Who’s on your 10 team no-trade list?

[Golden_Jet]

The difference being that any time you walk down the street in an Edmonton winter it’s going to be cold; any time you walk down the street in Montreal people will be speaking French; any time you walk down the street in Toronto someone (be it fan or media) is going to be trying to get a picture.

If you really think professional athletes in cities like Chicago and Washington are at risk of violent crime just by walking down the street, I don’t know what to say other than that’s really naive. Yes, you can stumble into the wrong neighborhood while wandering around as a tourist because that’s exactly what you’re doing, wandering around an unfamiliar city. Pro athletes are locals who live in suburban McMansions or luxury high rises in some of the most desirable ZIP codes on the continent. They’re not just going to randomly wander into gang violence or a school shooting.

I mean, the facts are pretty clear that NHL players themselves are far more likely to be the perpetrator of a violent crime (including homicide) than to be the victim.

As a hawks fan, and having been to games at both arenas, Chicago stadium(s) are not in the nicest neighborhood.

 

[tarheelhockey]

As a hawks fan, and having been to games at both arenas, Chicago stadium(s) are not in the nicest neighborhood.

True, but United Center is also not in some war zone either. It’s not a nice neighborhood, but any local or internet guide can tell you which directions to walk or not walk, and common sense would tell you not to be there alone at 3am or something (which applies to all NHL arenas).

The players for the most part don’t experience this dynamic anyway. Worrying about the neighborhood is for people who actually have to walk through the neighborhood to get to the game.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

I judged simply by whether I'd want to live in that city or not.

I'm surprised so many votes for Utah. That looks like an amazing place to live.

 

[Caps8112]

pretty much anything north of washington. Dont like the winter here.

 

[Lshap]

The difference being that any time you walk down the street in an Edmonton winter it’s going to be cold; any time you walk down the street in Montreal people will be speaking French; any time you walk down the street in Toronto someone (be it fan or media) is going to be trying to get a picture.

If you really think professional athletes in cities like Chicago and Washington are at risk of violent crime just by walking down the street, I don’t know what to say other than that’s really naive. Yes, you can stumble into the wrong neighborhood while wandering around as a tourist because that’s exactly what you’re doing, wandering around an unfamiliar city. Pro athletes are locals who live in suburban McMansions or luxury high rises in some of the most desirable ZIP codes on the continent. They’re not just going to randomly wander into gang violence or a school shooting.

I mean, the facts are pretty clear that NHL players themselves are far more likely to be the perpetrator of a violent crime (including homicide) than to be the victim.

Of course there are smaller odds of being victimized by crime in Washington than there is of hearing french in Montreal, but fair to say it's infinitely more important to avoid the former than the latter. Unless there's a players poll that says otherwise, my guess is that some players with young families consider crime/safety as a factor when choosing where their kids will grow up. I'd think players over 30 would be more likely to consider the greater metropolitan city outside their 'burb if they see their family possibly settling there.

NHL players live a luxurious and mostly inconvenience-free lifestyle, no matter what city they live in. They probably won't be touched by crime, but their no-trade list allows them to choose cities with even LESS crime, if that's a priority for them. Just like they can choose LESS cold or LESS taxes or LESS french... or less of whatever they don't want.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Of course there are smaller odds of being victimized by crime in Washington than there is of hearing french in Montreal, but fair to say it's infinitely more important to avoid the former than the latter. Unless there's a players poll that says otherwise, my guess is that some players with young families consider crime/safety as a factor when choosing where their kids will grow up.

NHL players live a luxurious and mostly inconvenience-free lifestyle, no matter what city they live in. They probably won't be touched by crime, but their no-trade list allows them to choose cities with even LESS crime. Just like they can choose LESS cold or LESS taxes or LESS french... or less of whatever they don't want.

Of course, but again — there’s no sense in avoiding an entire city because of crime when you have the resources to live in the best parts of the city. That’s like refusing to live in the Latin Quarter because violent crime is on the rise in Paris. Likewise, yes Washington has crime but if you’re living in a million dollar condo in Georgetown, why are you worried about getting caught up in hood violence? If you’re living in Malibu, why are you worried about Compton?

Now if the entire city becomes crime ridden, including its highest end neighborhoods, that’s different. But then you’re not talking about a Chicago or Washington.

Maybe easier to illustrate visually.

This is a map of crime in Washington DC and its near suburbs.

[

If you have the money to live on the left half of the map, you’ll never experience anything more violent than a golf ball flying off your neighborhood course and hitting your Lambo. If you’re living that life, the right half of the map is irrelevant.

 

[Machinehead]

I'm always surprised by people who include the Devils but not the Rangers.

You can play for the Devils and live in New York City very easily. They're like right there.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

I mean, the facts are pretty clear that NHL players themselves are far more likely to be the perpetrator of a violent crime (including homicide) than to be the victim.

Another lie. Mitch Marner gets kidnapped every April.

 

[TS Quint]

It's mostly Canada.

Canada's cold.

