/Concussion connection which is literally proven in science and even the NFL had to accept that as fact yet the NHL acts like it isn't a thing - All under Bettman's leadership. So f*** Gary Bettman, he's a piece of shit.

While nothing you say is incorrect you completely missed the point. Bettman works for the owners and if they weren't happy with the job he has done he would be removed. The owners care about the bottom line and as far as the owners are concerned he has been aces in that

 

[Panteras]

I couldn't believe the Rangers had a tribute video for Niko Mikkola this past season.

That’s Stanley Cup winner Niko Mikkola you’re talking about though.

 

[thewookie1]

Like:
- Anthems, to me are a strangely satisfying moment where the players stand at the blue lines or the bench before they go to battle. Like a calm before the storm.
- Hand Shakes at the end of a playoff series, brings a level of class to the game
- Fans singing to songs like Sweet Caroline and Mr Brightside
- Honoring those who fight for our freedom with an applause

Dislike:
- The insertion of team stuff into the anthems; feels just a tad odd
- The need to note for Canadian arenas being on native land, sorry but aside from an indigenous culture day I don’t need to be hammered about territorial disputes before a hockey game. Honoring a culture is far different than practically apologizing for something there isn’t a need to apologize for. (Land seizure via conquest or purchase isn’t something we should cry about, mass murder on the other hand should be)