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Arena Well, I'd Rather Be Dead in Arizona Than Alive in Utah (NHL Discussion, Playoffs and Relocation)

Discussion in 'Community' started by Yodave27, Nov 16, 2006.

Page 389 of 526

SergeyX2017 Jedi Knight

Registered:

Jan 14, 2017

Boba_Fett_2001 said: ↑

NHL will not participate in 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games
Click to expand...

Ovechkin says will go and play for Russia anyway; Capitals owner supports him: Alex Ovechkin: 'I'm going' to 2018 Olympics - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings

SergeyX2017, Apr 4, 2017

#9701

BigAl6ft6 likes this.
heels1785 Skywalker Saga + JCC Manager / Finally Won A Draft Staff Member Manager

Registered:

Dec 10, 2003

Caps suddenly can play defense for three weeks in 2018.

heels1785 , Apr 4, 2017

#9702

BigAl6ft6 and SergeyX2017 like this.
SergeyX2017 Jedi Knight

Registered:

Jan 14, 2017

If there is a spear-carrier among NHL players when it comes to the Olympics, it is Alexander Ovechkin. He had his heart broken in Vancouver, and again in Sochi. He is friendly with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. He had vowed to go to South Korea next year, whether the NHL did or not. On Monday the NHL said no, and Ovechkin didn’t budge.

“I didn’t change my mind, and I won’t,” said Ovechkin before his Washington Capitals faced the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night. “It’s my country. You know, I think everybody wants to play there, and it’s the biggest opportunity in your life to play in the Olympic Games. So I don’t know. Somebody going to tell me don’t go, I don’t care. I just go.”

He was joined by teammate Evgeny Kuznetsov, who said, “If Russia needs us, of course. It’s in the heart, always, the Russian people. But we will see. Maybe they will let us go.” Other NHL players spoke out strongly, even bitterly; notably, Swedes Henrik Zetterberg and Anton Stralman and Erik Karlsson. Zetterberg told Detroit reporters, “they probably want something from us. As usual.” Stralman, in Boston, told ESPN’s Joey MacDonald that it was “just billionaires trying to make a few extra bucks.”

And in Detroit Monday night, Karlsson said, “Crap. Pretty much. I don’t understand the decision. We have no say in the matter. It’s very unfortunate for the game of hockey around the world that they’re going to do this to the sport. I think it’s going to hurt a lot if we don’t end up going. Whoever made that decision obviously had no idea what they’re doing.”

Hockey players aren’t talkers by nature, but many range from disappointed to furious. In the Capitals locker room, there were a variety of opinions: Goaltender Braden Holtby said he would never leave his team to play in an Olympics, and defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk said of his Russian teammates, “I’d tip my cap to those guys for doing it, and I think that’s something that I’m sure will cause trouble with your team, but if that’s your sentiment and that’s how you feel, then absolutely. You should honour that and be proud that you did it. I definitely wouldn’t hold anything against you.”

But hockey players are not natural Spartacuses, and only Ovechkin and his Russian teammate said they would defy the league. The International Ice Hockey Federation is already rumbling about finding a solution. The IOC is pushing back harder. We’ll see.

USA Hockey will get along, because the NHL helps fund them; Hockey Canada will, too. The Leafs have clearly been told — directly or otherwise — not to say too much. Don’t expect Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid to follow Ovechkin’s example, even if their agents might want them to.

Russians are different, and Ovechkin is different. He holds out hope — conspiracy-laced hope, which befits a friend of Putin, one supposes — that a deal can be done, that someone will climb down. He said, “We want to go there, represent our countries. It’s probably the biggest thing in the world.

“You can say whatever, but next year’s schedule is not out yet,” Ovechkin continued. “So if the schedule is not going to the Olympic Games, then you can see they don’t bluff. But again, still long time, still everything can change. But in my mind, like I said already: I’m going, it doesn’t matter what.”

But if nobody follows him? If only Russians do? It might be a doomed effort. The NHL believes it has “all the levers,” as one source put it, and they will surely take the decision away from owners, and could impose anything from fines to suspensions. What if they said, you won’t play the rest of the year if you go to South Korea? They could. Many players are expressing sadness that the NHL tried to turn this into a negotiation. They must have short memories.

And so for now, all the players can do is provide what pressure they can. The International Olympic Committee screwed this up, and NHL owners have been looking for an excuse to pull the plug for years, and the players are the ones finding the euphemisms for disappointment. After the great Ovechkin vowed to be there, no matter what, German goaltender Philipp Grubauer sat across the room. He has been in the German program since he was a teenager, following compatriot Thomas Greiss. His best international result came with a fifth at the 2008 under-18s; he has mostly finished worse. He has never played in the Olympics, but it matters to him.