27 US states are further north than Toronto.

 

[Crow]

Buffalo - Dysfunctional organization, practically Canada climate wise
Calgary - Not very good right now, not that nice of weather, Canada
Columbus - Not very good right now
Minnesota - Weather, practically canada
Montreal - I don’t even want to visit. Bad team, weather, don’t fit in well with the arrogant culture, Canada
Pittsburgh - Bad team
St. Louis - Team seems headed no where soon, don’t want to play with Binnington
Toronto - Canada, Annoying to have to be a celebrity to that degree
Washington - I can’t imagine having all my goal calls done by their terrible announcer who annoys the shit out of me
Winnipeg - Just too cold, Canada

Nothing against Canada specifically but I’d probably avoid playing there this year due to climate and possible financial implications. I’d make exceptions for Edmonton to play with the best in the world and Vancouver because I love the Pacific Northwest that much.

 

[Paper]

Edmonton
Winnipeg
Seattle
Edmonton
Buffalo
Utah
Edmonton
Edmonton
New Jersey
Edmonton

If I'm fourth liner I'd probably replace New Jersey with Vancouver since I'd like to be able to live in a house, but I'm assuming I'm a star.

 

[Castle8130]

Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Buffalo
Calgary

 

[Lshap]

Of course, but again — there’s no sense in avoiding an entire city because of crime when you have the resources to live in the best parts of the city. That’s like refusing to live in the Latin Quarter because violent crime is on the rise in Paris. Likewise, yes Washington has crime but if you’re living in a million dollar condo in Georgetown, why are you worried about getting caught up in hood violence? If you’re living in Malibu, why are you worried about Compton?

Now if the entire city becomes crime ridden, including its highest end neighborhoods, that’s different. But then you’re not talking about a Chicago or Washington.

Maybe easier to illustrate visually.

This is a map of crime in Washington DC and its near suburbs.

[

If you have the money to live on the left half of the map, you’ll never experience anything more violent than a golf ball flying off your neighborhood course and hitting your Lambo. If you’re living that life, the right half of the map is irrelevant.

A player on his last big contract is going to have a more holistic checklist, because he may be looking for a city to settle in long term. If he has a wife, what does she say? She's not spending her days within her gated community. If he has kids, those kids will end up going wherever their friends go. That's when players have to judge a city by more than the commute from mansion to arena.

EDIT: I'm off to the gym. As the OP, you get the last word. Good thread, by the way.

 

[tarheelhockey]

A player on his last big contract is going to have a more holistic checklist, because he may be looking for a city to settle in long term. If he has a wife, what does she say? She's not spending her days within her gated community. If he has kids, those kids will end up going wherever their friends go. That's when players have to judge a city by more than the commute from mansion to arena.

EDIT: I'm off to the gym. As the OP, you get the last word. Good thread, by the way.

The great majority of NHL wives are most certainly spending her days at the club in their golf course community And these guys raise their kids around other kids in a similar social stratum. Their chance of getting involved in gang violence is tiny compared to their chance of wrapping a Mercedes around a cast iron street lamp.

All I can say is believe me, NHL’ers and their families are not going to a place like Chicago and ending up terrorized by crime. They view the middle-class parts of town through the window of a town car, and never even see the hood.

Contrast with the outcomes we see in the NFL and NBA, where the players are from the “right half of the map” and actually go back to those places to maintain those connections, and routinely get caught up in bad situations. You don’t see that happening with NHL players, ever, because they have no reason to ever experience that side of the community. That’s American cities in a nutshell.

 

[J bo Jeans]

95% of posts here havent given much though to this at all or have not the slightest clue what an NHL schedule looks like.

Lets thinks this through.

82 game season = 41 road 41 home.

Fly into your city around late august early September and for most teams end in April-May. So really 3-5 months max you actually live in that city and half of that is spring/fall weather.

Ive seen a lot of Edmonton which is hilarious. These supposed hockey fanatics would trade the opportunity to play on Stanley Cup finalists and potentially 2 of the greatest players of all time for 2 months of nice weather.

LMAO

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

27 US states are further north than Toronto.

Am I missing a joke or sarcasm here?

This not only seems incredibly false, but can easily be countered with the fact that only Seattle and Minneapolis are NHL cities further north than Toronto...

 

[Golden_Jet]

27 US states are further north than Toronto.

Say what
Have the maps changed.

 

[tarheelhockey]

The lack of geographical knowledge here is just sad.

Toronto, Ohio - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[biturbo19]

For me, it'd come down largely to climate, the character and ~vibe~ of the city, and just steering away from organizations stuck in a perpetual rut. But not necessarily climate in the conventional sense of, "block all Canadian teams". For me, it'd actually be the California teams, Dallas, Vegas. Just too hot for me, and the character of the cities just really doesn't appeal to me.

Though even that is where it's hard to put myself in that millionaire professional hockey player mindset, where it might not even be so bad, since you're on the road half the time anyway, and i'd be spending the hottest parts of the year somewhere else anyway. But i think that also kind of applies in reverse, where you're on the road in warmer places half the winter anyway, and even when you're "home" you're probably spending most of your time driving from a heated garage to a heated parking garage. I'd cross Winnipeg off, but that's less about the bitter cold and wind, and more just about the size of the city, the character of the city's downtown, and just the overall bleakness of it's location.


The other things that i think would come into play more if i were really in those professional hockey player shoes, but are harder to nail down from the outside looking in...would be 1)My impressions of the coach and GM, 2)Quality and convenience of facilities and staff.

It's easy to overlook stuff like that from an armchair perspective...but if you're really in their shoes, that's what they're going to be spending the majority of their day-to-day lives at. So it probably becomes one of the utmost concerns.