What's Your Most Controversial Hockey Opinion?

[JLo217]

I actually appreciate the NHL keeping players out of the olympics.

1. Olympic hockey is so lopsided for 2-3 countries. I’d rather see growth in countries outside the US.
2. The Olympics are incredibly corrupt as it is. Look into how China ended up with the 22 games. Same with Sochi.
3. As a fan I love being able to watch my favorite players play rather than get injured for a 1/4 year event where they get a random medal. We all know Canada will win so what’s the point.
4. If I were an owner and signed players to contracts I would fully expect that the 750k-12+M players are getting paid to honor contracts rather than risk injury at a external event.

 

[Kranix]

Pastrnak is the best player in the league

 

[JetsWillFly4Ever]

Get rid of offsides.

 

[Crabapple]

No one is close to Gretzky in the GOAT race.

 

[Oil Dood]

No one is close to Gretzky in the GOAT race.

Is that really a cotroversy?

 

[Crabapple]

Is that really a cotroversy?

Maybe not, but it's still heavily debated. I don't think its close.

 

[Babel Salamander]

Any proposals at all on implementation/deployment? Like - not asking you about how would one design the tech or program it or anything - just - do you have any more direct ideas as far as over-arching concept?

I haven't thought about it in much detail, but one idea would be having video footage interpolated real time to detect infractions. That's something that could be tested extensively before implementation, and should the tech not develop adequately it could be ditched. The implementation would require refs to have nearly instant access to the results... either via a mobile device or maybe having a ref specifically stationed at a computer bay, communicating with on ice refs. I also think there could be some kind of puck tracking to help detect goals and offsides calls and what not. Obviously it would require a lot of thought... but while human errors adds to the drama of the sport when it comes to the players and coaches... it doesn't add much to officiating, but yet humans will always err.

 

[LuckyDay]

The officiating does a great job.

The DOP does the best job it can considering all the circumstances. No other sport has the kind of difficulties they do. They are actually as consistent as they can be. They itemize every reason in their decisions.

If they didn't, this sport would be a complete joke like speed and figure skating.

 

[Breakers]

CHL scoring stats are insanely overrated.
It's not a difficult league to score in, and it doesnt make your teams favorite prospect "Underrated" or a "can't miss"

 

[tapi]

Is that really a cotroversy?

Mario was the superior player, better everything except career length, so yes.

 

[qqaz]

The sport itself is incredibly random.

If you watch objectively, there's a lot of time where no one really has control of the puck. It spends a lot of time bouncing around, stuck against the boards, or just out of reach/control of a player. It's not something that really needs to be fixed, but it's strange. Sometimes the puck is just barely touched by like 2 players from each team before someone actually gets real possession.

 

[Reindl87]

The NHL would be better without playoffs.

 

[Neuf]

NHL should raise expectations of ice conditions and should penalize arena's with poor quality ice. Can't stand watching the puck bounce all over the place because there was a concert the night before and the ice is damaged; or having players fall from sticky-soft ice. I'm of the opinion that the quality of hockey, goal scoring, etc., would all increase if there was a set standard of ice conditions.

 

[Oil Dood]

Mario was the superior player, better everything except career length, so yes.

Mario was a dominant player for sure but, Gretzky trancended the sport to a degree that no other player has. His NHL record of having so many NHL records will never be broken in my lifetime. The argument could be made at the time that Gretzky was the most dominant athlete of his time.
Mario was one of the greatest of all time but was not Gretzky.

 

[Voight]

Advanced stats are useless when it comes to hockey. We don't really need them.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Advanced stats are useless when it comes to hockey. We don't really need them.

I sang this to "Miracles" by ICP. "Goals, assists, PIMs, dirt.. f***ing CORSI how does it work?"

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

McDavid's skillset (high skill at high speed) will ultimately not be viewed as translating into individual playoff performances befitting his regular season stature.

It's true, players will have an easier time stopping him when they're injured, fatigued and forced to play higher minutes in the playoffs

 

[txpd]

3pts for a regulation win will create more overtime. Not less

 

[TopG]

The sport itself is incredibly random.

If you watch objectively, there's a lot of time where no one really has control of the puck. It spends a lot of time bouncing around, stuck against the boards, or just out of reach/control of a player. It's not something that really needs to be fixed, but it's strange. Sometimes the puck is just barely touched by like 2 players from each team before someone actually gets real possession.

The NHL would be better without playoffs.

wow lol

 

[HugginThePost]

About 99% of the games are boring.....

....the NHL is a boring league. Hockey is a boring game, outside a couple plays a game.

We, as hockey fans, make fun of the amount of actual "playing" time in Football and Baseball.

But is the NHL any better? I'd say the plays worth watching are significantly less in the NHL than other sports.

Hell, the NBA has end to end slam dunks and alley oops the whole damn game.

 

[cowboy82nd]

About 99% of the games are boring.....

....the NHL is a boring league. Hockey is a boring game, outside a couple plays a game.

We, as hockey fans, make fun of the amount of actual "playing" time in Football and Baseball.

But is the NHL any better? I'd say the plays worth watching are significantly less in the NHL than other sports.

Hell, the NBA has end to end slam dunks and alley oops the whole damn game.

If you think that 99% of the games are boring, why do you watch?

 

[HugginThePost]

If you think that 99% of the games are boring, why do you watch?

Because I'm a fan. And it's a habit.

And I'm really hooked on that 1%!!

Like crack!!

 

[RempireStateBuilding]

My unpopular opinion is that blatantly wrong calls should not be upheld because it was the knee-jerk reaction of whichever ref decided to call something (no goal calls, phantom calls, things like high sticking between teammates being attributed to the closest opposing player, etc).

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

About 99% of the games are boring.....

....the NHL is a boring league. Hockey is a boring game, outside a couple plays a game.

We, as hockey fans, make fun of the amount of actual "playing" time in Football and Baseball.

But is the NHL any better? I'd say the plays worth watching are significantly less in the NHL than other sports.

Hell, the NBA has end to end slam dunks and alley oops the whole damn game.

I have noticed a huge difference from say 15 years ago.

It's turned into a very low-event game. Goalies didn't use to be as technical so their saves were often more impressive visually because of bad positioning, almost all 3rd and 4th liners hit, and there'd usually be a fight per game.

I took my Aussie wife to a game last year and not a lot happened outside of the 3 or 4 goals that we're scored. Big stretches of nothing.

 

[HugginThePost]

I have noticed a huge difference from say 15 years ago.

It's turned into a very low-event game. Goalies didn't use to be as technical so their saves were often more impressive visually because of bad positioning, almost all 3rd and 4th liners hit, and there'd usually be a fight per game.

I took my Aussie wife to a game last year and not a lot happened outside of the 3 or 4 goals that we're scored. Big stretches of nothing.

It was a bit of a tongue in cheek post, but there is a lot of truth to it.

I was a seasons ticket holder for 13 years......I finally gave them up because it just wasn't worth it.

Not just the money, but the time I was investing.

I'd go to a Calgary vs Buffalo game in the middle of February and not once did my ass come out of the seat.

As a Calgary fan the BoA has livened up the games a bit. But for the most part the season is long and a grind.

If I wasn't a fan, I'd be hard pressed to watch a handful of games a year and then playoffs.

In ten years I'll probably be watching the NHL SCF's only, just like all the other sports I watch.