“Personally, for me growing up, we didn’t get much NHL games on television, so we always watched the Olympic Games,” Grubauer said. “You always saw the NHL guys playing over there; that what made it so interesting. For me, personally, you go through the tournament in the summer, you start the season early, you risk yourself getting injured, you go through all of that stuff in the summer to try to represent your country and try to get your team back into the Olympics, then they say no. It’s kind of disappointing and hard for guys to understand, probably. They don’t know what’s going on. But also that’s the nature of the business, probably.”

The march towards a better game, a more global game, is slow: the equipment is too expensive; the ice too rare, the game too provincial. Next year the march will stop, for a moment. For now.

Click to expand...

Ovechkin’s Olympic rebellion might not catch on: Arthur

Many Russians may also move back to the Motherland and to her own KHL league if NHL tries to stop them from playing in the Olympics, apparently: Ovechkin among Russians ready to bolt NHL for Olympics

And Russians are among the top talent in the NHL, I dare say

SergeyX2017, Apr 4, 2017

#9703
Obi_Wan_01 Jedi Grand Master

Registered:

Aug 17, 2001

See you in the 1st round heels1785

Obi_Wan_01, Apr 4, 2017

#9704

heels1785 likes this.
heels1785 Skywalker Saga + JCC Manager / Finally Won A Draft Staff Member Manager

Registered:

Dec 10, 2003

Looks like it. Take it easy on us plz

heels1785 , Apr 4, 2017

#9705
BigAl6ft6 Chosen One

Registered:

Nov 12, 2012

The distinct lack of NHL'ers. and it boiling down to dollarh for the league, is kind of annoying but expected to come from the NHL. I think a few might bounce and go play anyway but who knows how many.

On the plus side, the Leafs are mere tapdance away from clinching a playoff spot. I think. Probably. I believe in Leafs miracles!

BigAl6ft6, Apr 4, 2017

#9706
Obi_Wan_01 Jedi Grand Master

Registered:

Aug 17, 2001

So, this could get interesting. Just looking at the standings.
Isles and Bolts tied for 88. Leafs at 93.

Isles remaining games are against Canes, Devils, Sens - good chance for Isles to win them all
Bolts remaining games are against Leafs, Habs, Sabres - good chance for Bolts to win them all
Leafs remaining games are against Bolts, Pens, Jackets - good chance that Leafs could lose them all

There is a good chance that the Leafs might miss the playoffs. lol

Obi_Wan_01, Apr 4, 2017

#9707
heels1785 Skywalker Saga + JCC Manager / Finally Won A Draft Staff Member Manager

Registered:

Dec 10, 2003

So this deal with Okposo sounds really bad - he's been in Neurosurgical ICU at Buffalo General since last Tuesday, and they are not releasing a reason at the time. Bylsma just said he was "very concerned."

He's a young kid and a gritty player who has earned every inch he's been given on the ice - hope his recovery is quick and full.

heels1785 , Apr 6, 2017

#9708
Boba_Fett_2001 Chosen One

Registered:

Dec 11, 2000

LEAFS ARE IN!!!!!!!!!!

Boba_Fett_2001 , Apr 8, 2017

#9709

Frank T., Darth_Furio , cubman987 and 1 other person like this.
True Sith Jedi Master

Registered:

May 10, 2015

Hoping they play Ottawa. Battle of Ontario in the playoffs would be sick.

True Sith, Apr 8, 2017

#9710
Obi_Wan_01 Jedi Grand Master

Registered:

Aug 17, 2001

Disappointed to see the Leafs clinch a playoff spot, I wanted my prophecy to come true.
However, the game against the Pens was awesome, every minute of it. Reminded me of the Leafs from the 2000s era.

Obi_Wan_01, Apr 9, 2017

#9711
Boba_Fett_2001 Chosen One

Registered:

Dec 11, 2000

Washington in 5
Pittsburgh in 7
Montreal in 6
Boston in 6

Chicago in 5
St. Louis in 7
Anaheim in 6
Edmonton in 7

Boba_Fett_2001 , Apr 11, 2017

#9712
heels1785 Skywalker Saga + JCC Manager / Finally Won A Draft Staff Member Manager

Registered:

Dec 10, 2003

Pittsburgh over Minnesota for the Cup.

heels1785 , Apr 12, 2017

#9713
cubman987 Friendly Neighborhood Saga/Music/Fun & Games Mod Staff Member Manager

Registered:

Nov 7, 2014

I'm going to go Blackhawks over Penguins.....totally unbiased pick there.

cubman987 , Apr 12, 2017

#9714

Frank T. likes this.
heels1785 Skywalker Saga + JCC Manager / Finally Won A Draft Staff Member Manager

Registered:

Dec 10, 2003

I didn't even notice that Lindy Ruff got fired in Dallas on Monday, right around the time the Kings fired Sutter.

Looks like Ken Hitchcock is returning to the Stars.

I wonder if the new Vegas club can lure Sutter. Will be very expensive, but a short stint to get the club off its feet may be beneficial to both, as I imagine Sutter may be ready to call it a career soon - he's one of the oldest looking 58 year olds I've ever seen.

heels1785 , Apr 12, 2017

#9715

Darth_Furio likes this.
Darth_Furio Chosen One

Registered:

Apr 17, 2008

Washington in 6
Pittsburgh in 7
NY Rangers in 6
Ottawa in 7

Chicago in 5
Minnesota in 7
Anaheim in 6
San Jose in 6

Darth_Furio , Apr 12, 2017

#9716

Jedi Knight Fett and heels1785 like this.
True Sith Jedi Master

Registered:

May 10, 2015

Chicago in 6
St. Louis in 7
Anaheim in 6
Edmonton in 7

Washington in 5
Pittsburgh in 6
Montreal in 7
Boston in 7

Thinking Chicago over Washington for the Cup.

True Sith, Apr 12, 2017

#9717

Frank T. likes this.
Boba_Fett_2001 Chosen One

Registered:

Dec 11, 2000

Aaaaaaaaargh

Boba_Fett_2001 , Apr 13, 2017

#9718
cubman987 Friendly Neighborhood Saga/Music/Fun & Games Mod Staff Member Manager

Registered:

Nov 7, 2014

2 games, 0 goals for the Hawks.

cubman987 , Apr 15, 2017

#9719
Boba_Fett_2001 Chosen One

Registered:

Dec 11, 2000

LEAFS COMEBACK! What an amazing series this has been so far.

Boba_Fett_2001 , Apr 17, 2017

#9720

Darth_Furio and Point Given like this.
Darth_wanderguard Game Host VIP - Game Host

Registered:

Apr 26, 2005

heels1785 said: ↑

I didn't even notice that Lindy Ruff got fired in Dallas on Monday, right around the time the Kings fired Sutter.

Looks like Ken Hitchcock is returning to the Stars.

I wonder if the new Vegas club can lure Sutter. Will be very expensive, but a short stint to get the club off its feet may be beneficial to both, as I imagine Sutter may be ready to call it a career soon - he's one of the oldest looking 58 year olds I've ever seen.
Click to expand...

It was time. It was clear the entire second half of the season Ruff had lost the locker room, and this was after three years of the same pond hockey system, constant line shuffling, and extremely poor handling of the younger talent. Nill hasn't exactly given Ruff the best situation to work with given our two goalie system and carrying eight defensemen all year, but we have a better roster than we have results.

I'm excited to see what Hitch can do. If anyone can turn Oleksiak, Johns, and Nemeth into technically sound defenders then it's him.

Darth_wanderguard, Apr 17, 2017

#9721

Lady Belligerent likes this.
cubman987 Friendly Neighborhood Saga/Music/Fun & Games Mod Staff Member Manager

Registered:

Nov 7, 2014

Well the Blackhawks have looked absolutely pathetic so far, don't see any way they come back in this series. Heck most of the time it doesn't even look like they care.

cubman987 , Apr 18, 2017

#9722
heels1785 Skywalker Saga + JCC Manager / Finally Won A Draft Staff Member Manager

Registered:

Dec 10, 2003

I am most surprised by St. Louis. Obviously my pick of Minnesota to win the West was pretty terrible, as my picks generally are.

Montreal is absolutely the better team, in our series. I think that first game is going to be all we get.

heels1785 , Apr 18, 2017

#9723
Darth_Furio Chosen One

Registered:

Apr 17, 2008

I'm surprised by the 3-0 leads in these playoffs. The first round is usually the best one. Calgary is a tire fire, I think Chicago is just tired, and Minnesota has finally seen the true face of Dubnyk. Montreal getting it together isn't surprising, what is surprising his Radulov's play. Pittsbrugh just calmly put it into playoff mode, Edmonton continues their solid season, but they should be careful of San Jose. and Washington looks nervous. Ottawa? who cares, really? The Leafs are just flying with that speed, I love it. It might all end this round but the Leafs have done us proud this season.

Go Leafs Go!

Darth_Furio , Apr 18, 2017

#9724
Point Given Manager Staff Member Manager

Registered:

Dec 12, 2006

Playoff OT hockey always leaves me a wreck.

Point Given , Apr 20, 2017

#9725

Boba_Fett_2001 likes this.

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